Thoughts on the MCPS 2017-2018 calendar?

[Anonymous]

Half days are disruptive to kids and working families.

So deal with it. Do what you have to to get your job done, right? You expect teachers to do that (lol, scheduling weekends and evenings for professional time?). Your job is to be a parent, so you go ahead and do what you have to do to make sure your kids are covered for care, and don't you dare complain about it. You get most of the day off anyway, while they're in the classroom. Stop whining. The school system isn't here to cater to your needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Half days are disruptive to kids and working families.

So deal with it. Do what you have to to get your job done, right? You expect teachers to do that (lol, scheduling weekends and evenings for professional time?). Your job is to be a parent, so you go ahead and do what you have to do to make sure your kids are covered for care, and don't you dare complain about it. You get most of the day off anyway, while they're in the classroom. Stop whining. The school system isn't here to cater to your needs.

Well, half days ARE disruptive to kids and working families. And the school system IS there to serve the needs of the parents. But also the needs of the kids, and the needs of the employees (for example, the teachers), and the needs of the employer (the public, via their elected officials). It's a balancing act, made more difficult by an executive order by a governor who is serving the needs of the tourist economy of Worcester County.

[Anonymous]

Half-days are disruptive to everybody, but they're unavoidable with this EO. PP seems to think it should be just shifted to become the teachers' problem.

[Anonymous]

My kids have been in MCPS collectively since 2004. Unfortunately, they have consistently told me that half days are a complete waste of time and that most of the teachers do nothing on those days other than show movies/videos. This isn't that big a deal in elementary, but once they get into middle and high school it becomes a complete waste of instructional time. Part of the problem is that the class periods in middle school and high school are very short on half days and the other problem is that many kids (and their parents) have given up on them being productive school days so just allow their kids to stay home. My kids have actually sent me pictures of half empty classrooms. We have another one coming up this Friday (people will just make it a long weekend) and I know that my DD is going to beg me to let her skip it and sleep in. Mostly I just say no, but I don't blame them for wanting to catch some extra shut eye instead of being bored in school for four hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids have been in MCPS collectively since 2004. Unfortunately, they have consistently told me that half days are a complete waste of time and that most of the teachers do nothing on those days other than show movies/videos. This isn't that big a deal in elementary, but once they get into middle and high school it becomes a complete waste of instructional time. Part of the problem is that the class periods in middle school and high school are very short on half days and the other problem is that many kids (and their parents) have given up on them being productive school days so just allow their kids to stay home. My kids have actually sent me pictures of half empty classrooms. We have another one coming up this Friday (people will just make it a long weekend) and I know that my DD is going to beg me to let her skip it and sleep in. Mostly I just say no, but I don't blame them for wanting to catch some extra shut eye instead of being bored in school for four hours.

What school cluster is this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids have been in MCPS collectively since 2004. Unfortunately, they have consistently told me that half days are a complete waste of time and that most of the teachers do nothing on those days other than show movies/videos. This isn't that big a deal in elementary, but once they get into middle and high school it becomes a complete waste of instructional time. Part of the problem is that the class periods in middle school and high school are very short on half days and the other problem is that many kids (and their parents) have given up on them being productive school days so just allow their kids to stay home. My kids have actually sent me pictures of half empty classrooms. We have another one coming up this Friday (people will just make it a long weekend) and I know that my DD is going to beg me to let her skip it and sleep in. Mostly I just say no, but I don't blame them for wanting to catch some extra shut eye instead of being bored in school for four hours.

This is school dependent. DH teaches middle school, and up until this year was at a school that just abbreviated every period. There was little he could get done in the short time so he usually made it a study hall/catch up session. At his new school this year, they trade off so that only half the periods have class, but they are full-length (I guess the lunch period always meets). It means he doesn't get to see certain classes at all that day, but the ones he does have get a regular instruction period from him, and he sees the others on the next half day. I don't know how schools determine which model to use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids have been in MCPS collectively since 2004. Unfortunately, they have consistently told me that half days are a complete waste of time and that most of the teachers do nothing on those days other than show movies/videos. This isn't that big a deal in elementary, but once they get into middle and high school it becomes a complete waste of instructional time. Part of the problem is that the class periods in middle school and high school are very short on half days and the other problem is that many kids (and their parents) have given up on them being productive school days so just allow their kids to stay home. My kids have actually sent me pictures of half empty classrooms. We have another one coming up this Friday (people will just make it a long weekend) and I know that my DD is going to beg me to let her skip it and sleep in. Mostly I just say no, but I don't blame them for wanting to catch some extra shut eye instead of being bored in school for four hours.

