MoCo 24-25 calendar feedback

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, MCPS calendar is 185 school days instead of the state minimum of 180. Let’s cut those 5 days first. We have all these snow make up days built in above the 185 days as noted in the calendar.

No it’s not. It’s 182 and has been since Hogan mandated a start after Labor Day. I think we’ve used at least two emergency days ever year since I started teaching 20 years ago.

“The Annotated Code of Maryland, Section 7-103 requires that schools be open for pupil attendance 180 days and a minimum of 1,080 hours during a ten-month period.”

http://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Pages/School-Systems/Open-Closing-Dates.aspx

Why does MCPS have any extra days? They have designated certain days as possible make up days like the first day or Spring Break, etc.

Other Maryland school districts cancel make up days so that their last day ends up being earlier. I wish Montgomery County would do this. They would still meet the 180 day requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to start after labor day and end before memorial day. Plenty of time to get 180 instruction days in then.

Sure. Let's change state laws on requiring that school be closed on Good Friday, Eastern Monday, and Christmas to New Years.

Now laws requiring we take Jewish holidays off

I am not aware of any laws requiring that.

No many MD counties do not have them off.

And MoCo needs them off because of the sizable Jewish population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to start after labor day and end before memorial day. Plenty of time to get 180 instruction days in then.

Sure. Let's change state laws on requiring that school be closed on Good Friday, Eastern Monday, and Christmas to New Years.

Now laws requiring we take Jewish holidays off

Thank you for your antisemitism. MoCo has a sizeable Jewish population and the move to have Yom Kippur off is well justified

Not antisemitism, just pointing out we take off a Jewish holidays in addition to state and federal holidays but not for other religions. Either take all of them or just the ones required by law

Or perhaps we change the laws, as I pointed out earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, MCPS calendar is 185 school days instead of the state minimum of 180. Let’s cut those 5 days first. We have all these snow make up days built in above the 185 days as noted in the calendar.

No it’s not. It’s 182 and has been since Hogan mandated a start after Labor Day. I think we’ve used at least two emergency days ever year since I started teaching 20 years ago.

“The Annotated Code of Maryland, Section 7-103 requires that schools be open for pupil attendance 180 days and a minimum of 1,080 hours during a ten-month period.”

http://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Pages/School-Systems/Open-Closing-Dates.aspx

Why does MCPS have any extra days? They have designated certain days as possible make up days like the first day or Spring Break, etc.

Other Maryland school districts cancel make up days so that their last day ends up being earlier. I wish Montgomery County would do this. They would still meet the 180 day requirement.

This makes it super hard to plan for those of us with younger kids. I have to plan camps and such in January and having “extra days” suddenly come back doesn’t work for working parents. No, school is not childcare as was said as naseum during the pandemic, but when school isn’t in session, childcare is necessary. Keep a consistent calendar so we can plan!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want to start after labor day and end before memorial day. Plenty of time to get 180 instruction days in then.

Sure. Let's change state laws on requiring that school be closed on Good Friday, Eastern Monday, and Christmas to New Years.

Now laws requiring we take Jewish holidays off

Thank you for your antisemitism. MoCo has a sizeable Jewish population and the move to have Yom Kippur off is well justified

Not antisemitism, just pointing out we take off a Jewish holidays in addition to state and federal holidays but not for other religions. Either take all of them or just the ones required by law

Or perhaps we change the laws, as I pointed out earlier.

Wondering if the poster has kids who go to MCPS schools? We've had multiple faith's holidays off for years. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/md-school-system-keeps-jewish-holidays-adds-days-off-for-diwali-lunar-new-year-and-eid-al-adha/2016/01/15/d0aab354-bae4-11e5-b682-4bb4dd403c7d_story.html

[Anonymous]

(The main part of the article refers to Howard county, but note the part referencing MCPS, which has given those days off as well, while avoiding saying it's for a holiday)

[Anonymous]

https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcps-2022-2023-academic-calendar-approved/:

"Two non-instructional days align with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Two professional development and make-up days will fall on Diwali and Eid al-Fitr. Winter Break begins the day before Christmas Eve on Friday, Dec. 23.

Lunar New Year usually aligns with a professional development day, but it will fall on a Sunday next year, said Douglas Hollis, Jr., Executive Director of the MCPS Office of Finance and Operations."

