Make-up Days

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:These are the days listed on the calendar for potential makeup

March 20 (they will avoid because its Eid and they'll cry equity)
April 15
June 18
June 22 - 26 (which is likely what they'll go with... but no one is going to attend particularly since June 19 is Juneteenth and a day off no matter what)

MD also granted waiver for President's Day to be a makeup day potentially.

Ideally I think MCPS should take up MD's offer to do President's Day and also take Lunar New Year so we make up the days on Feb 16 & 17, March 20, and April 15. But it's not going to happen and our kids are all going to just miss out.

The regulation seems to actually put the districts at a disadvantage if they use days within the school year. I agree that making up the days you mentioned is ideal, but it seems that MCPS couldn't qualify for a waiver unless they use three days at the end of the school year.

School was set to end on Wednesday, 6/17.
They could add Thursday, 6/18. (1st additional day)
Friday, 6/19 is Juneteenth, so they can't add that.
They could add Monday, 6/22. (2nd additional day)
They could add Tuesday, 6/23. (3rd additional day).
+This seems to be the requirement to then apply for a waiver of additional days.

Ideally, people should plea with MSDE to allow schools to make up a day on Juneteenth. Then the third day beyond the regular closing date would be a Monday, and the state's language indicates that they can waive the last day if it falls on a Monday.

The requirements are really ridiculous, when clearly it is more productive to make up the days during the year. Why would the state not incentivize districts to make up the days during the school year when attendance can be maximized and students can benefit from them more?

Schools can use the days in the year. There are three days we can use.

Sure, but the state won't waive any days unless 3 days have already been added to the end of the school year

No they need to use all the makeup days. But schools that have more snow days built into the calendar only need 3 makeup days. MCPS needed more because it only out one in the clanedar.

No waiver for us.

Despite the poorly written regulation, (note, it's a MSDE regulation- the statute establishing this authority is more broad), we already know MSDE doesn't interpret (or enforce) this as requiring the make-up days to be added to the end of the year. This happened in 2020, when the three make-up days were added during spring break.

Seriously, it should be obvious to everyone that the best option is to use March 20, April 15, and June 18 seek the authorized waiver. Then we shouldn't need to even extend the year. These should be full days to demonstrate that MCPS is making a good-faith attempt to meet the intent of the law.

April 15 is the teacher grading/planning day-- if they use it I think there's a very high chance it will be a half day to give teachers at least a partial day for grading.

That would significantly increase the risk that a waiver would be denied. We need to add full days or we wouldn't be meeting the intent of the law.

Do you think the teachers would rather get a half day to grade, or a week off of work?

The MSDE knows and understands that teachers must have time to grade, especially at the end of the quarter. Every county school system provides time in some way to their teachers. Only parents think it is not necessary.

MSDE will happily let MCPS go into the next week to give you time to grade. I'm just surprised you'd prefer that.

DP. An early release day on April 15th would at least give some time for third MP grading.

Yes, but ruins a request for a waiver. So it would limit the number of days added the next week, but wouldn't avoid it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are the days listed on the calendar for potential makeup

March 20 (they will avoid because its Eid and they'll cry equity)
April 15
June 18
June 22 - 26 (which is likely what they'll go with... but no one is going to attend particularly since June 19 is Juneteenth and a day off no matter what)

MD also granted waiver for President's Day to be a makeup day potentially.

Ideally I think MCPS should take up MD's offer to do President's Day and also take Lunar New Year so we make up the days on Feb 16 & 17, March 20, and April 15. But it's not going to happen and our kids are all going to just miss out.

The regulation seems to actually put the districts at a disadvantage if they use days within the school year. I agree that making up the days you mentioned is ideal, but it seems that MCPS couldn't qualify for a waiver unless they use three days at the end of the school year.

School was set to end on Wednesday, 6/17.
They could add Thursday, 6/18. (1st additional day)
Friday, 6/19 is Juneteenth, so they can't add that.
They could add Monday, 6/22. (2nd additional day)
They could add Tuesday, 6/23. (3rd additional day).
+This seems to be the requirement to then apply for a waiver of additional days.

Ideally, people should plea with MSDE to allow schools to make up a day on Juneteenth. Then the third day beyond the regular closing date would be a Monday, and the state's language indicates that they can waive the last day if it falls on a Monday.

The requirements are really ridiculous, when clearly it is more productive to make up the days during the year. Why would the state not incentivize districts to make up the days during the school year when attendance can be maximized and students can benefit from them more?

Schools can use the days in the year. There are three days we can use.

Sure, but the state won't waive any days unless 3 days have already been added to the end of the school year

No they need to use all the makeup days. But schools that have more snow days built into the calendar only need 3 makeup days. MCPS needed more because it only out one in the clanedar.

No waiver for us.

Despite the poorly written regulation, (note, it's a MSDE regulation- the statute establishing this authority is more broad), we already know MSDE doesn't interpret (or enforce) this as requiring the make-up days to be added to the end of the year. This happened in 2020, when the three make-up days were added during spring break.

Seriously, it should be obvious to everyone that the best option is to use March 20, April 15, and June 18 seek the authorized waiver. Then we shouldn't need to even extend the year. These should be full days to demonstrate that MCPS is making a good-faith attempt to meet the intent of the law.

April 15 is the teacher grading/planning day-- if they use it I think there's a very high chance it will be a half day to give teachers at least a partial day for grading.

That would significantly increase the risk that a waiver would be denied. We need to add full days or we wouldn't be meeting the intent of the law.

Do you think the teachers would rather get a half day to grade, or a week off of work?

The MSDE knows and understands that teachers must have time to grade, especially at the end of the quarter. Every county school system provides time in some way to their teachers. Only parents think it is not necessary.

MSDE will happily let MCPS go into the next week to give you time to grade. I'm just surprised you'd prefer that.

DP. An early release day on April 15th would at least give some time for third MP grading.

Yes, but ruins a request for a waiver. So it would limit the number of days added the next week, but wouldn't avoid it.

Disagree.

[Anonymous]

They should open on Feb 17 and Mar 20

[Anonymous]

To tack on the make up days at the end of school will guarantee a high absentee rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To tack on the make up days at the end of school will guarantee a high absentee rate.

Yup. And MCPS was awful last year discouraging parents from even sending their kids with their statements about the new content not being taught on those half days in end June.

They didn’t even try to dress those days up as educational.