Bill Giving MD Schools Flexibility on Start Date Gains Traction in Assembly (Opposed by Governor)

[Anonymous]

hopefully the school boards will pull the parents as to what they want. I for one love starting after labor day but dont mind schools.ending later, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Senate bill passed today with enough votes to override a veto.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/md-senate-votes-to-overturn-post-labor-day-start-hogan-vows-public-referendum/2019/02/07/2153fbc0-2a91-11e9-984d-9b8fba003e81_story.html?utm_term=.9751655b4ae0

Yay! Down with Hogan’s stupid calendar. Hopefully we can get a real spring break in the near future.

The problem is that the MoCo school board wants to start in midAugust so they are just as extreme as the Gov in the other direction. If I have to pick one extreme version I much prefer after Labor Day. If we had a school board with half an ounce of common sense I would support the bill, but unfortunately that isn’t the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I write to my legislator it will be to keep the current school calendar. I’m pretty happy about the way in which things are going. I don’t want my kid on a hot school bus or in a hot classroom.

Hi, maybe you are brand new to Maryland, but there are 90 degree days in September, May, and June too, so if you are concerned about it being too hot at school, you are barking up the wrong tree. Try pushing for a real solution (read: AC).

Agree, such a bogus excuse for not starting before Labor Day. We've even had 90 degree days in October around here. Also, most high school students who take AP classes need the extra time before the tests in early May. After that, the rest of the school year is mostly a waste for them. Fairfax County spent years fighting the "Kings Dominion" law which didn't allow them to start school before Labor Day. As soon as they finally figured out a way to get exempted from that, Maryland basically imposes the same type of law. Folks, we are going backwards now. We need to reverse course and join most of the country having a school schedule that actually makes sense with earlier start dates.

[Anonymous]

Will these take effect next fall or fall of 2020?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will these take effect next fall or fall of 2020?

It's not law yet. The House still needs to vote. And then the governor might veto.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Senate bill passed today with enough votes to override a veto.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/md-senate-votes-to-overturn-post-labor-day-start-hogan-vows-public-referendum/2019/02/07/2153fbc0-2a91-11e9-984d-9b8fba003e81_story.html?utm_term=.9751655b4ae0

Yay! Down with Hogan’s stupid calendar. Hopefully we can get a real spring break in the near future.

The problem is that the MoCo school board wants to start in midAugust so they are just as extreme as the Gov in the other direction. If I have to pick one extreme version I much prefer after Labor Day. If we had a school board with half an ounce of common sense I would support the bill, but unfortunately that isn’t the case.

What's extreme about starting in mid-August? Lots of schools start in mid-August.

Also, do you disagree with the principle that local school boards -- not the governor -- should have control over the calendars for their districts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Senate bill passed today with enough votes to override a veto.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/md-senate-votes-to-overturn-post-labor-day-start-hogan-vows-public-referendum/2019/02/07/2153fbc0-2a91-11e9-984d-9b8fba003e81_story.html?utm_term=.9751655b4ae0

Yay! Down with Hogan’s stupid calendar. Hopefully we can get a real spring break in the near future.

The problem is that the MoCo school board wants to start in midAugust so they are just as extreme as the Gov in the other direction. If I have to pick one extreme version I much prefer after Labor Day. If we had a school board with half an ounce of common sense I would support the bill, but unfortunately that isn’t the case.

And I would much prefer to start mid-August. APs are in May. I would rather have kids have more time to learn the material.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will these take effect next fall or fall of 2020?

It's not law yet. The House still needs to vote. And then the governor might veto.

If it does go into effect this fall, will conflict with vacation plans we'd already made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will these take effect next fall or fall of 2020?

It's not law yet. The House still needs to vote. And then the governor might veto.

If it does go into effect this fall, will conflict with vacation plans we'd already made.

Same here. It would be very irresponsible for MCPS to change the calendar months after it was adopted, so let’s hope that any changes would be for fall 2020.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Senate bill passed today with enough votes to override a veto.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/md-senate-votes-to-overturn-post-labor-day-start-hogan-vows-public-referendum/2019/02/07/2153fbc0-2a91-11e9-984d-9b8fba003e81_story.html?utm_term=.9751655b4ae0

Yay! Down with Hogan’s stupid calendar. Hopefully we can get a real spring break in the near future.

The problem is that the MoCo school board wants to start in midAugust so they are just as extreme as the Gov in the other direction. If I have to pick one extreme version I much prefer after Labor Day. If we had a school board with half an ounce of common sense I would support the bill, but unfortunately that isn’t the case.

And I would much prefer to start mid-August. APs are in May. I would rather have kids have more time to learn the material.

+1 I think the MoCo school board wants to start in end August, and I don't think that's extreme at all (it's what DC does, and many other jurisdictions.) Some schools in the South start in the beginning of August, they're getting a month of extra instructional time for APs relative to MoCo kids currently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will these take effect next fall or fall of 2020?

It's not law yet. The House still needs to vote. And then the governor might veto.

If it does go into effect this fall, will conflict with vacation plans we'd already made.

Same here. It would be very irresponsible for MCPS to change the calendar months after it was adopted, so let’s hope that any changes would be for fall 2020.

The bill gives the local school board flexibility to decide when to have breaks. Even if it is effect by the fall, that does not mean mcps would change the calendar for that year. Indeed, I imagine MCPS would not change next year’s calendar, but rather the following year’s calendar.

[Anonymous]

This actually isn't a good thing. Montgomery County was the area (and basically the only area) that has been pushing for this. Its the union that is fueling this and the union is the pressure driver for all the half days, professional days, extra days etc. The BOE and reps from MoCo basically works for the union. In order to get other reps to vote for it, MoCo officials make side agreements to support bills of interest to Baltimore etc More money going away from MoCo and over to Baltimore. MoCo is hated up in Annapolis and this is just another reason to screw the county somehow down the road. Politically it has costs and the beneficiary is MCPS employees not students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This actually isn't a good thing. Montgomery County was the area (and basically the only area) that has been pushing for this. Its the union that is fueling this and the union is the pressure driver for all the half days, professional days, extra days etc. The BOE and reps from MoCo basically works for the union. In order to get other reps to vote for it, MoCo officials make side agreements to support bills of interest to Baltimore etc More money going away from MoCo and over to Baltimore. MoCo is hated up in Annapolis and this is just another reason to screw the county somehow down the road. Politically it has costs and the beneficiary is MCPS employees not students.

Yes, Montgomery County is the only one pushing for this -- if you disregard the Maryland Association of Boards of Education, for whom the bill is a top priority, and which says that school boards need flexibility to create their annual school calendars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This actually isn't a good thing. Montgomery County was the area (and basically the only area) that has been pushing for this. Its the union that is fueling this and the union is the pressure driver for all the half days, professional days, extra days etc. The BOE and reps from MoCo basically works for the union. In order to get other reps to vote for it, MoCo officials make side agreements to support bills of interest to Baltimore etc More money going away from MoCo and over to Baltimore. MoCo is hated up in Annapolis and this is just another reason to screw the county somehow down the road. Politically it has costs and the beneficiary is MCPS employees not students.

You are nuts.

[Anonymous]

there is apparently one person in this thread who keeps posting things against this bill, and he or she has really bad grammar.