Write a letter to oppose the waiver

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The message being sent is that...sometimes things happen that are out of our control and we need to be flexible. That being said, in the future. That being said, and hindsight is 20/20, the calendar should have been written with Friday, June 13th as the first make-up day, Easter Monday as 2nd and the March teacher planning day at 3rd. Going into the following week could have been 4th and beyond.

I actually do support the waiver because MCPS typically does NOT use all the allotted days so students are there for additional days. It all balances out. This hasn't been a great year because of weather and that's unfortunate.

Then you will have to change state law. Maryland law requires school to be closed on President's Day, the Friday before Easter, and the Monday after Easter -- among other days.

http://www.hcpss.org/news/calendars/faq.shtml

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am opposed of the waiver and all the crappy parents who use the excuse that kids are "checked out". Our own parents and grandparents valued an education and encouraged kids, worked with teachers and made us do the work. Summer camps were NEVER a priority.

Parents these days coddle, complain in front of their kids, side with their whiny kids and choose camps over school. It is really sad. You all say it is just daycare and they don't learn anything anyway? Wow, then homeschool your kids. I like my kids teachers. They have missed a lot since Christmas and it is a year they will never get back again. I can see the difference it has made in their attitude and I clearly see my younger one has missed a lot of what her brother 2yrs older learned. I want to show them that blowing off school isn't the norm. Hard workers finish the job.

Totally agree with all of the above

+1
Have we had a full week of school since winter break? My 1st grader went from loving school and expecting to go, to thinking it was optional and complaining about it. It has definitely affected how much he works and is learning. He needs the time to be made up.

[Anonymous]

Unless they also change the day grades are due, extending the year will not result in extending the teaching of new material. The curriculum includes all of the material that has to be covered before grades for the last quarter are submitted.

If you want additional time added to the academic year, you need to add those days before June.

[Anonymous]

How does kids going a few extra days every once in awhile (there is rarely a year with no snow days) balance out 10 missed days and 5 possibly 6 delays. That is 70+ hours of missed school in the last 2.5 months. Close to 12 days. It doesn't even count the already planned holidays/professional days/early dismissal days. There hasn't been a full 5 day week since winter break. Has there? There needs to be more school and a strict plan without all this waiver BS. You leave it up in the air and someone is gonna be pissed and complaining. Just stick to your guns MCPS.

And if they can't do the contingency plan because of fiscal issues why have it? Seriously how stupid do they look? MCPS and Marland seems to just get worse and worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless they also change the day grades are due, extending the year will not result in extending the teaching of new material. The curriculum includes all of the material that has to be covered before grades for the last quarter are submitted.

If you want additional time added to the academic year, you need to add those days before June.

But that would mean they thought about this in advance and pushed the 3rd marking period back 4 days. But they aren't that smart and it won't happen. But I still want the school days. Does anyone remember when we went to school and there wasn't a strict curriculum? Teachers can teach without a robotic curriculum shoved in their faces.

[Anonymous]

I think they should go year round, with a month off mid-December to mid-Jan, a month in July, and the some three or four day weekends. But hey, that is just me and not relevant to the OP's post.

[Anonymous]

No waiver, please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does kids going a few extra days every once in awhile (there is rarely a year with no snow days) balance out 10 missed days and 5 possibly 6 delays. That is 70+ hours of missed school in the last 2.5 months. Close to 12 days. It doesn't even count the already planned holidays/professional days/early dismissal days. There hasn't been a full 5 day week since winter break. Has there? There needs to be more school and a strict plan without all this waiver BS. You leave it up in the air and someone is gonna be pissed and complaining. Just stick to your guns MCPS.

And if they can't do the contingency plan because of fiscal issues why have it? Seriously how stupid do they look? MCPS and Marland seems to just get worse and worse.

Agreed. I sent an email to the BOE. I hope they dont waive any days. Why have this contigency plan if you dont plan on following it. I have posted before on hjow the quality of the once sought after Montgomery County is going downhill fast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think they should go year round, with a month off mid-December to mid-Jan, a month in July, and the some three or four day weekends. But hey, that is just me and not relevant to the OP's post.

Me too!! I think most schools do 1 month winter, 1 month summer, 2 weeks Fall and 2 weeks Spring. How great would that be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
+1
Have we had a full week of school since winter break? My 1st grader went from loving school and expecting to go, to thinking it was optional and complaining about it. It has definitely affected how much he works and is learning. He needs the time to be made up.

How would sticking a week on at the end of June change this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should go year round, with a month off mid-December to mid-Jan, a month in July, and the some three or four day weekends. But hey, that is just me and not relevant to the OP's post.

Me too!! I think most schools do 1 month winter, 1 month summer, 2 weeks Fall and 2 weeks Spring. How great would that be?

That would be great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they should go year round, with a month off mid-December to mid-Jan, a month in July, and the some three or four day weekends. But hey, that is just me and not relevant to the OP's post.

Me too!! I think most schools do 1 month winter, 1 month summer, 2 weeks Fall and 2 weeks Spring. How great would that be?

+1

I think this is a fantastic idea. My friends in California have this type of schedule at their public school.

[Anonymous]

Message sent. thank you, op!


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On behalf of Dr. Lillian Lowery, thank you for writing to us and sharing your views on the school calendar for Montgomery County Public Schools. Please know that Dr. Lowery has received your email and she is very appreciative that you took the time to write to her.



Betty Mack

[Anonymous]

I actually support the waiver. My kids go to private but our private must follow state mandates in terms of number of days that they attend school. My kids who score in the top percentiles on standardized tests/earn straight A's aren't going to "miss" out because of a few snow days. I doubt that kids who score in the middle/bottom on standardized tests are going to feel the effects of a few extra snow days either. It's really an illogical argument. Also most years, we don't use up all our snow days either so it balances out in the long term.

I'm guessing the folks who don't want the waiver fall into the following categories:
*SAHMs who are bitter that they've had their kids home so much this winter.
*WOHMs who want free childcare.
*SAHM/WOHM moms who are bitter that the teachers have had a few extra days off.

There is so much entitlement on this thread. I'm going to vomit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually support the waiver. My kids go to private but our private must follow state mandates in terms of number of days that they attend school. My kids who score in the top percentiles on standardized tests/earn straight A's aren't going to "miss" out because of a few snow days. I doubt that kids who score in the middle/bottom on standardized tests are going to feel the effects of a few extra snow days either. It's really an illogical argument. Also most years, we don't use up all our snow days either so it balances out in the long term.

I'm guessing the folks who don't want the waiver fall into the following categories:
*SAHMs who are bitter that they've had their kids home so much this winter.
*WOHMs who want free childcare.
*SAHM/WOHM moms who are bitter that the teachers have had a few extra days off.

There is so much entitlement on this thread. I'm going to vomit.

Ironic. Your post is the most entitled one. Glad your kids are so smart. How about you just keep them home for the rest of the year since you obviously aren't sick of them, don't need daycare and seem to think everyone around you is not up to you or your child's caliber. Weeks of school don't matter when you don't give a shit.