Why can't MCPS get it together like the other MD school districts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL - the school calendar fight is between the labor unions and the small business owners it has zero to do with education or what parents want.

In fact, I have never met a parent that cares whether school starts before or after labor. What parents hate with a passion are all the random days off, half days and months with broken up weeks in the MCPS calendar. People want to be able to plan for effective childcare and take family vacations which the MCPS calendar does not support. Other counties did pretty well with either the week before or week after in establishing rationale calendars that gave a reasonable spring break and weren't closed all the time for random things.

From a learning perspective, there is zero evidence that one week makes a hoot of difference. Year-round school and intensive after care programs for failing kids -yes this makes a difference but starting a week early? Nope.

On the political front, the way this all works in Annapolis is that MoCo was the driving force behind getting control of its calendar back. MoCo reps make deals with other counties for their votes. I'd be more worried about what MoCo owes the other reps now than whether the school year starts before or after Labor Day.

It would be nice if MCEAA and MCPS put as much energy into actually educating kids, getting more funding, or improving school safety as they have in getting their calendar back.

The General Assembly is not notable for doing whatever Montgomery County wants, at least not in my observation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone analyzed AP score performance for kids who start before vs. after labor day? Because losing weeks of instructional time is not peanuts.

Does anyone with half a brain actually realize that when MCPS starts a week early, by the time they get to May for the tests, they would have been in school the SAME EXACT amount of time if they started a week later. We are talking a 4 day difference that with the earlier schedule and there is 3 full days off for marking period grades, occasional EID, and usually a longer Spring Break.

But even schools that start in early to mid Aug do not have higher scores. The reality is most fail across the country, unless they teach themselves.

Most people with half a brain realize that breaks are good for kids. They get down-time and time to absorb material. To actually analyze the effect of the start date, you would need to look at the link between test scores and start dates, while also controlling for demographics. I don't think anyone has done that. But someone who insists that kids are teaching themselves wouldn't understand that.

LOL.

Oh, so now that you realize there are no actual extra instructional days, we are moving on to “kids need more days off to process the information” to get a better AP score. I didn’t realize they were all home processing things on their random days off. Gotcha!

Oh and I guess families with ES kids should pay for daycare those extra days - so high schoolers who may be taking AP’s can process the material. Seems fair.

I'm an elementary school parent. I have to pay for care whether it's in the summer or the winter. We're not discussing adding instructional days to the school calendar. I don't mind that we get longer breaks. Even my little kids can do with a full week of spring break, and come back to school refreshed. I imagine it will be doubly true when they're older and have a lot of homework stresses and exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone analyzed AP score performance for kids who start before vs. after labor day? Because losing weeks of instructional time is not peanuts.

Does anyone with half a brain actually realize that when MCPS starts a week early, by the time they get to May for the tests, they would have been in school the SAME EXACT amount of time if they started a week later. We are talking a 4 day difference that with the earlier schedule and there is 3 full days off for marking period grades, occasional EID, and usually a longer Spring Break.

But even schools that start in early to mid Aug do not have higher scores. The reality is most fail across the country, unless they teach themselves.

Most people with half a brain realize that breaks are good for kids. They get down-time and time to absorb material. To actually analyze the effect of the start date, you would need to look at the link between test scores and start dates, while also controlling for demographics. I don't think anyone has done that. But someone who insists that kids are teaching themselves wouldn't understand that.

LOL.

Oh, so now that you realize there are no actual extra instructional days, we are moving on to “kids need more days off to process the information” to get a better AP score. I didn’t realize they were all home processing things on their random days off. Gotcha!

Oh and I guess families with ES kids should pay for daycare those extra days - so high schoolers who may be taking AP’s can process the material. Seems fair.

I'm an elementary school parent. I have to pay for care whether it's in the summer or the winter. We're not discussing adding instructional days to the school calendar. I don't mind that we get longer breaks. Even my little kids can do with a full week of spring break, and come back to school refreshed. I imagine it will be doubly true when they're older and have a lot of homework stresses and exams.

Yes... my teen wants a longer spring break. A few years ago, DS was burnt out. When we had the longer spring break, DS went back to school much more relaxed.

From this perspective, year round school would be great -- more frequent breaks in between quarters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone analyzed AP score performance for kids who start before vs. after labor day? Because losing weeks of instructional time is not peanuts.

Does anyone with half a brain actually realize that when MCPS starts a week early, by the time they get to May for the tests, they would have been in school the SAME EXACT amount of time if they started a week later. We are talking a 4 day difference that with the earlier schedule and there is 3 full days off for marking period grades, occasional EID, and usually a longer Spring Break.

But even schools that start in early to mid Aug do not have higher scores. The reality is most fail across the country, unless they teach themselves.

