How to fit school days into Gov Larry Hogan's ridiculous policy on school start and stop dates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

+1. The reason this was sent out is that next year is the gubernatorial elections and MoCo hates that Maryland has a republican governor. I've been apart of MCPS for 8 years and have never received an email like the one we got today.
Having the tightened schedule this year has been glorious. We have actually had full weeks versus the bullshit 3-4 only for the first 2 months that usually happened. Keep it up Larry!

I and my children would prefer they get longer breaks between quarters. I'd rather start earlier and end later, and have longer and more frequent longer breaks in between. It gives both the students and teachers more time to refresh after every quarter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but its not ridiculous. We grew up in the midwest with harsh winters thus the occasional snow day and school started after labor day. The fix us the teachers and administrators dont need so many admin days.

I agree. The only thing that is ridiculous is that the BOE will never stop whining to the state and cry to public about "oh no, what should we do?" about every little thing. Just DO YOUR JOBS and get a calendar in place for next year. I honestly don't give a crap what days are off or not so long as we keep the summer long and the constant 3-4 day school weeks to a minimum. If I need to celebrate a holiday or take a vacation, my kids won't be in school those days. They have survived before and will survive next year too. And yes, I have a high schooler. It doesn't matter. Just make the f'ing calendar already.

This. I don't understand what the issue is here. I don't remember ever getting an email like this before bout planning the school calendar. Even those years when/after we used up the snow days. Why does this justify an email to every parent but the sexual predator incident at Richard Montgomery HS was not addressed by email??

Just set the calendar and move the f along.

Because the MCPS BOE's hidden agenda is to convince the families to complain to the state to get what the BOE wants. They did the same thing with the budget saying the state decreased it. It did not. It just wouldn't increase to the percentage MCPS wanted even though Montgomery County pays for 60% of the budget. If MC wants to keep building and taxing, THEY need to ask the country to increase, but it did not ask them to increase the same monetary increase of the state. They didn't mention that in their PR department. Just that "the state is cutting our budget and we will lose teachers!!" Not the stupid free parenting workshops, not the bloated administration, or their stupid PR department. Their immediate jerk reaction was to PR the potential lose of teachers so the parents would blast the state with emails.

How about the snow days 2 years ago? We were the only district that had a contingency plan we never attempted to use to make up snow days prior to the end of the year, and then ask the state for a waiver? Mind you the BOE was dumb enough to end the school year on a Friday too. When they said no, the BOE cried a river and PR went in an uproar asking parents to complain because the school year was moving into the following week. All along it is the stupid BOE that ended the school year on a Friday, didn't use their contingency plan, and wanted the state to waive 3 days. I was so glad the state told them to shove it. The only other county that asked was PG county and they already made up 1 day on a teacher day, was ending on a Thurs, were willing to make up another that Friday and the state waived the last day. You work with them, they work with you. MCPS BOE is just absolutely entitled, wastes tax payers money with this constant back and forth, meetings, multiple ideas, complaints etc...

This calendar will be another 2 months in the making. Wasting tax payers money one day at a time. Remember the millions wasted on a 2 year study that ended up being a 20min freaking change for the high schoolers and tier 2 ES schools coming off busses at 4:30pm. Ugh, don't even get me started.

Yes, this is what the BOE is doing. They are experts at wasting money and whining about funding, while they waste millions supporting a useless administration and a ridiculous PR department.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So those newspaper articles talking about how the majority of parents wanted the start of school pushed back were imaginary? The working group that O'Malley set up and which recommended an after labor day start was a mass hallucination?!

Exactly. Every poll showed that Marylanders were 64-67% that wanted to move after Labor Day. This all started years ago, long before Hogan came in office. It was when a (gasp) Democrat was in office.

Of course. Who doesn't want something when they think they can get it for nothing? They can't get it for nothing, though.

Last time I checked, we are getting it for nothing. We still have Spring Break and are ending on time this year. They removed the teacher days from full to half days, which it needed. Because if you looked in a school parking lot on teacher work days, the lots are maybe 1/8 full. They are sitting at home in their pajamas maybe doing 1-2 hours of work. Meanwhile the rest of the working parents are looking for childcare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this a ridiculous policy? I do 't get it.

Personally we love the longer summer. If you don't like it, then put your kid in an academic camp or something. It's nice to have that long break.

We always started after Labor Day when I was growing up in NY.

