Superintendent's Calendar Recommendation for 2026-27

[Anonymous]

This seems fine for the upcoming year -- the best we can do given the circumstances. But for 2027-2028, we had better have a better process in place. I'm fine with starting earlier -- but not being told 4 months in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was it all a fake-out? If this had been the original recommendation there probably would have been a lot of grumbling about day before Thanksgiving or maybe something else.

Was the 1st recommendation just to make us see this as vastly superior, or am I giving him too much credit?

I think he was trying to get the union to negotiate on the grading and planning days, and it didn't work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dec 23 isn't christmas eve.

It is not. I care more about the day before Thanksgiving. I know everyone has their own preferences, but bringing back the half day before Thanksgiving is just adding in hours for the sake of school hours. Teachers who don't take leave are exhausted from parent conferences. Meaningful instruction does not happen. 50-60% of students do not attend, depending on the grade - a lot are already traveling or do not bother. It is more beneficial to have the day. The holiday is one of the most celebrated because there is no religious significance. It makes more sense to allow families, students and staff to have that time than to have some of the other proposals.

The same is true for the 23rd.

This calendar is not about meaningful instruction. It's about putting in the minimum needed to be able to apply for a waiver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dec 23 isn't christmas eve.

It is not. I care more about the day before Thanksgiving. I know everyone has their own preferences, but bringing back the half day before Thanksgiving is just adding in hours for the sake of school hours. Teachers who don't take leave are exhausted from parent conferences. Meaningful instruction does not happen. 50-60% of students do not attend, depending on the grade - a lot are already traveling or do not bother. It is more beneficial to have the day. The holiday is one of the most celebrated because there is no religious significance. It makes more sense to allow families, students and staff to have that time than to have some of the other proposals.

The same is true for the 23rd.

This calendar is not about meaningful instruction. It's about putting in the minimum needed to be able to apply for a waiver.

I don't feel that Dec. 23rd is as important as the day before Thanksgiving, but by making Dec. 23rd a half day, it is definitely not about instruction. A full day on Dec. 23rd would be more meaningful.

[Anonymous]

Transition day is GARBAGE and needs to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was it all a fake-out? If this had been the original recommendation there probably would have been a lot of grumbling about day before Thanksgiving or maybe something else.

Was the 1st recommendation just to make us see this as vastly superior, or am I giving him too much credit?

I think he was trying to get the union to negotiate on the grading and planning days, and it didn't work.

Seems that way. It’s a stupid calendar because McPS has no intention of using the Passover and Eid teacher non instructional days as makeup days and if there is more than one snow day (which there probably will be) we’ll soon be back at the situation where McPS has to ask for a waiver again to approve them not providing 180 days of school to our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Transition day is GARBAGE and needs to go.

Schools had transition days of half days already in place. He’s putting his mark on something that was unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was it all a fake-out? If this had been the original recommendation there probably would have been a lot of grumbling about day before Thanksgiving or maybe something else.

Was the 1st recommendation just to make us see this as vastly superior, or am I giving him too much credit?

I think he was trying to get the union to negotiate on the grading and planning days, and it didn't work.

Seems that way. It’s a stupid calendar because McPS has no intention of using the Passover and Eid teacher non instructional days as makeup days and if there is more than one snow day (which there probably will be) we’ll soon be back at the situation where McPS has to ask for a waiver again to approve them not providing 180 days of school to our kids.

They made Passover a day off as too many teacher appropriately took off. Why not remove a Christian holiday?

[Anonymous]

I think they did it to say “see… people are fine using holidays as make up days. The survey proved it”

[Anonymous]

I have zero complaints with this schedule. It works well and should be the plan for future years as well

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was it all a fake-out? If this had been the original recommendation there probably would have been a lot of grumbling about day before Thanksgiving or maybe something else.

Was the 1st recommendation just to make us see this as vastly superior, or am I giving him too much credit?

I think he was trying to get the union to negotiate on the grading and planning days, and it didn't work.

Seems that way. It’s a stupid calendar because McPS has no intention of using the Passover and Eid teacher non instructional days as makeup days and if there is more than one snow day (which there probably will be) we’ll soon be back at the situation where McPS has to ask for a waiver again to approve them not providing 180 days of school to our kids.

They made Passover a day off as too many teacher appropriately took off. Why not remove a Christian holiday?

It wasn't about operational concerns - it was "one from you ... one from you"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have zero complaints with this schedule. It works well and should be the plan for future years as well

Many will have a problem when they have to extend the school year for the third year in a row next year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was it all a fake-out? If this had been the original recommendation there probably would have been a lot of grumbling about day before Thanksgiving or maybe something else.

Was the 1st recommendation just to make us see this as vastly superior, or am I giving him too much credit?

I think he was trying to get the union to negotiate on the grading and planning days, and it didn't work.

Seems that way. It’s a stupid calendar because McPS has no intention of using the Passover and Eid teacher non instructional days as makeup days and if there is more than one snow day (which there probably will be) we’ll soon be back at the situation where McPS has to ask for a waiver again to approve them not providing 180 days of school to our kids.

Except MCPS is even more flagrantly ignoring state regulations and guidance related to calendars and make-up days. They need a:
"school calendar that provides either for three identified inclement weather and natural/civil disaster
make-up days followed by a plan for virtual instruction if additional instructional days are lost due to
weather, or for six identified inclement weather and natural/civil disaster make-up days"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have zero complaints with this schedule. It works well and should be the plan for future years as well

This is sarcasm, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have zero complaints with this schedule. It works well and should be the plan for future years as well

Many will have a problem when they have to extend the school year for the third year in a row next year

Back to where we would’ve ended the year though. Just consider that the year ends on Juneteenth and if we end earlier, it’s a pleasant surprise.