Most people with half a brain realize that breaks are good for kids. They get down-time and time to absorb material. To actually analyze the effect of the start date, you would need to look at the link between test scores and start dates, while also controlling for demographics. I don't think anyone has done that. But someone who insists that kids are teaching themselves wouldn't understand that.

LOL.

Oh, so now that you realize there are no actual extra instructional days, we are moving on to “kids need more days off to process the information” to get a better AP score. I didn’t realize they were all home processing things on their random days off. Gotcha!

Oh and I guess families with ES kids should pay for daycare those extra days - so high schoolers who may be taking AP’s can process the material. Seems fair.

I'm an elementary school parent. I have to pay for care whether it's in the summer or the winter. We're not discussing adding instructional days to the school calendar. I don't mind that we get longer breaks. Even my little kids can do with a full week of spring break, and come back to school refreshed. I imagine it will be doubly true when they're older and have a lot of homework stresses and exams.

Yes... my teen wants a longer spring break. A few years ago, DS was burnt out. When we had the longer spring break, DS went back to school much more relaxed.

From this perspective, year round school would be great -- more frequent breaks in between quarters.

Raising a bunch of wussy snowflakes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
LOL - the school calendar fight is between the labor unions and the small business owners it has zero to do with education or what parents want.

In fact, I have never met a parent that cares whether school starts before or after labor. What parents hate with a passion are all the random days off, half days and months with broken up weeks in the MCPS calendar. People want to be able to plan for effective childcare and take family vacations which the MCPS calendar does not support. Other counties did pretty well with either the week before or week after in establishing rationale calendars that gave a reasonable spring break and weren't closed all the time for random things.

From a learning perspective, there is zero evidence that one week makes a hoot of difference. Year-round school and intensive after care programs for failing kids -yes this makes a difference but starting a week early? Nope.

On the political front, the way this all works in Annapolis is that MoCo was the driving force behind getting control of its calendar back. MoCo reps make deals with other counties for their votes. I'd be more worried about what MoCo owes the other reps now than whether the school year starts before or after Labor Day.

It would be nice if MCEAA and MCPS put as much energy into actually educating kids, getting more funding, or improving school safety as they have in getting their calendar back.

You must not know many parents, and should get out more. I do know many many parents who hate the shortened spring break and that their kids aren't getting enough time to prepare for AP exams in May. But Ocean City tourism dollars trumps our kids' education.

You just made my point. Families hate the shortened spring break they don't care whether school starts before or labor. MCPS deliberately set up the calendar to shorten spring break under the Hogan order to make people unhappy. It was stupid because other counties have a normal spring break. MCPS could give up some of the professional days and religious one day holidays to achieve a normal winter and spring break that starts after labor or before Labor Day.

+1

Or finish after June 15th like Howard County is doing. Hogan gave the extension. I think Frederick too?

Why didn’t MC get an extension and get a full Spring Break? I though school had to end by Jun 15th no matter what?

[Anonymous]

Until Busch and or Miller are gone from Annapolis, Montgomery County will never get its fair share from the state, and any requests made by Montgomery County will be denied. As far as Fairfax, and other schiols in Virginia, their laws say they have to go to school XX number of hours, while Montgomery County Schools have to go to school 180 days. Virginia had the King's Dominion law for years, and recently repealed it, so schools could start earlier. Montgomery County is going backwards with the Ocean City law.

I got the child care issues in elementary school. In the past couple of years, those random days off we're always on Fridays or Mondays, which was a huge Improvement that when my kids were in school, and those days were mid-week. Sure, the holidays that you don't count as holidays, but Jewish people do, were/are sometimes midweek. And the county recently did a study on that, I found that more than 15% of students and teachers would be absent, and that they would not have enough substitute teachers to keep schools open on those days. Suck it up, and get child care like other working parents have for decades. The kids and the teachers need a break. This long slog from January till June, is rough on everyone.

So don't blame Montgomery County. The state is responsible for the calendar the past couple years, including this lousy one, with a short spring break. Montgomery County has to abide by the laws of the state, saying 180 days of school are mandatory, starting after Labor Day, and ending by June 15th. Luckily, that is going to change when they override the governor's veto today.

I would like to see the state get rid of Easter Monday as a holiday. That's not a holiday, it's a travel day. If that's the case, we should also have off January 2nd and a day after all other holidays too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Until Busch and or Miller are gone from Annapolis, Montgomery County will never get its fair share from the state, and any requests made by Montgomery County will be denied. As far as Fairfax, and other schiols in Virginia, their laws say they have to go to school XX number of hours, while Montgomery County Schools have to go to school 180 days. Virginia had the King's Dominion law for years, and recently repealed it, so schools could start earlier. Montgomery County is going backwards with the Ocean City law.