Because it's bad for kids' education to be out of school that long -- especially poor kids. Whose parents are not going to put them in an academic camp or something.

Oh, please. It's been discussed on here before. MCPS offers educational opportunities for poor/lower income students over the summer. Plus free meals at churches/some schools. It's perfectly fine for their (and all kids') education to have a little bit of a break.

First of all, that's not a little break. And secondly, my upper/middle class children also get brain drain even being in great summer camps where they are learning and doing their summer packets. Look at the fall MAP scores of most children. They are typically lower than the previous quarter. Summer brain drain is real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So those newspaper articles talking about how the majority of parents wanted the start of school pushed back were imaginary? The working group that O'Malley set up and which recommended an after labor day start was a mass hallucination?!

Exactly. Every poll showed that Marylanders were 64-67% that wanted to move after Labor Day. This all started years ago, long before Hogan came in office. It was when a (gasp) Democrat was in office.

Of course. Who doesn't want something when they think they can get it for nothing? They can't get it for nothing, though.

Last time I checked, we are getting it for nothing. We still have Spring Break and are ending on time this year. They removed the teacher days from full to half days, which it needed. Because if you looked in a school parking lot on teacher work days, the lots are maybe 1/8 full. They are sitting at home in their pajamas maybe doing 1-2 hours of work. Meanwhile the rest of the working parents are looking for childcare.

Check again.

And while you're checking, ask yourself what the kids from poor families are doing all summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+1. The reason this was sent out is that next year is the gubernatorial elections and MoCo hates that Maryland has a republican governor. I've been apart of MCPS for 8 years and have never received an email like the one we got today.
Having the tightened schedule this year has been glorious. We have actually had full weeks versus the bullshit 3-4 only for the first 2 months that usually happened. Keep it up Larry!

I and my children would prefer they get longer breaks between quarters. I'd rather start earlier and end later, and have longer and more frequent longer breaks in between. It gives both the students and teachers more time to refresh after every quarter.

So what what one family wants? The state has an economy to keep and that economy pays for 26.8% our your child's public education. Your taxes only go so far. The economy thrives on it's summer tourists. OCMD, Annapolis, Inner Harbor, etc... We don't have the weather or have many mountains that see tourists year round. The economy needs our summer's thriving and in return it doesn't go in further debt. It keeps small businesses opened longer and makes their off-season to survive thru, shorter. If you want longer breaks in-between quarters or a different summer break you need to find states that have year round tourism. Otherwise be happy our state can continue to pay for the huge increase in poor immigrant population that is now in our schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So those newspaper articles talking about how the majority of parents wanted the start of school pushed back were imaginary? The working group that O'Malley set up and which recommended an after labor day start was a mass hallucination?!

Exactly. Every poll showed that Marylanders were 64-67% that wanted to move after Labor Day. This all started years ago, long before Hogan came in office. It was when a (gasp) Democrat was in office.

Of course. Who doesn't want something when they think they can get it for nothing? They can't get it for nothing, though.

Last time I checked, we are getting it for nothing. We still have Spring Break and are ending on time this year. They removed the teacher days from full to half days, which it needed. Because if you looked in a school parking lot on teacher work days, the lots are maybe 1/8 full. They are sitting at home in their pajamas maybe doing 1-2 hours of work. Meanwhile the rest of the working parents are looking for childcare.

Check again.

And while you're checking, ask yourself what the kids from poor families are doing all summer.

Please inform me of what we are losing instead of your nonsense retorts, and stop acting like you actually care what the poor kids are doing all summer - like that is your reasoning for wanting random days off all year and 4-6 days less of summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So what what one family wants? The state has an economy to keep and that economy pays for 26.8% our your child's public education. Your taxes only go so far. The economy thrives on it's summer tourists. OCMD, Annapolis, Inner Harbor, etc... We don't have the weather or have many mountains that see tourists year round. The economy needs our summer's thriving and in return it doesn't go in further debt. It keeps small businesses opened longer and makes their off-season to survive thru, shorter. If you want longer breaks in-between quarters or a different summer break you need to find states that have year round tourism. Otherwise be happy our state can continue to pay for the huge increase in poor immigrant population that is now in our schools.

Could you please provide the numbers supporting your assertion that revenue from the tourism industry pays for 26.8% of public education? And could you also provide the numbers supporting the marginal effect of the required post-Labor Day start on the tourism industry?

