Anybody planning to skip school on the half days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't get it- why can't the half days be combined to fewer whole day off? -which can save the cost on busing, and etc. and what's more, some kids have 45+ minutes door to door commute time, so one and a half hour commute for three hours in school and four times in a month...

§7–103.
(a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (e), and (f) of this section, each public school under the jurisdiction of a county board:
(1) (i) Shall be open for pupil attendance for at least 180 actual school days and a minimum of 1,080 school hours during a 10–month period in each school year; or
(ii) If normal school attendance is prevented because of conditions described in subsection (b) of this section, shall be open for at least 1,080 hours during a 10–month period;
(2) Shall be open for pupil attendance a minimum of 3 hours during each school day; and
(3) May not be open on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays in order to meet the 180–day or 1,080–hour requirement of this subsection.

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmStatutesText.aspx?article=ged§ion=7-103&ext=html&session=2018RS&tab=subject5

In other words: a half day counts as a day of school, a day off does not.

That's where they are gaming the system and short changing our children. It counts as a full day but it isn't a full day. Classes are like 25 minutes. What exactly are the accomplishing in that time? Usually my kids tell me that they watch a movie or do a silly game or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't get it- why can't the half days be combined to fewer whole day off? -which can save the cost on busing, and etc. and what's more, some kids have 45+ minutes door to door commute time, so one and a half hour commute for three hours in school and four times in a month...

§7–103.
(a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (e), and (f) of this section, each public school under the jurisdiction of a county board:
(1) (i) Shall be open for pupil attendance for at least 180 actual school days and a minimum of 1,080 school hours during a 10–month period in each school year; or
(ii) If normal school attendance is prevented because of conditions described in subsection (b) of this section, shall be open for at least 1,080 hours during a 10–month period;
(2) Shall be open for pupil attendance a minimum of 3 hours during each school day; and
(3) May not be open on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays in order to meet the 180–day or 1,080–hour requirement of this subsection.

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmStatutesText.aspx?article=ged§ion=7-103&ext=html&session=2018RS&tab=subject5

In other words: a half day counts as a day of school, a day off does not.

That's where they are gaming the system and short changing our children. It counts as a full day but it isn't a full day. Classes are like 25 minutes. What exactly are the accomplishing in that time? Usually my kids tell me that they watch a movie or do a silly game or something.

What should MCPS do instead?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't get it- why can't the half days be combined to fewer whole day off? -which can save the cost on busing, and etc. and what's more, some kids have 45+ minutes door to door commute time, so one and a half hour commute for three hours in school and four times in a month...

§7–103.
(a) Except as provided in subsections (b), (e), and (f) of this section, each public school under the jurisdiction of a county board:
(1) (i) Shall be open for pupil attendance for at least 180 actual school days and a minimum of 1,080 school hours during a 10–month period in each school year; or
(ii) If normal school attendance is prevented because of conditions described in subsection (b) of this section, shall be open for at least 1,080 hours during a 10–month period;
(2) Shall be open for pupil attendance a minimum of 3 hours during each school day; and
(3) May not be open on Saturdays, Sundays, or holidays in order to meet the 180–day or 1,080–hour requirement of this subsection.

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmStatutesText.aspx?article=ged§ion=7-103&ext=html&session=2018RS&tab=subject5

In other words: a half day counts as a day of school, a day off does not.

Stop scheduling half days to game the system and if they aren't willing to do that then set up an alternating system where on one half day they have the full period of half of their classes and the next half day they have full periods of the other classes.

That's where they are gaming the system and short changing our children. It counts as a full day but it isn't a full day. Classes are like 25 minutes. What exactly are the accomplishing in that time? Usually my kids tell me that they watch a movie or do a silly game or something.

What should MCPS do instead?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Stop scheduling half days to game the system and if they aren't willing to do that then set up an alternating system where on one half day they have the full period of half of their classes and the next half day they have full periods of the other classes.

When should the teacher in-service time occur, then?

So your objection to half days is the shortened class periods in middle school and high school? (I looked at my kids' bell schedules; the MS has 28-minute periods, and the HS has 26-minute periods.)