MCPS updated calendar is insane

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher who already booked a vacation for the week of the 22nd. I never take days off, but I’ve put in for a sub and will leave board games and summer reading for my kids.

I wish the MCPS parents who perpetually complain could direct their vitriol at MSDE and the State Superintendent for being so unreasonable about giving waivers for extreme weather conditions.

The state superintendent and MSDE are not being unreasonable by wanting students in McPS to get 180 instructional days. They’re sticking up for students, half of whom can’t read or do math at grade level.

MCPS is unreasonable and incompetent by not putting more snow days in the calendar (why only 1?), not using the assigned makeup days (why put them in the calendar if you won’t use them) and not submitting a virtual learning plan for snow days.

I place the blame on McPS and the BoE for not learning from what happened last year with snow days.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Agreeing that MCPSis the problem here. I think what bugs me the most is the Orwellian use of language where words don’t mean what they say. “Make-up” days that under no circumstances will we use to hold school to make up for weather closures. “Honors” English that every student, including those well below grade level, are placed in.

[Anonymous]

Mcps could’ve chosen to use this week’s Monday and Tuesday as make up days (as allowed by the state) and the march 20th and April 15th “contingency days” but no, they choose to extend through June 25th instead. What idiots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

And yet 180 days is the most common requirement, as posted elsewhere. "The most common way that states regulate instructional time is to set a minimum number of days for the school year; 38 states and the District of Columbia do so. The majority of those states (27 of 38), along with D.C., mandate 180 instructional days, making it the closest thing the country has to a national norm."

And 180 is already too few for MCPS, which is failing its students.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/07/in-the-u-s-180-days-of-school-is-most-common-but-length-of-school-day-varies-by-state/

Some of the states {those with a 2 subscript by the 180 (185 in NC, 186 in Kansas)} allow a specified number of hours to count as an alternative.
2 District option to meet either minimum hours per school year or days per school year.

NOT LISTED on the site is that
Some of these states that require 180 days scheduled automatically forgive calamity days.
California requires 180 days but nobody has to make up days for fires, earthquakes or in some parts snow.
Michigan requires 180 days but the first 6 bad weather days are freebies and schools can get a waiver for 3 more.

OK? I guess you're free to continue your crusade against public education. It's pretty weird, though.

How is that a crusade? I'm simply saying what other states require. Other than similar law states like NJ, CT, MA, maybe Michigan since they get a zillion snow days and schools have to make up over a week even with 9 days forgiven (6 freebies + 3 waivers) there is nothing to complain about in most laws. Having only 2 vacation weeks a school year is hard enough, losing two weeks of summer between how holidays fell and snow day makeups is terrible!

Check your facts again. A lot of states have instructional-day minimums that must be met in addition to hour/minute minimums.

A few other states have both hours and days listed while some have a cross in one of the columns. Of those that have both MOST require ONE OR THE OTHER, only a few require BOTH!

[Anonymous]

Why aren't we using "Easter Monday?" I'm sure teachers wouldn't mind PD days being used instead of extending the year either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agreeing that MCPSis the problem here. I think what bugs me the most is the Orwellian use of language where words don’t mean what they say. “Make-up” days that under no circumstances will we use to hold school to make up for weather closures. “Honors” English that every student, including those well below grade level, are placed in.

By Orwellian you mean oppressive or controlling. MCPS is simply using language that are "lies" or "false" like makeup days they are not using to make up anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher who already booked a vacation for the week of the 22nd. I never take days off, but I’ve put in for a sub and will leave board games and summer reading for my kids.

I wish the MCPS parents who perpetually complain could direct their vitriol at MSDE and the State Superintendent for being so unreasonable about giving waivers for extreme weather conditions.

The state superintendent and MSDE are not being unreasonable by wanting students in McPS to get 180 instructional days. They’re sticking up for students, half of whom can’t read or do math at grade level.

MCPS is unreasonable and incompetent by not putting more snow days in the calendar (why only 1?), not using the assigned makeup days (why put them in the calendar if you won’t use them) and not submitting a virtual learning plan for snow days.

I place the blame on McPS and the BoE for not learning from what happened last year with snow days.

+1000

+1 million. And if we have a snow day on Monday this problem is going to be even worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't we using "Easter Monday?" I'm sure teachers wouldn't mind PD days being used instead of extending the year either.

We don't know it it's allowed yet, if so then they could use it. But not dividing up the grading time into multiple afternoons and opening April 15 is so dumb!

[Anonymous]

Agree - let’s use Monday after Easter. It wasn’t designated but should be on the table.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agreeing that MCPSis the problem here. I think what bugs me the most is the Orwellian use of language where words don’t mean what they say. “Make-up” days that under no circumstances will we use to hold school to make up for weather closures. “Honors” English that every student, including those well below grade level, are placed in.

This 100%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree - let’s use Monday after Easter. It wasn’t designated but should be on the table.

It's required by the state. Have they said it can now be used due to the snow?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree - let’s use Monday after Easter. It wasn’t designated but should be on the table.

Why don't you get right on that and let us know how it goes changing the law that Easter Monday is a holiday for schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Grading and planning days are essential. You can get rid of them if you want but it will be to the detriment of students. Having the day off means we can carefully go through grades and make sure there are no mistakes. It also gives us a few hours to grade stuff. Finally it gives teachers time to reflect and do some planning for future lessons. Take it away and many of us will just hastily throw something together for planning purposes. Think of some of your kids teachers who you like and who do a good job. Good teaching doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot of planning and effort. And trying new things.

In HS there are 8 periods. Teachers have classes for 5-6 periods at most. The school day is exactly 7.5hrs.

Most salary employees work 9-10hrs a day. Many catch up at night too.

I think teachers do not get paid well enough and I would argue for more half days for grading. But full days off are not productive in my opinion. You just had 4 days off. There will be a long Spring Break in late March/early April. Being against April 15th is absolutely ridiculous. Could have made it half day easily.

When the teachers and MCPS are not flexible, why should the state be?

Agree 100%

If MCPS actually went to school 5 days a week, I may have more sympathy for teachers and their need for full days off to grade. But they don't because they are off for every known holiday and then also when it flurries. As well as morning delays and other half days. Do teachers not understand that OTHER working parents that are not teachers, do not have that luxury and struggle with finding daycare, camps, babysitters for all of these days off and snow days and delayed openings, etc... I feel like kids are never in school. So your union denying April 15th after all these days off and after a long Spring Break seems a bit much, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can we not agree that this year is extremely unusual?? Just because people want exceptions this year doesn't mean it should be or would be a permanent thing. I think if people are loud enough, the board will hear and hopefully amend next year's calendar. It's not too late, as they already amended one day in September 2026 that was slated to be off that is now a school day.

Are you new here? This has been ongoing. Not just this year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree - let’s use Monday after Easter. It wasn’t designated but should be on the table.

It's required by the state. Have they said it can now be used due to the snow?

No, they have not waived the requirement.