MCPS Considering Beginning 2020-21 School Calendar Year Before Labor Day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

On your first point, most kids don’t have an older sibling to watch them. Do not set policy that affects the ability of ALL kids to do well based on the interests of a few. If money is an issue for people with low incomes, expand subsidies for aftercare.

On your second, yes but that would only be for the kids participating in sports that season. The rest of the high schoolers and middle schoolers would be able to sleep in. Right now you are letting no one get adequate sleep based on the needs of athletes.

I really don't think it's NO ONE getting adequate sleep.

And yes, money very often is an issue for people with low incomes.

[Anonymous]

I'd vote to start before Labor day.

[Anonymous]

I’m in favor of an after Labor Day start date, mid February winter break, full winter/spring break and school ending June 25.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in favor of an after Labor Day start date, mid February winter break, full winter/spring break and school ending June 25.

You could move to NY suburbs. That is typical there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

On your first point, most kids don’t have an older sibling to watch them. Do not set policy that affects the ability of ALL kids to do well based on the interests of a few. If money is an issue for people with low incomes, expand subsidies for aftercare.

On your second, yes but that would only be for the kids participating in sports that season. The rest of the high schoolers and middle schoolers would be able to sleep in. Right now you are letting no one get adequate sleep based on the needs of athletes.

I really don't think it's NO ONE getting adequate sleep.

And yes, money very often is an issue for people with low incomes.

Why not start a new thread about school start times if you'd like to discuss that? What the BOE is considering now has nothing to do with the time of day school starts, just the calendar of the dates school will be in session for 2020-2021.

[Anonymous]

I know how MCPS works they gave two options before labor day and one after. The one after is to make people feel like they are listening but the choice has already been made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know how MCPS works they gave two options before labor day and one after. The one after is to make people feel like they are listening but the choice has already been made.

Correct but in this case September 8 makes no sense at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are they taking public comments on the calendar options now?

Not quite yet. They first had to reduce the options they looked at last week from 5 to 3. They'll post something on the website soon.

[Anonymous]

From an email:


All draft scenarios for the calendar include:
· 182 student instructional days
· Full spring break
· Full professional day for grading and planning at the end of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters
· Possible make-up days both during the school year and extending the school year


I encourage you to view the draft calendar scenarios on our website and the accompanying explanations. I also encourage you to provide comment on the calendar options in the comment box on our website. The Board of Education is scheduled to adopt a final school calendar later this year. We need your feedback on these draft scenarios to inform the discussion and decision-making process.

Thank you in advance for your feedback on these calendar scenarios.

Best,

Andrew Zuckerman
Chief Operating Officer

Link for feedback: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/proposed-calendar-2020-21.aspx

[Anonymous]

Start 2 weeks before Labor Day .
Get rid of Jewish holidays
2 weeks on winter break
10 days of spring break
End mid June or end of June (doesn’t really matter)
High school kids don’t get enough days to learn material for AP classes!!!
Current calendar sucks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can we have a much earlier start time for elementary? I prefer early start time early end time. I dont care when they start the school year but, be consistent.

The reason for the late start (my kid's ES starts at 9:05am) is so high school kids don't have such an early start. They use the same buses for all.

I don't understand why it isn't switched so ES goes first and HS last. Studies have shown time and again that teenagers benefit from more sleep in the morning and later start times. Meanwhile, my 6yo is up at 630am every day. You end up with more traffic on the roads because most parents can't wait for the ES buses to come and end up driving their kids to the before care programs at the ES.

I agree, but people on this board repeatedly give 2 reasons: 1) older kids babysit younger kids and need to get out early, and 2) sports teams need to practice after school.

On the first, that’s why schools offer before and aftercare, and policy should be set for what is best for the students as a whole. On the second, it seems like teams could practice before school rather than after.

School after-care: $$$
Older-sibling after-care: free

And if teams practice before school, there goes the whole more-sleep-in-the-morning thing.

First off, how many families really have kids that are both in high school and elementary school at the same time? I know of no families like this.

Second, what are these families doing for childcare in the morning? In our neighborhood the ES bus doesn't come through until 9am. Most parents need to be at work by then. So what happens is most families end up using both before AND after care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in favor of an after Labor Day start date, mid February winter break, full winter/spring break and school ending June 25.

You could move to NY suburbs. That is typical there.

Pretty typical throughout much of the northeast actually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m in favor of an after Labor Day start date, mid February winter break, full winter/spring break and school ending June 25.

You could move to NY suburbs. That is typical there.

I really shouldn’t have to do this but MCPS should be trying to model itself after good public districts such as MA, NY & CT. The idea of a February recess is appealing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Start 2 weeks before Labor Day .
Get rid of Jewish holidays
2 weeks on winter break
10 days of spring break
End mid June or end of June (doesn’t really matter)
High school kids don’t get enough days to learn material for AP classes!!!
Current calendar sucks

Pray tell, will you be subbing for MCPS Jewish teachers when there aren’t enough subs for classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Start 2 weeks before Labor Day .
Get rid of Jewish holidays
2 weeks on winter break
10 days of spring break
End mid June or end of June (doesn’t really matter)
High school kids don’t get enough days to learn material for AP classes!!!
Current calendar sucks

Then move to a wealthy area with fewer Jewish people.