2023-24 draft calendar scenarios to be reviewed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longer and frequent breaks is far better.

Kids get time.
Families can travel.

+1

It makes no sense to cram all vacations and breaks in 2-3 months. It's far better to spread it out. International families can travel and kids can get break.

Agree so much. I do appreciate that many have already planned their vacation for late August next year.... but I hope that if this is a reason to keep the later start for the coming year, we can take the time to address it sooner for future years.

How many people in MoCo actually have a "bought and paid for" vacation already for August 2023? I am guessing that is a small fraction of families.

I think you’d be surprised, plus camp schedules are already coming out. Our own extended family is waiting on us/this info for a group trip. People need to be able to plan. This is really late to be changing the weeks in any significant fashion.

Agree. This doesn’t just affect vacations but camps would have to shift schedules too. But yeah, lots of people take august vacations, including teachers. Our next door neighbor is a teacher and their kids are on swim team, so august is the only time that works (obviously not the week before school starts, but often the week before that).

Not to say none of this could shift, I just wouldn’t do it next year unless there was a really compelling reason. Give everyone a heads up for 2024.

+1. Also, nowhere in this state opens as early as August 14. Places that open in mid or early August in other regions end around Memorial Day or the week after. We are still ending mid June in 2023, so I think the shift earlier needs to be done incrementally, although for the record, I absolutely do not think kids should go back to school mid August at all. They are really trying to suck the joy of childhood in MCPS. This is just another example.

Agreed. And I don’t think it makes sense to be potentially two weeks off from what other DMV area districts are doing either.

Frederick County's current school year runs August 17th to June 1st.

If only MCPS could go to a similar schedule, even if just a little later. Getting out mid June sucks. The kids are space cadets, the teachers are pretty much done for also. All the AP and state testing is over, so most families aren’t as invested and annoyed by bigger projects. Like why can’t we be out no later than 6/10 every year. Oh how my family longs to go back to a modified year round schedule. It was so much better for students and teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longer and frequent breaks is far better.

Kids get time.
Families can travel.

+1

It makes no sense to cram all vacations and breaks in 2-3 months. It's far better to spread it out. International families can travel and kids can get break.

Agree so much. I do appreciate that many have already planned their vacation for late August next year.... but I hope that if this is a reason to keep the later start for the coming year, we can take the time to address it sooner for future years.

How many people in MoCo actually have a "bought and paid for" vacation already for August 2023? I am guessing that is a small fraction of families.

I think you’d be surprised, plus camp schedules are already coming out. Our own extended family is waiting on us/this info for a group trip. People need to be able to plan. This is really late to be changing the weeks in any significant fashion.

Agree. This doesn’t just affect vacations but camps would have to shift schedules too. But yeah, lots of people take august vacations, including teachers. Our next door neighbor is a teacher and their kids are on swim team, so august is the only time that works (obviously not the week before school starts, but often the week before that).

Not to say none of this could shift, I just wouldn’t do it next year unless there was a really compelling reason. Give everyone a heads up for 2024.

+1. Also, nowhere in this state opens as early as August 14. Places that open in mid or early August in other regions end around Memorial Day or the week after. We are still ending mid June in 2023, so I think the shift earlier needs to be done incrementally, although for the record, I absolutely do not think kids should go back to school mid August at all. They are really trying to suck the joy of childhood in MCPS. This is just another example.

Agreed. And I don’t think it makes sense to be potentially two weeks off from what other DMV area districts are doing either.

Frederick County's current school year runs August 17th to June 1st.

If only MCPS could go to a similar schedule, even if just a little later. Getting out mid June sucks. The kids are space cadets, the teachers are pretty much done for also. All the AP and state testing is over, so most families aren’t as invested and annoyed by bigger projects. Like why can’t we be out no later than 6/10 every year. Oh how my family longs to go back to a modified year round schedule. It was so much better for students and teachers.

No one here wants year round school. Also, please don't speak for our students or teachers. Just because it worked for YOU doesn't mean it was so much better for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longer and frequent breaks is far better.

Kids get time.
Families can travel.

+1

It makes no sense to cram all vacations and breaks in 2-3 months. It's far better to spread it out. International families can travel and kids can get break.

