How to fit school days into Gov Larry Hogan's ridiculous policy on school start and stop dates

[Anonymous]

With Holidays, it looks like there is no instruction on 21 days.

So, I would go for the big reorganization, which would require a change in state laws.

I would keep Election day as a non-instruction day, because I assume they need to use the schools as polling locations.
I would keep Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday the day after.
Keep the 7 days from Christmas Eve through New Years day.
A 5 day week off the beginning of February (with one day being a non-instruction professional/grading day for the end of the semester).
A 5 day week off the end of March (with one day being a non-instructional professional/grading day for the end of the semester).

Which leaves one extra day that can be used as a snow day or for instruction.


So I would be eliminating the following non-instruction days: Good Friday, the Monday after Easter, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, President's Day, MLK and Memorial Day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The question in the subject is posed incorrectly.

It should say: HOW TO FIT SCHOOL TEACHING DAYS INTO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND TEACHER UNION's RIDICULOUS POLICIES and the SCHOOL START AND STOP DATES.

Get rid of the fluff days off, teach about them instead. No teacher union prep days. I stopped by one of those once. Since I had to take off of work to care for my kids. Looked like a nonstop catered food social day.

I think there are only two teacher professional days in the calendars that include them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With Holidays, it looks like there is no instruction on 21 days.

So, I would go for the big reorganization, which would require a change in state laws.

I would keep Election day as a non-instruction day, because I assume they need to use the schools as polling locations.
I would keep Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday the day after.
Keep the 7 days from Christmas Eve through New Years day.
A 5 day week off the beginning of February (with one day being a non-instruction professional/grading day for the end of the semester).
A 5 day week off the end of March (with one day being a non-instructional professional/grading day for the end of the semester).

Which leaves one extra day that can be used as a snow day or for instruction.


So I would be eliminating the following non-instruction days: Good Friday, the Monday after Easter, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, President's Day, MLK and Memorial Day.

And in the meantime, MCPS should...?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question in the subject is posed incorrectly.

It should say: HOW TO FIT SCHOOL TEACHING DAYS INTO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND TEACHER UNION's RIDICULOUS POLICIES and the SCHOOL START AND STOP DATES.

Get rid of the fluff days off, teach about them instead. No teacher union prep days. I stopped by one of those once. Since I had to take off of work to care for my kids. Looked like a nonstop catered food social day.

I think there are only two teacher professional days in the calendars that include them.

The state responded to the BOE and suggested eliminating the professional days

[Anonymous]

I have to agree with the professional day elimination. It's a day of team building and training, which really is more of a big potluck and activities.

Nice to have bit not necessary. I also hope people know that teachers don't teach for the whole day above elementary school. They have two or three periods to grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to agree with the professional day elimination. It's a day of team building and training, which really is more of a big potluck and activities.

Nice to have bit not necessary. I also hope people know that teachers don't teach for the whole day above elementary school. They have two or three periods to grade.

Those are called planning periods, not grading periods. They are for planning and meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question in the subject is posed incorrectly.

It should say: HOW TO FIT SCHOOL TEACHING DAYS INTO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND TEACHER UNION's RIDICULOUS POLICIES and the SCHOOL START AND STOP DATES.

Get rid of the fluff days off, teach about them instead. No teacher union prep days. I stopped by one of those once. Since I had to take off of work to care for my kids. Looked like a nonstop catered food social day.

I think there are only two teacher professional days in the calendars that include them.

The state responded to the BOE and suggested eliminating the professional days

Because the governor cares more about the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce than about the local school districts. (It's not just Montgomery County that's having problems fitting into the governor's rigid one-size-fits-none schedule.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The question in the subject is posed incorrectly.

It should say: HOW TO FIT SCHOOL TEACHING DAYS INTO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND TEACHER UNION's RIDICULOUS POLICIES and the SCHOOL START AND STOP DATES.

Get rid of the fluff days off, teach about them instead. No teacher union prep days. I stopped by one of those once. Since I had to take off of work to care for my kids. Looked like a nonstop catered food social day.

I think there are only two teacher professional days in the calendars that include them.