I got the child care issues in elementary school. In the past couple of years, those random days off we're always on Fridays or Mondays, which was a huge Improvement that when my kids were in school, and those days were mid-week. Sure, the holidays that you don't count as holidays, but Jewish people do, were/are sometimes midweek. And the county recently did a study on that, I found that more than 15% of students and teachers would be absent, and that they would not have enough substitute teachers to keep schools open on those days. Suck it up, and get child care like other working parents have for decades. The kids and the teachers need a break. This long slog from January till June, is rough on everyone.

So don't blame Montgomery County. The state is responsible for the calendar the past couple years, including this lousy one, with a short spring break. Montgomery County has to abide by the laws of the state, saying 180 days of school are mandatory, starting after Labor Day, and ending by June 15th. Luckily, that is going to change when they override the governor's veto today.

I would like to see the state get rid of Easter Monday as a holiday. That's not a holiday, it's a travel day. If that's the case, we should also have off January 2nd and a day after all other holidays too.

Well put.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
So don't blame Montgomery County. The state is responsible for the calendar the past couple years, including this lousy one, with a short spring break. Montgomery County has to abide by the laws of the state, saying 180 days of school are mandatory, starting after Labor Day, and ending by June 15th. Luckily, that is going to change when they override the governor's veto today.

I am really looking forward to that.

Letting the school boards set their own calendars based on the needs of their districts - that seems so basic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Until Busch and or Miller are gone from Annapolis, Montgomery County will never get its fair share from the state, and any requests made by Montgomery County will be denied. As far as Fairfax, and other schiols in Virginia, their laws say they have to go to school XX number of hours, while Montgomery County Schools have to go to school 180 days. Virginia had the King's Dominion law for years, and recently repealed it, so schools could start earlier. Montgomery County is going backwards with the Ocean City law.

I got the child care issues in elementary school. In the past couple of years, those random days off we're always on Fridays or Mondays, which was a huge Improvement that when my kids were in school, and those days were mid-week. Sure, the holidays that you don't count as holidays, but Jewish people do, were/are sometimes midweek. And the county recently did a study on that, I found that more than 15% of students and teachers would be absent, and that they would not have enough substitute teachers to keep schools open on those days. Suck it up, and get child care like other working parents have for decades. The kids and the teachers need a break. This long slog from January till June, is rough on everyone.

So don't blame Montgomery County. The state is responsible for the calendar the past couple years, including this lousy one, with a short spring break. Montgomery County has to abide by the laws of the state, saying 180 days of school are mandatory, starting after Labor Day, and ending by June 15th. Luckily, that is going to change when they override the governor's veto today.

I would like to see the state get rid of Easter Monday as a holiday. That's not a holiday, it's a travel day. If that's the case, we should also have off January 2nd and a day after all other holidays too.

15% of the students/teachers that answered the poll. Only a few hundred filled it out, pretty sure most being Jewish and cared about it. Not the hundred thousand families and teachers. So no, not even close to the actual 15% of the students/teachers. I am a working mom and all of those random days off kill my work. I pay cheap camps and a high schooler to help me in the summer. I have to pay about $50 a day every day. Looking back to previous calendars, there were only 2 full weeks of school in Sept and Oct. Sorry, but that is not right. Maybe it is easier for you to take off, but I am a single mom and can't afford it, not can I work from home. Some people are so oblivious to other people's problems. Talking about breaks for the kids? 30% of the kids that are on FARMS, need the full 5 days of school to eat, have warmth, and company. Many schools try to accommodate kids over the weekend with some snacks for their backpack. 3 days is torture. But who cares about the single moms. Who cares about the poor kids. My kid is stressed and enjoys those all those 3 days weekends and random Wednesdays off. Spring break was great when it was 11 days off! We sit around and make crafts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

15% of the students/teachers that answered the poll. Only a few hundred filled it out, pretty sure most being Jewish and cared about it. Not the hundred thousand families and teachers. So no, not even close to the actual 15% of the students/teachers. I am a working mom and all of those random days off kill my work. I pay cheap camps and a high schooler to help me in the summer. I have to pay about $50 a day every day. Looking back to previous calendars, there were only 2 full weeks of school in Sept and Oct. Sorry, but that is not right. Maybe it is easier for you to take off, but I am a single mom and can't afford it, not can I work from home. Some people are so oblivious to other people's problems. Talking about breaks for the kids? 30% of the kids that are on FARMS, need the full 5 days of school to eat, have warmth, and company. Many schools try to accommodate kids over the weekend with some snacks for their backpack. 3 days is torture. But who cares about the single moms. Who cares about the poor kids. My kid is stressed and enjoys those all those 3 days weekends and random Wednesdays off. Spring break was great when it was 11 days off! We sit around and make crafts.