Agree so much. I do appreciate that many have already planned their vacation for late August next year.... but I hope that if this is a reason to keep the later start for the coming year, we can take the time to address it sooner for future years.

How many people in MoCo actually have a "bought and paid for" vacation already for August 2023? I am guessing that is a small fraction of families.

I think you’d be surprised, plus camp schedules are already coming out. Our own extended family is waiting on us/this info for a group trip. People need to be able to plan. This is really late to be changing the weeks in any significant fashion.

Agree. This doesn’t just affect vacations but camps would have to shift schedules too. But yeah, lots of people take august vacations, including teachers. Our next door neighbor is a teacher and their kids are on swim team, so august is the only time that works (obviously not the week before school starts, but often the week before that).

Not to say none of this could shift, I just wouldn’t do it next year unless there was a really compelling reason. Give everyone a heads up for 2024.

+1. Also, nowhere in this state opens as early as August 14. Places that open in mid or early August in other regions end around Memorial Day or the week after. We are still ending mid June in 2023, so I think the shift earlier needs to be done incrementally, although for the record, I absolutely do not think kids should go back to school mid August at all. They are really trying to suck the joy of childhood in MCPS. This is just another example.

Agreed. And I don’t think it makes sense to be potentially two weeks off from what other DMV area districts are doing either.

Frederick County's current school year runs August 17th to June 1st.

If only MCPS could go to a similar schedule, even if just a little later. Getting out mid June sucks. The kids are space cadets, the teachers are pretty much done for also. All the AP and state testing is over, so most families aren’t as invested and annoyed by bigger projects. Like why can’t we be out no later than 6/10 every year. Oh how my family longs to go back to a modified year round schedule. It was so much better for students and teachers.

Year round may work for younger kids in elementary school but it doesn't work for older kids in speciality camps or working. We already pull our kids out a week early for a speciality camp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If all the MCPS people on this thread are done congratulating yourselves, can you please explain why there are three non-instructional days in a row? Last Friday kids played games for their "mental health" and this week there were two half-days. All were non-instructional since they didn't cover new material in that time. Same goes for the other half-days. How can this possibly count under the 180 day Maryland instruction requirement?

Maybe it's just your school? My kids had full instructional days, homework, etc. If anything they had more homework, not less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longer and frequent breaks is far better.

Kids get time.
Families can travel.

+1

It makes no sense to cram all vacations and breaks in 2-3 months. It's far better to spread it out. International families can travel and kids can get break.

Agree so much. I do appreciate that many have already planned their vacation for late August next year.... but I hope that if this is a reason to keep the later start for the coming year, we can take the time to address it sooner for future years.

How many people in MoCo actually have a "bought and paid for" vacation already for August 2023? I am guessing that is a small fraction of families.

I think you’d be surprised, plus camp schedules are already coming out. Our own extended family is waiting on us/this info for a group trip. People need to be able to plan. This is really late to be changing the weeks in any significant fashion.

Agree. This doesn’t just affect vacations but camps would have to shift schedules too. But yeah, lots of people take august vacations, including teachers. Our next door neighbor is a teacher and their kids are on swim team, so august is the only time that works (obviously not the week before school starts, but often the week before that).

Not to say none of this could shift, I just wouldn’t do it next year unless there was a really compelling reason. Give everyone a heads up for 2024.

+1. Also, nowhere in this state opens as early as August 14. Places that open in mid or early August in other regions end around Memorial Day or the week after. We are still ending mid June in 2023, so I think the shift earlier needs to be done incrementally, although for the record, I absolutely do not think kids should go back to school mid August at all. They are really trying to suck the joy of childhood in MCPS. This is just another example.

Agreed. And I don’t think it makes sense to be potentially two weeks off from what other DMV area districts are doing either.

Frederick County's current school year runs August 17th to June 1st.

If only MCPS could go to a similar schedule, even if just a little later. Getting out mid June sucks. The kids are space cadets, the teachers are pretty much done for also. All the AP and state testing is over, so most families aren’t as invested and annoyed by bigger projects. Like why can’t we be out no later than 6/10 every year. Oh how my family longs to go back to a modified year round schedule. It was so much better for students and teachers.

