Write a letter to oppose the waiver

[Anonymous]

MoCo just asked for a waiver for extending the school year until June 19. The vast majority of parents I've spoken to oppose this waiver for a number of reasons. If you, too, oppose the waiver, please write to: Lillian Lowery, State Superintendent of Schools at [e-mail]

I'm enclosing below a sample letter that you can cut and paste if you choose to:

Dear Superintendent Lowery,

As a parent of a Montgomery County student, I’m writing to respectfully ask you not to grant a waiver for the additional five days that Montgomery County Public Schools is obliged to add to the year. The law holds that school children must go to school 180 days a year and I believe it is important to uphold the law for two important reasons. First, since the children have missed ten full days of school and have had four two-hour delays, their learning environment has been severely compromised. They should go the extra week so that they can fully cover the curriculum. Second, you should uphold the law to send the children the message that school matters. I feel like our state should be an advocate for education and I think it sends the wrong message to our children when our school leadership asks to waive a law and allow for so many missed days.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Please do NOT grant the waiver.

Respectfully,

[Anonymous]

That's strange. All the parents I've spoken with desperately want the waiver.

You do realize that if school is extended for a week the kids won't learn any additional material, right? Kids typically check out the Tuesday after Memorial Day and they essentially coast through the remaining weeks. They help the teacher clean the classroom, they do busy work, they watch videos, etc.

[Anonymous]

I'm a parent who does NOT want the waiver. I don't expect my kids or their teachers to "check out" before the last day and am not sure why people say this all the time. Kids -- at least young ones in elementary -- don't know when school is supposed to end unless you are highlighting the date for them.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, PP...but kids check out. Do you personally know any teachers? I have relatives and friends who teach in MCPS and other states, and trust me, they will tell you that kids check out. It's sunny, it's warm, they just got back from spending the weekend at the beach or pool...they are done. All of the final assessments are completed prior to the end of May, and they are winding down. They can't hold the assessments or push them off...they will cram everything to stay loosely on schedule.

Do your letter if you want, but the waiver will stand.

Another thing the Governor knows is that many teachers have summer jobs lined up.

[Anonymous]

Tell the truth, OP: Do you view school as a source of free child care?

[Anonymous]

I oppose the waiver. Would love the extra week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I oppose the waiver. Would love the extra week.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, PP...but kids check out. Do you personally know any teachers? I have relatives and friends who teach in MCPS and other states, and trust me, they will tell you that kids check out. It's sunny, it's warm, they just got back from spending the weekend at the beach or pool...they are done. All of the final assessments are completed prior to the end of May, and they are winding down. They can't hold the assessments or push them off...they will cram everything to stay loosely on schedule.

Do your letter if you want, but the waiver will stand.

Another thing the Governor knows is that many teachers have summer jobs lined up.

The Governor has nothing to do with this decision. Other than that, I completely agree with you.

Disgruntled citizens can write all the letters they want. It's thier right. The problem that they face, however, is two-fold.

First, MCPS, despite the 10 snow days and four two-hour delays, will be open for more than the state mandated required number of hours when June rolls around. The HOURS are what matter to the state, not the number of days of school.

Second, it would cost the County millions to open schools for an extra week in June.

So write your letters. They may be cathartic. Be prepared for the inevitable, however. The waiver will be granted as MCPS will indeed be open for more than the state mandated number of hours.

[Anonymous]

I support the waiver.

[Anonymous]

They don't learn anything in 2.0. What is the point of extending a week? Agree free child care is basically the only things MCPS provides.

[Anonymous]

OP signed up too late for camp, and now that camps are full, she's looking for childcare with an extended week.

[Anonymous]

I oppose the waiver. Thank you OP

[Anonymous]

Thanks OP for taking the time to do this. Just sent an email, but think they will grant the waiver.

[Anonymous]

The issue is..lets say you are a math teacher and you have two units planned for this quarter...you are still going to get both tests in or one would count too much. Since the marking period dates do not change, they will still get both units in by ?? talking faster, doing fewer examples, whatever. Adding on to quarter 4 does not help! They will not go back to quarter 3 lessons.

[Anonymous]

I think this math teacher example is silly. The lessons need to be covered, regardless of the day on the calendar. Does that poster think they need to shift the dates of the marking periods and also add days? Would that provide a suitable remedy?

If the lessons are taught and the information is learned regardless of the day of the week of which marking period we're in, I'd be pretty happy.