[Anonymous]

Can we PLEASE go to a secular schedule. Can we stop basing Spring Break on Easter week and put it where it truly belongs. Between Q3 and Q4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcps-2022-2023-academic-calendar-approved/:

"Two non-instructional days align with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Two professional development and make-up days will fall on Diwali and Eid al-Fitr. Winter Break begins the day before Christmas Eve on Friday, Dec. 23.

Lunar New Year usually aligns with a professional development day, but it will fall on a Sunday next year, said Douglas Hollis, Jr., Executive Director of the MCPS Office of Finance and Operations."

It is getting out of control - all the religious holidays for religions that are all less than 10% of the student population - some are less than 3%. But yet they are considering opening Dec 23, Jan 2 and 3, and half days before Thanksgiving. There will be a much higher absenteeism those days than any minority religious holiday.

And yes, get rid Good Friday and Easter Monday on the state scale. Absolutely ridiculous. Make Spring Break what true secular schools do. Between 3rd and 4th marking period.

You have every right to practice your religion, take an excused day off, but public schools have no religion and should be open for all children. So sick of going mid Aug to Mid June. Way too long. At this point just make school year round and give 2 week breaks between each quarter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, MCPS calendar is 185 school days instead of the state minimum of 180. Let’s cut those 5 days first. We have all these snow make up days built in above the 185 days as noted in the calendar.

No it’s not. It’s 182 and has been since Hogan mandated a start after Labor Day. I think we’ve used at least two emergency days ever year since I started teaching 20 years ago.

“The Annotated Code of Maryland, Section 7-103 requires that schools be open for pupil attendance 180 days and a minimum of 1,080 hours during a ten-month period.”

http://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Pages/School-Systems/Open-Closing-Dates.aspx

Why does MCPS have any extra days? They have designated certain days as possible make up days like the first day or Spring Break, etc.

Other Maryland school districts cancel make up days so that their last day ends up being earlier. I wish Montgomery County would do this. They would still meet the 180 day requirement.

That would require common sense

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can we PLEASE go to a secular schedule. Can we stop basing Spring Break on Easter week and put it where it truly belongs. Between Q3 and Q4.

Good Friday and Easter Monday are required by state statute to be off days. Please take your concerns to your state legislators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcps-2022-2023-academic-calendar-approved/:

"Two non-instructional days align with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Two professional development and make-up days will fall on Diwali and Eid al-Fitr. Winter Break begins the day before Christmas Eve on Friday, Dec. 23.

Lunar New Year usually aligns with a professional development day, but it will fall on a Sunday next year, said Douglas Hollis, Jr., Executive Director of the MCPS Office of Finance and Operations."

It is getting out of control - all the religious holidays for religions that are all less than 10% of the student population - some are less than 3%. But yet they are considering opening Dec 23, Jan 2 and 3, and half days before Thanksgiving. There will be a much higher absenteeism those days than any minority religious holiday.

And yes, get rid Good Friday and Easter Monday on the state scale. Absolutely ridiculous. Make Spring Break what true secular schools do. Between 3rd and 4th marking period.

You have every right to practice your religion, take an excused day off, but public schools have no religion and should be open for all children. So sick of going mid Aug to Mid June. Way too long. At this point just make school year round and give 2 week breaks between each quarter.

MCPS tends to start the last Monday in August, not mid-August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can we PLEASE go to a secular schedule. Can we stop basing Spring Break on Easter week and put it where it truly belongs. Between Q3 and Q4.

If we follow that formula, then shouldn't winter break be between Q2 and Q3 in late January, rather than late December to include the days between Christmas Eve and New Year's? I don't think many people would be happy with that idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Way too many random non-instructional days. Why can't they do professional training and development during breaks or in June in one pass?

Same reason you don't want your kid pulling all-nighters before an exam. Spreading it out makes it more effective.

Adults can't do their professional learning in a span of 2 weeks? Big brother needs to save them from procrastination by sprinkling these days randomly throughout the year? What exam are they cramming for, do tell?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Way too many random non-instructional days. Why can't they do professional training and development during breaks or in June in one pass?

Same reason you don't want your kid pulling all-nighters before an exam. Spreading it out makes it more effective.

Adults can't do their professional learning in a span of 2 weeks? Big brother needs to save them from procrastination by sprinkling these days randomly throughout the year? What exam are they cramming for, do tell?

Of course you can do that, and school crams a bunch of stuff in the preservice week. But the human brain works better if you spread things around.