Agree. They should start and end earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longer and frequent breaks is far better.

Kids get time.
Families can travel.

+1

It makes no sense to cram all vacations and breaks in 2-3 months. It's far better to spread it out. International families can travel and kids can get break.

Agree so much. I do appreciate that many have already planned their vacation for late August next year.... but I hope that if this is a reason to keep the later start for the coming year, we can take the time to address it sooner for future years.

How many people in MoCo actually have a "bought and paid for" vacation already for August 2023? I am guessing that is a small fraction of families.

I think you’d be surprised, plus camp schedules are already coming out. Our own extended family is waiting on us/this info for a group trip. People need to be able to plan. This is really late to be changing the weeks in any significant fashion.

Agree. This doesn’t just affect vacations but camps would have to shift schedules too. But yeah, lots of people take august vacations, including teachers. Our next door neighbor is a teacher and their kids are on swim team, so august is the only time that works (obviously not the week before school starts, but often the week before that).

Not to say none of this could shift, I just wouldn’t do it next year unless there was a really compelling reason. Give everyone a heads up for 2024.

+1. Also, nowhere in this state opens as early as August 14. Places that open in mid or early August in other regions end around Memorial Day or the week after. We are still ending mid June in 2023, so I think the shift earlier needs to be done incrementally, although for the record, I absolutely do not think kids should go back to school mid August at all. They are really trying to suck the joy of childhood in MCPS. This is just another example.

Agreed. And I don’t think it makes sense to be potentially two weeks off from what other DMV area districts are doing either.

Frederick County's current school year runs August 17th to June 1st.

If only MCPS could go to a similar schedule, even if just a little later. Getting out mid June sucks. The kids are space cadets, the teachers are pretty much done for also. All the AP and state testing is over, so most families aren’t as invested and annoyed by bigger projects. Like why can’t we be out no later than 6/10 every year. Oh how my family longs to go back to a modified year round schedule. It was so much better for students and teachers.

Year round may work for younger kids in elementary school but it doesn't work for older kids in speciality camps or working. We already pull our kids out a week early for a speciality camp.

Year round schooling is still just 180 days/year. Only MCPS messes it up with their “innovative school year” BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longer and frequent breaks is far better.

Kids get time.
Families can travel.

+1

It makes no sense to cram all vacations and breaks in 2-3 months. It's far better to spread it out. International families can travel and kids can get break.

Agree so much. I do appreciate that many have already planned their vacation for late August next year.... but I hope that if this is a reason to keep the later start for the coming year, we can take the time to address it sooner for future years.

How many people in MoCo actually have a "bought and paid for" vacation already for August 2023? I am guessing that is a small fraction of families.

I think you’d be surprised, plus camp schedules are already coming out. Our own extended family is waiting on us/this info for a group trip. People need to be able to plan. This is really late to be changing the weeks in any significant fashion.

Agree. This doesn’t just affect vacations but camps would have to shift schedules too. But yeah, lots of people take august vacations, including teachers. Our next door neighbor is a teacher and their kids are on swim team, so august is the only time that works (obviously not the week before school starts, but often the week before that).

Not to say none of this could shift, I just wouldn’t do it next year unless there was a really compelling reason. Give everyone a heads up for 2024.

+1. Also, nowhere in this state opens as early as August 14. Places that open in mid or early August in other regions end around Memorial Day or the week after. We are still ending mid June in 2023, so I think the shift earlier needs to be done incrementally, although for the record, I absolutely do not think kids should go back to school mid August at all. They are really trying to suck the joy of childhood in MCPS. This is just another example.

Agreed. And I don’t think it makes sense to be potentially two weeks off from what other DMV area districts are doing either.

Frederick County's current school year runs August 17th to June 1st.

If only MCPS could go to a similar schedule, even if just a little later. Getting out mid June sucks. The kids are space cadets, the teachers are pretty much done for also. All the AP and state testing is over, so most families aren’t as invested and annoyed by bigger projects. Like why can’t we be out no later than 6/10 every year. Oh how my family longs to go back to a modified year round schedule. It was so much better for students and teachers.