This is school dependent. DH teaches middle school, and up until this year was at a school that just abbreviated every period. There was little he could get done in the short time so he usually made it a study hall/catch up session. At his new school this year, they trade off so that only half the periods have class, but they are full-length (I guess the lunch period always meets). It means he doesn't get to see certain classes at all that day, but the ones he does have get a regular instruction period from him, and he sees the others on the next half day. I don't know how schools determine which model to use.

That's a great idea. Wish all of the schools were required to do that.

[Anonymous]

It is my understand that our MS used to do the "Half classes meet on Half days for full class period" but changed a couple of years ago. Now all the half days are classes of about 27 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, I'm not convinced Hogan will be on his way out in Nov. 2018. I'm hearing he is incredibly popular.

I'm considering changing my voter registration to republican so I can vote against him in the primary.

I'm a Dem and I love Hogan. I voted for him - first time I didn't vote party line - and he's making changes.

Hogan cut funding to MoCo for education and he increased tuition at the state universities.

He did not cut funding. He did not approve the excessive amount MCPS requested last year. They actually received more than they did the previous year. But not enough to appease the BOA who consistently over spends.

Why don't you ask MCPS for copies of where their budget money actually goes before blasting Hogan. They are wasteful and always screw the teachers first to get people like you thinking they need more money.

Maybe we should stop being a sanctuary county which is what is truly squeezing the budget demands more and more each year. Property taxes already went up 9% last year to assist illegals. Now our taxes are going towards the county health department who just yesterday guaranteed aid and help for families that may get a family member deported by mean old ICE. I for one am sick of my taxes going up. Stop welcoming everyone illegal living in extreme poverty to come here and then increase property and county taxes to do it.

As for state universities, do you know illegal immigrants now get discounted tuition? When they voted for this two years ago, everyone against it said tuition would have to be raised soon there after. No one cared. Now they raise tuition for legal residents and it is all Hogan's fault.

Get a clue

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like this schedule so much better. I found this year's schedule to be much more disruptive with the numerous days off iSeptember through December. I also think spring break is way too long and we should get rid of the Good Friday and Easter Monday holiday. One week is plenty.

You may like it better, but the extra long summer break is not what's best for students. It may have been choppy this year, but students are able to adapt to missing a day here and there without losing what they've learned. There will be such slides over the summer, especially for the most vulnerable students. but hey, who wants what's best for kids? We gotta get to the beach!

Why get rid of Good Friday and Easter Monday? Why not have only those days off? Four days is plenty.

I don't see this calendar as sustainable for years to come. There are multiple exceptions that occur in 2017-18 that are not the norm. Decisions will have to made over how to address breaks when the holidays are not on weekends, plus years when we have Election Days and primaries, Jewish holidays during the week, etc.

Let's just get rid of religious holidays. No Easter Monday or Good Friday. State of MD be damned--literally

Agree. Public school is secular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, I'm not convinced Hogan will be on his way out in Nov. 2018. I'm hearing he is incredibly popular.

I'm considering changing my voter registration to republican so I can vote against him in the primary.

I'm a Dem and I love Hogan. I voted for him - first time I didn't vote party line - and he's making changes.

Hogan cut funding to MoCo for education and he increased tuition at the state universities.

He did not cut funding. He did not approve the excessive amount MCPS requested last year. They actually received more than they did the previous year. But not enough to appease the BOA who consistently over spends.

Why don't you ask MCPS for copies of where their budget money actually goes before blasting Hogan. They are wasteful and always screw the teachers first to get people like you thinking they need more money.

Maybe we should stop being a sanctuary county which is what is truly squeezing the budget demands more and more each year. Property taxes already went up 9% last year to assist illegals. Now our taxes are going towards the county health department who just yesterday guaranteed aid and help for families that may get a family member deported by mean old ICE. I for one am sick of my taxes going up. Stop welcoming everyone illegal living in extreme poverty to come here and then increase property and county taxes to do it.

As for state universities, do you know illegal immigrants now get discounted tuition? When they voted for this two years ago, everyone against it said tuition would have to be raised soon there after. No one cared. Now they raise tuition for legal residents and it is all Hogan's fault.

Well said, and all true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

He did not cut funding. He did not approve the excessive amount MCPS requested last year. They actually received more than they did the previous year. But not enough to appease the BOA who consistently over spends.

Why don't you ask MCPS for copies of where their budget money actually goes before blasting Hogan. They are wasteful and always screw the teachers first to get people like you thinking they need more money.

