Waiver approved

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why does anyone have a right to get mad about making up the days at the end of the year? It is the written policy! But Starr didn't follow thru with it. 100% the make-up days don't change next year either.

Why? Because it's a bad policy. This should now be clear to everybody. It would be foolish of MCPS not to change their contingency calendar for next year.

It has always been the policy. You are supposed to follow it good or bad if you send your child to school there. Why didn't you complain about it before? I am fine with it as long as they extend the 3rd marking period to even the days out. I much rather would have had that.

I don't think that "we've always done it this way" is a good argument in favor of a policy.

As to why I didn't complain about it before -- well, it was not previously clear that it was a bad policy. Now it is clear.

[Anonymous]

I don't like Starr but I think this is a good solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking away Easter Monday happened before, about 10 years ago when I was in high school (2003 or so, the announcement is in the MCPS press release archive). We were on vacation still and didn't go, no big deal. This isn't unprecedented.

The problem with adding it as a regular contingency plan is that schools must be closed Easter Monday by MD state law and counties are having to get a waiver to be open. So how can you put it on the calendar? That isn't on MCPS, it's on the state.

I wonder what the state requirements are for a contingency calendar.

They must allow waivers for the state-mandated holidays. It's on Frederick's website and also Charles County's on how their contingency works. They add in, as necessary, Presidents Day and Easter Monday. (and professional days, 4 spring break days, and Good Friday, too!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Taking away Easter Monday happened before, about 10 years ago when I was in high school (2003 or so, the announcement is in the MCPS press release archive). We were on vacation still and didn't go, no big deal. This isn't unprecedented.

The problem with adding it as a regular contingency plan is that schools must be closed Easter Monday by MD state law and counties are having to get a waiver to be open. So how can you put it on the calendar? That isn't on MCPS, it's on the state.

I wonder what the state requirements are for a contingency calendar.

They must allow waivers for the state-mandated holidays. It's on Frederick's website and also Charles County's on how their contingency works. They add in, as necessary, Presidents Day and Easter Monday. (and professional days, 4 spring break days, and Good Friday, too!)

6 counties requested and got approved President's Day and professional days way before MCPS figured out anything to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why does anyone have a right to get mad about making up the days at the end of the year? It is the written policy! But Starr didn't follow thru with it. 100% the make-up days don't change next year either.

Why? Because it's a bad policy. This should now be clear to everybody. It would be foolish of MCPS not to change their contingency calendar for next year.

It has always been the policy. You are supposed to follow it good or bad if you send your child to school there. Why didn't you complain about it before? I am fine with it as long as they extend the 3rd marking period to even the days out. I much rather would have had that.

I don't think that "we've always done it this way" is a good argument in favor of a policy.

As to why I didn't complain about it before -- well, it was not previously clear that it was a bad policy. Now it is clear.

It is not a good argument to favor it but it IS one to abide by it. Just because you don't like a rule/policy doesn't mean you shouldn't follow it.

[Anonymous]

MCPS just assumed they would never really have to make up the days.

[Anonymous]

Wow - people MCPS families are complaining about losing Easter Monday. Frederick County lost Easter Monday plus three days off spring break Mon-Wed of Spring Break.

[Anonymous]

MCPS needs to implement a contingency calendar in the future that they will actually use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS needs to implement a contingency calendar in the future that they will actually use.

Yes. Send an e-mail to the superintendent and board of education saying this. I just did.

[Anonymous]

Well next years calendar will say the same thing. If they never extend the week, who cares?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well next years calendar will say the same thing. If they never extend the week, who cares?

How do you know this?

[Anonymous]

oh well my kid won't be there April 21 - we've had plans to be out of town that day for MONTHS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well next years calendar will say the same thing. If they never extend the week, who cares?

How do you know this?

The prelim/tentative 2014-2015 calendar has been on the MCPS website since December!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well next years calendar will say the same thing. If they never extend the week, who cares?

How do you know this?

The prelim/tentative 2014-2015 calendar has been on the MCPS website since December!

I'm thinking they might be thinking about changing it, given what's happened since then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone think work will actually be done on that Monday. Don't sweat it if your kid will miss. If it is anything like the day before Thanksgiving or Winter Break, all my kids do is watch movies.

No, not much will be accomplished that day (I expect a high number of absences), and as for the last day of school, it will be a waste of time, like most other final days of school. When my kids were in middle school, they said half the kids didn't even show up on the last day, and in high school, they never have to attend the last day, because it's exam makeup day.

MCPS made the gesture they needed to in order to get the state to make the waiver. Mission accomplished.