Darn those people who provided public input when MCPS asked for public input, drowning out the unheard voices of the people who did not provide public input!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL - the school calendar fight is between the labor unions and the small business owners it has zero to do with education or what parents want.

In fact, I have never met a parent that cares whether school starts before or after labor. What parents hate with a passion are all the random days off, half days and months with broken up weeks in the MCPS calendar. People want to be able to plan for effective childcare and take family vacations which the MCPS calendar does not support. Other counties did pretty well with either the week before or week after in establishing rationale calendars that gave a reasonable spring break and weren't closed all the time for random things.

From a learning perspective, there is zero evidence that one week makes a hoot of difference. Year-round school and intensive after care programs for failing kids -yes this makes a difference but starting a week early? Nope.

On the political front, the way this all works in Annapolis is that MoCo was the driving force behind getting control of its calendar back. MoCo reps make deals with other counties for their votes. I'd be more worried about what MoCo owes the other reps now than whether the school year starts before or after Labor Day.

It would be nice if MCEAA and MCPS put as much energy into actually educating kids, getting more funding, or improving school safety as they have in getting their calendar back.

Agree completely. Especially with the bolded.

MCPS is such a shot show and the time and energy they spend on this kind of nonsense doesn’t help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Until Busch and or Miller are gone from Annapolis, Montgomery County will never get its fair share from the state, and any requests made by Montgomery County will be denied. As far as Fairfax, and other schiols in Virginia, their laws say they have to go to school XX number of hours, while Montgomery County Schools have to go to school 180 days. Virginia had the King's Dominion law for years, and recently repealed it, so schools could start earlier. Montgomery County is going backwards with the Ocean City law.

I got the child care issues in elementary school. In the past couple of years, those random days off we're always on Fridays or Mondays, which was a huge Improvement that when my kids were in school, and those days were mid-week. Sure, the holidays that you don't count as holidays, but Jewish people do, were/are sometimes midweek. And the county recently did a study on that, I found that more than 15% of students and teachers would be absent, and that they would not have enough substitute teachers to keep schools open on those days. Suck it up, and get child care like other working parents have for decades. The kids and the teachers need a break. This long slog from January till June, is rough on everyone.

So don't blame Montgomery County. The state is responsible for the calendar the past couple years, including this lousy one, with a short spring break. Montgomery County has to abide by the laws of the state, saying 180 days of school are mandatory, starting after Labor Day, and ending by June 15th. Luckily, that is going to change when they override the governor's veto today.

I would like to see the state get rid of Easter Monday as a holiday. That's not a holiday, it's a travel day. If that's the case, we should also have off January 2nd and a day after all other holidays too.

How is Montgomery County not to blame for the shortened break? They decide their schedule, not the state. HCPS has a full Spring Break. So does PG county. The county decides the schedule and the county can ask the state for help. MCPS took the break away as a ploy tactic and purposely didn't ask for an extension so they could make a big deal about "the struggle." Nothing more. You are too gullible to see it.

[Anonymous]

How could they have made the break longer with the year start and end restrictions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

How is Montgomery County not to blame for the shortened break? They decide their schedule, not the state. HCPS has a full Spring Break. So does PG county. The county decides the schedule and the county can ask the state for help. MCPS took the break away as a ploy tactic and purposely didn't ask for an extension so they could make a big deal about "the struggle." Nothing more. You are too gullible to see it.

Prince George's County also had 0 professional days (vs MCPS's 1) and did not close for the Jewish High Holy Days. There are those 3 days, right there.

This is an argument FOR the General Assembly's bill. Let the local school boards decide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL - the school calendar fight is between the labor unions and the small business owners it has zero to do with education or what parents want.

In fact, I have never met a parent that cares whether school starts before or after labor. What parents hate with a passion are all the random days off, half days and months with broken up weeks in the MCPS calendar. People want to be able to plan for effective childcare and take family vacations which the MCPS calendar does not support. Other counties did pretty well with either the week before or week after in establishing rationale calendars that gave a reasonable spring break and weren't closed all the time for random things.

From a learning perspective, there is zero evidence that one week makes a hoot of difference. Year-round school and intensive after care programs for failing kids -yes this makes a difference but starting a week early? Nope.

On the political front, the way this all works in Annapolis is that MoCo was the driving force behind getting control of its calendar back. MoCo reps make deals with other counties for their votes. I'd be more worried about what MoCo owes the other reps now than whether the school year starts before or after Labor Day.

It would be nice if MCEAA and MCPS put as much energy into actually educating kids, getting more funding, or improving school safety as they have in getting their calendar back.

The General Assembly is not notable for doing whatever Montgomery County wants, at least not in my observation.

Pretty sure you didn't follow this very well than.