Maybe we should stop being a sanctuary county which is what is truly squeezing the budget demands more and more each year. Property taxes already went up 9% last year to assist illegals. Now our taxes are going towards the county health department who just yesterday guaranteed aid and help for families that may get a family member deported by mean old ICE. I for one am sick of my taxes going up. Stop welcoming everyone illegal living in extreme poverty to come here and then increase property and county taxes to do it.

As for state universities, do you know illegal immigrants now get discounted tuition? When they voted for this two years ago, everyone against it said tuition would have to be raised soon there after. No one cared. Now they raise tuition for legal residents and it is all Hogan's fault.

Get a clue

1. Cutting an increase that everybody expected, when the student population is growing, actually is cutting funding.
2. "Sanctuary city" doesn't mean what you think it means.
3. Certain unauthorized immigrants get in-state tuition at state universities, because the voters of Maryland approved this by referendum in 2012.
4. This is the Maryland Public Schools forum, not the US Immigration Policy forum.

[Anonymous]

MoCo is not actually a sanctuary city/county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

He did not cut funding. He did not approve the excessive amount MCPS requested last year. They actually received more than they did the previous year. But not enough to appease the BOA who consistently over spends.

Why don't you ask MCPS for copies of where their budget money actually goes before blasting Hogan. They are wasteful and always screw the teachers first to get people like you thinking they need more money.

Maybe we should stop being a sanctuary county which is what is truly squeezing the budget demands more and more each year. Property taxes already went up 9% last year to assist illegals. Now our taxes are going towards the county health department who just yesterday guaranteed aid and help for families that may get a family member deported by mean old ICE. I for one am sick of my taxes going up. Stop welcoming everyone illegal living in extreme poverty to come here and then increase property and county taxes to do it.

As for state universities, do you know illegal immigrants now get discounted tuition? When they voted for this two years ago, everyone against it said tuition would have to be raised soon there after. No one cared. Now they raise tuition for legal residents and it is all Hogan's fault.

Get a clue

1. Cutting an increase that everybody expected, when the student population is growing, actually is cutting funding.
2. "Sanctuary city" doesn't mean what you think it means.
3. Certain unauthorized immigrants get in-state tuition at state universities, because the voters of Maryland approved this by referendum in 2012.
4. This is the Maryland Public Schools forum, not the US Immigration Policy forum.

Hogan DID cut funding. You can keep telling yourself (and believing him when he says say) because the budget was actually increased, but the increase did not pace with the enrollment increase, thus per pupil spending was cut, and we are seeing that in the cuts MCPS was forced to make. Hogan also held onto funding earmarked for schools as a pwoer play. so the money sat, unable to spent, because... he's in charge and can do it. That's responsible.

Montgomery County is not a "sanctuary county." Undocumented immigrants who were brought here as children and thus have no connection to their "home" country now have an opportunity to pay for college and contribute to society. This was approved by the VOTERS, not Hogan. Hell, he probably voted against it. Let me guess, you're pissed about marriage equality, too?

Hogan raised tuition, but cut the toll across the Bay Bridge, so I guess it all evens out, eh? You can't afford college, but go on to Ocean City.

Get a clue? Oh my my.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like this schedule so much better. I found this year's schedule to be much more disruptive with the numerous days off iSeptember through December. I also think spring break is way too long and we should get rid of the Good Friday and Easter Monday holiday. One week is plenty.

You may like it better, but the extra long summer break is not what's best for students. It may have been choppy this year, but students are able to adapt to missing a day here and there without losing what they've learned. There will be such slides over the summer, especially for the most vulnerable students. but hey, who wants what's best for kids? We gotta get to the beach!

Why get rid of Good Friday and Easter Monday? Why not have only those days off? Four days is plenty.

I don't see this calendar as sustainable for years to come. There are multiple exceptions that occur in 2017-18 that are not the norm. Decisions will have to made over how to address breaks when the holidays are not on weekends, plus years when we have Election Days and primaries, Jewish holidays during the week, etc.

Let's just get rid of religious holidays. No Easter Monday or Good Friday. State of MD be damned--literally

Agree. Public school is secular.

+1. I'm a practicing Catholic and think these mandated religious holidays are ridiculous. I don't even want the days off--I work on those days and I don't like taking vacation at Easter time as I'd rather be home for Easter to celebrate at my home parish. I'd much prefer a spring break that is not tied to Easter. Plus I think it's ridiculous to cater to a particular religion this way (even if it is mine!).