Agree. They should start and end earlier.

No! Don’t start earlier. This will make the teacher shortage even worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longer and frequent breaks is far better.

Kids get time.
Families can travel.

+1

It makes no sense to cram all vacations and breaks in 2-3 months. It's far better to spread it out. International families can travel and kids can get break.

Agree so much. I do appreciate that many have already planned their vacation for late August next year.... but I hope that if this is a reason to keep the later start for the coming year, we can take the time to address it sooner for future years.

How many people in MoCo actually have a "bought and paid for" vacation already for August 2023? I am guessing that is a small fraction of families.

I think you’d be surprised, plus camp schedules are already coming out. Our own extended family is waiting on us/this info for a group trip. People need to be able to plan. This is really late to be changing the weeks in any significant fashion.

Agree. This doesn’t just affect vacations but camps would have to shift schedules too. But yeah, lots of people take august vacations, including teachers. Our next door neighbor is a teacher and their kids are on swim team, so august is the only time that works (obviously not the week before school starts, but often the week before that).

Not to say none of this could shift, I just wouldn’t do it next year unless there was a really compelling reason. Give everyone a heads up for 2024.

+1. Also, nowhere in this state opens as early as August 14. Places that open in mid or early August in other regions end around Memorial Day or the week after. We are still ending mid June in 2023, so I think the shift earlier needs to be done incrementally, although for the record, I absolutely do not think kids should go back to school mid August at all. They are really trying to suck the joy of childhood in MCPS. This is just another example.

Agreed. And I don’t think it makes sense to be potentially two weeks off from what other DMV area districts are doing either.

Frederick County's current school year runs August 17th to June 1st.

If only MCPS could go to a similar schedule, even if just a little later. Getting out mid June sucks. The kids are space cadets, the teachers are pretty much done for also. All the AP and state testing is over, so most families aren’t as invested and annoyed by bigger projects. Like why can’t we be out no later than 6/10 every year. Oh how my family longs to go back to a modified year round schedule. It was so much better for students and teachers.

Agree. They should start and end earlier.

No! Don’t start earlier. This will make the teacher shortage even worse.

exactly.
-teacher who will not return in mid-august

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longer and frequent breaks is far better.

Kids get time.
Families can travel.

+1

It makes no sense to cram all vacations and breaks in 2-3 months. It's far better to spread it out. International families can travel and kids can get break.

Agree so much. I do appreciate that many have already planned their vacation for late August next year.... but I hope that if this is a reason to keep the later start for the coming year, we can take the time to address it sooner for future years.

How many people in MoCo actually have a "bought and paid for" vacation already for August 2023? I am guessing that is a small fraction of families.

I think you’d be surprised, plus camp schedules are already coming out. Our own extended family is waiting on us/this info for a group trip. People need to be able to plan. This is really late to be changing the weeks in any significant fashion.

Agree. This doesn’t just affect vacations but camps would have to shift schedules too. But yeah, lots of people take august vacations, including teachers. Our next door neighbor is a teacher and their kids are on swim team, so august is the only time that works (obviously not the week before school starts, but often the week before that).

Not to say none of this could shift, I just wouldn’t do it next year unless there was a really compelling reason. Give everyone a heads up for 2024.

+1. Also, nowhere in this state opens as early as August 14. Places that open in mid or early August in other regions end around Memorial Day or the week after. We are still ending mid June in 2023, so I think the shift earlier needs to be done incrementally, although for the record, I absolutely do not think kids should go back to school mid August at all. They are really trying to suck the joy of childhood in MCPS. This is just another example.

Agreed. And I don’t think it makes sense to be potentially two weeks off from what other DMV area districts are doing either.

Frederick County's current school year runs August 17th to June 1st.

If only MCPS could go to a similar schedule, even if just a little later. Getting out mid June sucks. The kids are space cadets, the teachers are pretty much done for also. All the AP and state testing is over, so most families aren’t as invested and annoyed by bigger projects. Like why can’t we be out no later than 6/10 every year. Oh how my family longs to go back to a modified year round schedule. It was so much better for students and teachers.