There are plenty of places with seasonal tourism that don't have 11-12 week summer breaks. How do they manage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So those newspaper articles talking about how the majority of parents wanted the start of school pushed back were imaginary? The working group that O'Malley set up and which recommended an after labor day start was a mass hallucination?!

Exactly. Every poll showed that Marylanders were 64-67% that wanted to move after Labor Day. This all started years ago, long before Hogan came in office. It was when a (gasp) Democrat was in office.

Of course. Who doesn't want something when they think they can get it for nothing? They can't get it for nothing, though.

Last time I checked, we are getting it for nothing. We still have Spring Break and are ending on time this year. They removed the teacher days from full to half days, which it needed. Because if you looked in a school parking lot on teacher work days, the lots are maybe 1/8 full. They are sitting at home in their pajamas maybe doing 1-2 hours of work. Meanwhile the rest of the working parents are looking for childcare.

Check again.

And while you're checking, ask yourself what the kids from poor families are doing all summer.

Depends on their age. Maybe they're working? I worked full time all summer the last few years of HS and it was fantastic to have some extra income for the family!

Or, they're attending summer school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is this a ridiculous policy? I do 't get it.

Personally we love the longer summer. If you don't like it, then put your kid in an academic camp or something. It's nice to have that long break.

We always started after Labor Day when I was growing up in NY.

Because it's bad for kids' education to be out of school that long -- especially poor kids. Whose parents are not going to put them in an academic camp or something.

Oh, please. It's been discussed on here before. MCPS offers educational opportunities for poor/lower income students over the summer. Plus free meals at churches/some schools. It's perfectly fine for their (and all kids') education to have a little bit of a break.

First of all, that's not a little break. And secondly, my upper/middle class children also get brain drain even being in great summer camps where they are learning and doing their summer packets. Look at the fall MAP scores of most children. They are typically lower than the previous quarter. Summer brain drain is real.

Summer drain is real if the parents don't do a thing to help their kids. Learning shouldn't be 6hrs a day/ 180 days a year and only in a classroom. If it was, all the kids would be failing because the 2.0 curriculum and teacher/student ratio allow for maybe 30min of direct teaching a day. But you know this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So those newspaper articles talking about how the majority of parents wanted the start of school pushed back were imaginary? The working group that O'Malley set up and which recommended an after labor day start was a mass hallucination?!

Exactly. Every poll showed that Marylanders were 64-67% that wanted to move after Labor Day. This all started years ago, long before Hogan came in office. It was when a (gasp) Democrat was in office.

Of course. Who doesn't want something when they think they can get it for nothing? They can't get it for nothing, though.

Last time I checked, we are getting it for nothing. We still have Spring Break and are ending on time this year. They removed the teacher days from full to half days, which it needed. Because if you looked in a school parking lot on teacher work days, the lots are maybe 1/8 full. They are sitting at home in their pajamas maybe doing 1-2 hours of work. Meanwhile the rest of the working parents are looking for childcare.

Check again.

And while you're checking, ask yourself what the kids from poor families are doing all summer.

Please inform me of what we are losing instead of your nonsense retorts, and stop acting like you actually care what the poor kids are doing all summer - like that is your reasoning for wanting random days off all year and 4-6 days less of summer.

+1 to the PP

If the PP is really concerned about what 'poor families' are doing all summer, she'd be advocating for year round school. Which, I could probably support.

Instead, she's pushing a political agenda against Hogan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+1. The reason this was sent out is that next year is the gubernatorial elections and MoCo hates that Maryland has a republican governor. I've been apart of MCPS for 8 years and have never received an email like the one we got today.
Having the tightened schedule this year has been glorious. We have actually had full weeks versus the bullshit 3-4 only for the first 2 months that usually happened. Keep it up Larry!

I and my children would prefer they get longer breaks between quarters. I'd rather start earlier and end later, and have longer and more frequent longer breaks in between. It gives both the students and teachers more time to refresh after every quarter.

I am not in Maryland, but our school district starts after Labor Day and then ends later in June. This schedule works well. It included breaks and teacher work days during the academic year. I wouldn't mind going till the end of June so that the summer would be a substantial break, but not too long.

