Earlier start date proposed for MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The calendar has me confused. I don't see holidays for Rosh Hoshannah (October 3) or Yom Kippur (October 12).

They are no longer "holidays" but non instructional days.

Teacher work days you mean? Isn't that a change from past years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The calendar has me confused. I don't see holidays for Rosh Hoshannah (October 3) or Yom Kippur (October 12).

They are no longer "holidays" but non instructional days.

Teacher work days you mean? Isn't that a change from past years?

No, it's not a teacher workday. The calendar clearly labels these as NI, or "Non-Instructional (No school for students and teachers)". "Teacher workday days", as you asked about, are labeled PD, or "Professional Day (No school for students)"

The key change in the 2016-2017 calendar is 4 professional development days prior to the first day of the school year as well as Sept. 12 as a 5th day of PD. Traditionally, these 5 days all would have been before the first day of the school year. RH and YK are being observed as school holidays, as in prior years, but they are now being labeled as "non instructional day". Another change in the calendar is the elimination of the 10/21 NI day for the MSEA conference to make up for a day of PD after the school year has begun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The calendar has me confused. I don't see holidays for Rosh Hoshannah (October 3) or Yom Kippur (October 12).

They are no longer "holidays" but non instructional days.

Teacher work days you mean? Isn't that a change from past years?

No, it's not a teacher workday. The calendar clearly labels these as NI, or "Non-Instructional (No school for students and teachers)". "Teacher workday days", as you asked about, are labeled PD, or "Professional Day (No school for students)"

The key change in the 2016-2017 calendar is 4 professional development days prior to the first day of the school year as well as Sept. 12 as a 5th day of PD. Traditionally, these 5 days all would have been before the first day of the school year. RH and YK are being observed as school holidays, as in prior years, but they are now being labeled as "non instructional day". Another change in the calendar is the elimination of the 10/21 NI day for the MSEA conference to make up for a day of PD after the school year has begun.

Ok thanks. When I clicked on the calendar link, there was nothing shown for October at all.

[Anonymous]

+1 thanks pp

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If professional leave is granted...won;t lots of teachers take it? Will there be enough subs? Seems like a very low learning day to me!

Allegedly few teachers attend the conference.

Isn't it in Ocean City every year? Not everybody can drive 3 hours for a conference.

There are also local county-level sub-conferences that are more heavily attended. I suspect that they will be swamped this year as MCPS is footing the bill for a professional day.

This. I go to these every year, for my subject. I guess I'll just have to start writing sub plans for it.

[Anonymous]

MCEA put out an incorrect post on our ES list serve misstating the status of the draft schedule. It said that the calendar under review for Monday had the 8/24 start date.

[Anonymous]

Most recent posting:

http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/A55BLV727813/$file/2016-2017%20Sch%20Yr%20Calendar.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am also still confused about the addition of a religious holiday after they deleted all references to religious holidays. The fall is a series of days off which drives me crazy. That said, summer was way too long for my kids last year so I am OK with starting earlier.

We must bow down to Muslims. That is why.

Simple solution. Why don't we not celebrate any of the Christian holidays to make things equal? Then everyone can complain. I think its silly to miss easter, Christmas, and other holidays my kid should be at school.

(There are enough Muslims in our community where it is appropriate to give them holidays if we do the Christian and Jewish ones. I fully support it but wish they'd exchange it for a teacher day given how many missed days there are. Or shorten the Christmas holiday. I like my longer summers)

The numbers of Muslims in the community is the not the issue. Jewish holidays are not "given". It is based on firm numbers. Once the absences went over 15% (a documented percentage set by the County to close schools) for specific holidays, schools were closed. This is a FINANCIAL decision and not a holiday given for those who observe.

The County put out the percentages for Eid over the last few years and the numbers are just a few percentage points higher than any other day....and did NOT reach the 15%. This decision goes against MCPS policy and is one more example of the "rudderless ship".

This decision was NOT based on objective numbers as other decisions are. This decision was based on appeasing a small group of parents who pushed for this.

[Anonymous]

I don't even think the absentee rate on Eid was "a few percentage points" higher than a typical day. I thought it was approx. 1% higher in the document shown at the November BOE meeting.

BTW, according to Dr. Docca, Jewish holidays are in the MCPS calendar due to a lawsuit in the 1970s, This is what she said at the November BOE meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am also still confused about the addition of a religious holiday after they deleted all references to religious holidays. The fall is a series of days off which drives me crazy. That said, summer was way too long for my kids last year so I am OK with starting earlier.

We must bow down to Muslims. That is why.

Simple solution. Why don't we not celebrate any of the Christian holidays to make things equal? Then everyone can complain. I think its silly to miss easter, Christmas, and other holidays my kid should be at school.

(There are enough Muslims in our community where it is appropriate to give them holidays if we do the Christian and Jewish ones. I fully support it but wish they'd exchange it for a teacher day given how many missed days there are. Or shorten the Christmas holiday. I like my longer summers)

The numbers of Muslims in the community is the not the issue. Jewish holidays are not "given". It is based on firm numbers. Once the absences went over 15% (a documented percentage set by the County to close schools) for specific holidays, schools were closed. This is a FINANCIAL decision and not a holiday given for those who observe.

The County put out the percentages for Eid over the last few years and the numbers are just a few percentage points higher than any other day....and did NOT reach the 15%. This decision goes against MCPS policy and is one more example of the "rudderless ship".

This decision was NOT based on objective numbers as other decisions are. This decision was based on appeasing a small group of parents who pushed for this.

NO. Last year BOE said very clearly they had no record of official numbers that legitimized the days off for RH and YK.

[Anonymous]

15% is a lot and some schools have an even higher percentage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The numbers of Muslims in the community is the not the issue. Jewish holidays are not "given". It is based on firm numbers. Once the absences went over 15% (a documented percentage set by the County to close schools) for specific holidays, schools were closed. This is a FINANCIAL decision and not a holiday given for those who observe.

The County put out the percentages for Eid over the last few years and the numbers are just a few percentage points higher than any other day....and did NOT reach the 15%. This decision goes against MCPS policy and is one more example of the "rudderless ship".

This decision was NOT based on objective numbers as other decisions are. This decision was based on appeasing a small group of parents who pushed for this.

No, it's not. It's based on some numbers from the early 1970s, which is 40+ years ago. There are no more recent numbers.

[Anonymous]

There are census numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are census numbers.

What US Census numbers are there on religion in Montgomery County? Could you please provide a link to these numbers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The numbers of Muslims in the community is the not the issue. Jewish holidays are not "given". It is based on firm numbers. Once the absences went over 15% (a documented percentage set by the County to close schools) for specific holidays, schools were closed. This is a FINANCIAL decision and not a holiday given for those who observe.

The County put out the percentages for Eid over the last few years and the numbers are just a few percentage points higher than any other day....and did NOT reach the 15%. This decision goes against MCPS policy and is one more example of the "rudderless ship".

This decision was NOT based on objective numbers as other decisions are. This decision was based on appeasing a small group of parents who pushed for this.

No, it's not. It's based on some numbers from the early 1970s, which is 40+ years ago. There are no more recent numbers.

The BOE also claims it does not know what those numbers are.