Agree. They should start and end earlier.

No! Don’t start earlier. This will make the teacher shortage even worse.

exactly.
-teacher who will not return in mid-august

I know this will sound snarky, but I don’t mean it that way. You’ll quit over starting a week earlier and do what instead? Most jobs don’t have summers off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longer and frequent breaks is far better.

Kids get time.
Families can travel.

+1

It makes no sense to cram all vacations and breaks in 2-3 months. It's far better to spread it out. International families can travel and kids can get break.

Agree so much. I do appreciate that many have already planned their vacation for late August next year.... but I hope that if this is a reason to keep the later start for the coming year, we can take the time to address it sooner for future years.

How many people in MoCo actually have a "bought and paid for" vacation already for August 2023? I am guessing that is a small fraction of families.

I think you’d be surprised, plus camp schedules are already coming out. Our own extended family is waiting on us/this info for a group trip. People need to be able to plan. This is really late to be changing the weeks in any significant fashion.

Agree. This doesn’t just affect vacations but camps would have to shift schedules too. But yeah, lots of people take august vacations, including teachers. Our next door neighbor is a teacher and their kids are on swim team, so august is the only time that works (obviously not the week before school starts, but often the week before that).

Not to say none of this could shift, I just wouldn’t do it next year unless there was a really compelling reason. Give everyone a heads up for 2024.

+1. Also, nowhere in this state opens as early as August 14. Places that open in mid or early August in other regions end around Memorial Day or the week after. We are still ending mid June in 2023, so I think the shift earlier needs to be done incrementally, although for the record, I absolutely do not think kids should go back to school mid August at all. They are really trying to suck the joy of childhood in MCPS. This is just another example.

Agreed. And I don’t think it makes sense to be potentially two weeks off from what other DMV area districts are doing either.

Frederick County's current school year runs August 17th to June 1st.

If only MCPS could go to a similar schedule, even if just a little later. Getting out mid June sucks. The kids are space cadets, the teachers are pretty much done for also. All the AP and state testing is over, so most families aren’t as invested and annoyed by bigger projects. Like why can’t we be out no later than 6/10 every year. Oh how my family longs to go back to a modified year round schedule. It was so much better for students and teachers.

Agree. They should start and end earlier.

No! Don’t start earlier. This will make the teacher shortage even worse.

exactly.
-teacher who will not return in mid-august

I know this will sound snarky, but I don’t mean it that way. You’ll quit over starting a week earlier and do what instead? Most jobs don’t have summers off.

Yes, because I have kids too, who swim, and I'd like to be able ro have a family vacation (swim meets go into early August, our only family vacation time during the summer is mid-August). And, my paltry salary doesn't mean a thing to our family. I work because I love teaching, the spark when a child learns something is magical. But I won't sacrifice my own family for 29 other families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longer and frequent breaks is far better.

Kids get time.
Families can travel.

+1

It makes no sense to cram all vacations and breaks in 2-3 months. It's far better to spread it out. International families can travel and kids can get break.

Agree so much. I do appreciate that many have already planned their vacation for late August next year.... but I hope that if this is a reason to keep the later start for the coming year, we can take the time to address it sooner for future years.

How many people in MoCo actually have a "bought and paid for" vacation already for August 2023? I am guessing that is a small fraction of families.

I think you’d be surprised, plus camp schedules are already coming out. Our own extended family is waiting on us/this info for a group trip. People need to be able to plan. This is really late to be changing the weeks in any significant fashion.

Agree. This doesn’t just affect vacations but camps would have to shift schedules too. But yeah, lots of people take august vacations, including teachers. Our next door neighbor is a teacher and their kids are on swim team, so august is the only time that works (obviously not the week before school starts, but often the week before that).

Not to say none of this could shift, I just wouldn’t do it next year unless there was a really compelling reason. Give everyone a heads up for 2024.

+1. Also, nowhere in this state opens as early as August 14. Places that open in mid or early August in other regions end around Memorial Day or the week after. We are still ending mid June in 2023, so I think the shift earlier needs to be done incrementally, although for the record, I absolutely do not think kids should go back to school mid August at all. They are really trying to suck the joy of childhood in MCPS. This is just another example.