Any chance Maryland would change the June 15 end date? That would offer a bit more flexibility and still allow the after Labor Day start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So what what one family wants? The state has an economy to keep and that economy pays for 26.8% our your child's public education. Your taxes only go so far. The economy thrives on it's summer tourists. OCMD, Annapolis, Inner Harbor, etc... We don't have the weather or have many mountains that see tourists year round. The economy needs our summer's thriving and in return it doesn't go in further debt. It keeps small businesses opened longer and makes their off-season to survive thru, shorter. If you want longer breaks in-between quarters or a different summer break you need to find states that have year round tourism. Otherwise be happy our state can continue to pay for the huge increase in poor immigrant population that is now in our schools.

Could you please provide the numbers supporting your assertion that revenue from the tourism industry pays for 26.8% of public education? And could you also provide the numbers supporting the marginal effect of the required post-Labor Day start on the tourism industry?

There are plenty of places with seasonal tourism that don't have 11-12 week summer breaks. How do they manage?

Please post what seasonal tourism states have less than 11 weeks of summer? MCPS had 10.5 weeks this summer and 11.5 next and that is only if there aren't snow days to make up which there will be. Anyway, please list them please.

The state pays for 26.8% of MCPS funding. I never said the tourism pays all of that. That is why I mentioned taxes only get you so far because you do realize there is high poverty in our county and many don't pay taxes but need the most funding per child since you add FARMS and ESOL to many of them. Having a thriving economy always makes for positive schools. Some states can only afford to spend $8K per child on education. Our state is $13K per child and MCPS is a ridiculous $16K per child. We are not getting that from taxes alone.

Operating Budget
Fiscal Year 2017: $2.46 billion

Funding Sources
Montgomery County: 65.8%
State education aid: 26.8%
Federal govt. grants: 3%
Enterprise funds: 2.6%
Fees, other sources: 0.4%
Fund balance: 1.4%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So those newspaper articles talking about how the majority of parents wanted the start of school pushed back were imaginary? The working group that O'Malley set up and which recommended an after labor day start was a mass hallucination?!

Exactly. Every poll showed that Marylanders were 64-67% that wanted to move after Labor Day. This all started years ago, long before Hogan came in office. It was when a (gasp) Democrat was in office.

Of course. Who doesn't want something when they think they can get it for nothing? They can't get it for nothing, though.

Last time I checked, we are getting it for nothing. We still have Spring Break and are ending on time this year. They removed the teacher days from full to half days, which it needed. Because if you looked in a school parking lot on teacher work days, the lots are maybe 1/8 full. They are sitting at home in their pajamas maybe doing 1-2 hours of work. Meanwhile the rest of the working parents are looking for childcare.

Check again.

And while you're checking, ask yourself what the kids from poor families are doing all summer.

Please inform me of what we are losing instead of your nonsense retorts, and stop acting like you actually care what the poor kids are doing all summer - like that is your reasoning for wanting random days off all year and 4-6 days less of summer.

+1 to the PP

If the PP is really concerned about what 'poor families' are doing all summer, she'd be advocating for year round school. Which, I could probably support.

Instead, she's pushing a political agenda against Hogan.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but its not ridiculous. We grew up in the midwest with harsh winters thus the occasional snow day and school started after labor day. The fix us the teachers and administrators dont need so many admin days.

I agree. The only thing that is ridiculous is that the BOE will never stop whining to the state and cry to public about "oh no, what should we do?" about every little thing. Just DO YOUR JOBS and get a calendar in place for next year. I honestly don't give a crap what days are off or not so long as we keep the summer long and the constant 3-4 day school weeks to a minimum. If I need to celebrate a holiday or take a vacation, my kids won't be in school those days. They have survived before and will survive next year too. And yes, I have a high schooler. It doesn't matter. Just make the f'ing calendar already.

This. I don't understand what the issue is here. I don't remember ever getting an email like this before bout planning the school calendar. Even those years when/after we used up the snow days. Why does this justify an email to every parent but the sexual predator incident at Richard Montgomery HS was not addressed by email??


Just set the calendar and move the f along.

+1. The reason this was sent out is that next year is the gubernatorial elections and MoCo hates that Maryland has a republican governor. I've been apart of MCPS for 8 years and have never received an email like the one we got today.
Having the tightened schedule this year has been glorious. We have actually had full weeks versus the bullshit 3-4 only for the first 2 months that usually happened. Keep it up Larry!

This. I think it's kind of gross that MCPS is sending out this email as some sort of political craziness. We've also been involved with MCPS for over a decade and have never had an email like this before. Kind or ridiculous.

+10000 it's so political that it's crazy.