The state responded to the BOE and suggested eliminating the professional days

Because the governor cares more about the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce than about the local school districts. (It's not just Montgomery County that's having problems fitting into the governor's rigid one-size-fits-none schedule.)

Actually, it's because the governor cares more about saving money for the state and residents than about one very entitled school district. The tax savings from Ocean City, Annapolis and Baltimore (all of which benefited significantly from the extra week of summer holiday traffic) will be used to offset spending increases so that taxes statewide will not be increased. Montgomery County is the wealthiest county and the one where the majority of the county will not feel a huge pinch if taxes increase yet again. Hogan specifically said that the extra revenue would be used to keep from raising taxes to offset increased state government spending and to avoid cutting programs or decreasing budgets (including school budgets across the state) and still balancing the budget without tax increases. While other school districts may have issues with adhering to the schedule, all are making the compromises to do so, without complaining and whining about it like the wealthy Montgomery County. The revenue to offset increased spending statewide without raising taxes is popular, hence so is the move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Actually, it's because the governor cares more about saving money for the state and residents than about one very entitled school district. The tax savings from Ocean City, Annapolis and Baltimore (all of which benefited significantly from the extra week of summer holiday traffic) will be used to offset spending increases so that taxes statewide will not be increased. Montgomery County is the wealthiest county and the one where the majority of the county will not feel a huge pinch if taxes increase yet again. Hogan specifically said that the extra revenue would be used to keep from raising taxes to offset increased state government spending and to avoid cutting programs or decreasing budgets (including school budgets across the state) and still balancing the budget without tax increases. While other school districts may have issues with adhering to the schedule, all are making the compromises to do so, without complaining and whining about it like the wealthy Montgomery County. The revenue to offset increased spending statewide without raising taxes is popular, hence so is the move.

All of the school districts have complained and are complaining.

And since nobody has any idea how much more in taxes the Ocean City economy paid to the state last summer from the extra week or two the governor required school districts to stay closed, it's hard to conclude that the increased tax revenue is popular. Let alone that it will be used to keep from raising taxes.

[Anonymous]

If everyone in Montgomery County promises to stay away from the eastern shore the last two weeks of August, can we start school before Labor Day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to agree with the professional day elimination. It's a day of team building and training, which really is more of a big potluck and activities.

Nice to have bit not necessary. I also hope people know that teachers don't teach for the whole day above elementary school. They have two or three periods to grade.

yes correct, they are not teaching all 8 periods. more like 4-6 plus lunch.

I concur, nix the "professional days" off.

Also nix all the Club Fed silly days off. Most of the country, Maryland and MoCo is private sector not state or federal.

[Anonymous]

I'd be fine having school on Presidents Day and MLK day. No reason for kids to be out of school on those days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to agree with the professional day elimination. It's a day of team building and training, which really is more of a big potluck and activities.

Nice to have bit not necessary. I also hope people know that teachers don't teach for the whole day above elementary school. They have two or three periods to grade.

Those are called planning periods, not grading periods. They are for planning and meetings.

So EVERY day they plan and meet for 1.5 to 3 hours? Don't think so. Time to reign in the convenience of teacher holidays at the expense of the constitutent's children's education. Most people work 9 to 5, 8 to 4. Teachers aren't putting in an unreasonable work day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to agree with the professional day elimination. It's a day of team building and training, which really is more of a big potluck and activities.

Nice to have bit not necessary. I also hope people know that teachers don't teach for the whole day above elementary school. They have two or three periods to grade.

Those are called planning periods, not grading periods. They are for planning and meetings.

So EVERY day they plan and meet for 1.5 to 3 hours? Don't think so. Time to reign in the convenience of teacher holidays at the expense of the constitutent's children's education. Most people work 9 to 5, 8 to 4. Teachers aren't putting in an unreasonable work day.

What information are you basing this conclusion on?

If you want your children to get a good education, then your children's teachers need time for planning and collaboration.

[Anonymous]

The legislature needs to change the law to allow schools to operate on Easter Monday, MLK Day and Presidents' Day. Hogan has said he would sign legislation that allows schools to be open the Monday after Easter. Not sure about the other two days but it seems reasonable.

Maybe MCPS should be writing to the legislature instead of Hogan.