Agreed. And I don’t think it makes sense to be potentially two weeks off from what other DMV area districts are doing either.

Frederick County's current school year runs August 17th to June 1st.

If only MCPS could go to a similar schedule, even if just a little later. Getting out mid June sucks. The kids are space cadets, the teachers are pretty much done for also. All the AP and state testing is over, so most families aren’t as invested and annoyed by bigger projects. Like why can’t we be out no later than 6/10 every year. Oh how my family longs to go back to a modified year round schedule. It was so much better for students and teachers.

Agree. They should start and end earlier.

No! Don’t start earlier. This will make the teacher shortage even worse.

exactly.
-teacher who will not return in mid-august

I know this will sound snarky, but I don’t mean it that way. You’ll quit over starting a week earlier and do what instead? Most jobs don’t have summers off.

Yes, because I have kids too, who swim, and I'd like to be able ro have a family vacation (swim meets go into early August, our only family vacation time during the summer is mid-August). And, my paltry salary doesn't mean a thing to our family. I work because I love teaching, the spark when a child learns something is magical. But I won't sacrifice my own family for 29 other families.

DP here. It sounds like it’s time for a career change for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longer and frequent breaks is far better.

Kids get time.
Families can travel.

+1

It makes no sense to cram all vacations and breaks in 2-3 months. It's far better to spread it out. International families can travel and kids can get break.

Agree so much. I do appreciate that many have already planned their vacation for late August next year.... but I hope that if this is a reason to keep the later start for the coming year, we can take the time to address it sooner for future years.

How many people in MoCo actually have a "bought and paid for" vacation already for August 2023? I am guessing that is a small fraction of families.

I think you’d be surprised, plus camp schedules are already coming out. Our own extended family is waiting on us/this info for a group trip. People need to be able to plan. This is really late to be changing the weeks in any significant fashion.

Agree. This doesn’t just affect vacations but camps would have to shift schedules too. But yeah, lots of people take august vacations, including teachers. Our next door neighbor is a teacher and their kids are on swim team, so august is the only time that works (obviously not the week before school starts, but often the week before that).

Not to say none of this could shift, I just wouldn’t do it next year unless there was a really compelling reason. Give everyone a heads up for 2024.

+1. Also, nowhere in this state opens as early as August 14. Places that open in mid or early August in other regions end around Memorial Day or the week after. We are still ending mid June in 2023, so I think the shift earlier needs to be done incrementally, although for the record, I absolutely do not think kids should go back to school mid August at all. They are really trying to suck the joy of childhood in MCPS. This is just another example.

Agreed. And I don’t think it makes sense to be potentially two weeks off from what other DMV area districts are doing either.

Frederick County's current school year runs August 17th to June 1st.

If only MCPS could go to a similar schedule, even if just a little later. Getting out mid June sucks. The kids are space cadets, the teachers are pretty much done for also. All the AP and state testing is over, so most families aren’t as invested and annoyed by bigger projects. Like why can’t we be out no later than 6/10 every year. Oh how my family longs to go back to a modified year round schedule. It was so much better for students and teachers.

Agree. They should start and end earlier.

No! Don’t start earlier. This will make the teacher shortage even worse.

exactly.
-teacher who will not return in mid-august

I know this will sound snarky, but I don’t mean it that way. You’ll quit over starting a week earlier and do what instead? Most jobs don’t have summers off.

Yes, because I have kids too, who swim, and I'd like to be able ro have a family vacation (swim meets go into early August, our only family vacation time during the summer is mid-August). And, my paltry salary doesn't mean a thing to our family. I work because I love teaching, the spark when a child learns something is magical. But I won't sacrifice my own family for 29 other families.

Summer swim ends in July. Your kids can miss a week for your vacation.

[Anonymous]

When is the decision going to be made on the 2023-2024 calendar?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When is the decision going to be made on the 2023-2024 calendar?

Maybe Dec 6, although it sounds like they may be proposing new scenarios.

[Anonymous]

They need to decide on the 6th and be done. And keep it like it’s been and plan ahead now to make any different changes in 24/25.