MCPS closing/delaying on Monday?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHY Can't Maryland change to 1000 HOURS requirements instant of 180 days? It work for VIRGINIA SCHOOLS

Help me understand how this will make a difference

DP. I was a student in Virginia when they made that change. I think basically as long as students have been in school for a minimum number of hours, they don’t have to make up excessive snow days.

Yes. MCPS more than meets the minimum hours requirement for instruction, but Maryland also has 180 days minimum. So we have to make up days missed, even if we meet the hours. In years past (pre-Hogan) they used to get waivers from the state using the hours justification. More recently the state has not been generous about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHY Can't Maryland change to 1000 HOURS requirements instant of 180 days? It work for VIRGINIA SCHOOLS

Help me understand how this will make a difference

MCPS’ school day exceeds the minimum length required by law. If we miss days, the excess in minutes covers any inclement weather days. If you end up short minutes, you can just extend school by 10/15 minutes instead of adding days.

This makes a lot of sense

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHY Can't Maryland change to 1000 HOURS requirements instant of 180 days? It work for VIRGINIA SCHOOLS

Help me understand how this will make a difference

MCPS’ school day exceeds the minimum length required by law. If we miss days, the excess in minutes covers any inclement weather days. If you end up short minutes, you can just extend school by 10/15 minutes instead of adding days.

This wouldn't work for a lot of families who have other after school committments. Might work for you but it wouldn't for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHY Can't Maryland change to 1000 HOURS requirements instant of 180 days? It work for VIRGINIA SCHOOLS

Help me understand how this will make a difference

MCPS’ school day exceeds the minimum length required by law. If we miss days, the excess in minutes covers any inclement weather days. If you end up short minutes, you can just extend school by 10/15 minutes instead of adding days.

This wouldn't work for a lot of families who have other after school committments. Might work for you but it wouldn't for us.

but if we were to count minutes as suggested, we are no where near needing to extend the day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHY Can't Maryland change to 1000 HOURS requirements instant of 180 days? It work for VIRGINIA SCHOOLS

Help me understand how this will make a difference

MCPS’ school day exceeds the minimum length required by law. If we miss days, the excess in minutes covers any inclement weather days. If you end up short minutes, you can just extend school by 10/15 minutes instead of adding days.

This wouldn't work for a lot of families who have other after school committments. Might work for you but it wouldn't for us.

I’m not advocating for this, but I somehow think you’d find a way to make it work for you if you needed to. It’s 10 minutes! The inflexibility of posters on this board is really next level. And the anxiety about one possible make up day that we might not even need to use is also next level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHY Can't Maryland change to 1000 HOURS requirements instant of 180 days? It work for VIRGINIA SCHOOLS

Help me understand how this will make a difference

MCPS’ school day exceeds the minimum length required by law. If we miss days, the excess in minutes covers any inclement weather days. If you end up short minutes, you can just extend school by 10/15 minutes instead of adding days.

This makes a lot of sense

It really doesn't. Lessons aren't structured that way. You're not going to cover the material if you don't have enough days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHY Can't Maryland change to 1000 HOURS requirements instant of 180 days? It work for VIRGINIA SCHOOLS

Help me understand how this will make a difference

MCPS’ school day exceeds the minimum length required by law. If we miss days, the excess in minutes covers any inclement weather days. If you end up short minutes, you can just extend school by 10/15 minutes instead of adding days.

This wouldn't work for a lot of families who have other after school committments. Might work for you but it wouldn't for us.

I’m not advocating for this, but I somehow think you’d find a way to make it work for you if you needed to. It’s 10 minutes! The inflexibility of posters on this board is really next level. And the anxiety about one possible make up day that we might not even need to use is also next level.

There are structured lesson plans that expect a certain number of days. Adding 10 minutes to a day isn't going to help you actually cover more material.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The federal government is closed today. My doctors office was closed yesterday and also today. Yet, only MCPS is getting a torrent of abuse for being closed. Why such double standards?

I do not see a "torrent of abuse". I see out my window that the roads are fine right now, yet I expect there to be no school tomorrow.

And teachers will take the blame for that, even though they have absolutely no control over school closures.

And my roads aren’t fine. We had a plow come through midday yesterday, and now it is a packed sea of snow and ice.

Same here. It's like that for two blocks until we get to a road that goes out of the neighborhood. That road is plowed out to major roads.

It was fine. It was a slow 2 blocks, but drivable.

Why do you think you can't drive on snow?

The issue is that the BUSES cannot drive on snow. The majority of kids in our school travel by school bus each day. If the buses cannot safely transport these kids, school will be closed or delayed.

I just drove to an appointment in Rockville. My street (which intersects with a main road) is the only street that has been plowed so far. That surprised me, but I assume they will finish the rest today, because there’s no way that school buses will be allowed on those streets.

The main roads are plowed, but the melted snow will re-freeze tonight and be icy early in the morning, I imagine. Based on past experience with MCPS, I’m guessing two hour delay.

Buses absolutely can drive on snow. They're heavy. Who told you they can't?

Good question. Over the years I’ve heard that the reason they close so often is due to the buses. And one time they stayed open and there was an accident (I can’t remember the details but it was in recent years). Am I wrong?

DP. There was a special ed bus that slid on ice and went off the road into a ditch in Potomac, around 2018. Nobody was hurt but the kids had to be rescued by the fire department.

People get particularly hysterical when it comes to snow. The PP is right that there was an accident in 2018, but snow is hardly the only risk when it comes to buses, yet they still go out. That 2018 incident got, and still gets, the most attention, but it really wasn't very significant.

2024
May 16, 2024 – Boyds Collision
Incident: A Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) bus collided with an SUV in Boyds, Maryland.
Outcome: At least one injury reported; no students were on the bus.

May 20, 2024 – Silver Spring Crash
Incident: A bus collided with an SUV near Fenton Street and Philadelphia Avenue. The bus was pushed into a community garden.
Outcome: Five adults sustained non-life-threatening injuries; no students were on the bus.

September 5, 2024 – Germantown Incident
Incident: A collision occurred between a school bus and a motorcycle near Gunners Branch Road and Route 355.
Outcome: The motorcyclist was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries; no injuries were reported among bus occupants.

2023
April 24, 2023 – Old Columbia Pike Accident
Incident: A school bus was involved in a single-vehicle accident.
Outcome: Four children and one adult were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

May 19, 2023 – Gaithersburg Collision
Incident: A BMW sedan collided with a school bus on East Village Avenue and Plum Creek Drive.
Outcome: Two car occupants sustained life-threatening injuries; six students had minor injuries.

September 7, 2023 – Wheaton-Glenmont Multi-Vehicle Accident
Incident: A school bus without students collided with multiple vehicles.
Outcome: Three adults were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

September 7, 2023 – Gaithersburg Collision
Incident: A bus carrying 30 students was involved in a collision.
Outcome: The driver and two others were hospitalized; no student injuries.

2019
June 2019 – Rockville Collision
Incident: A car ran a red light and struck a school bus near Gude Drive.
Outcome: Minor injuries to two students.

October 2019 – Potomac Overturn
Incident: A school bus overturned after veering off the road.
Outcome: Minor injuries to the driver; no students were onboard.

2018
March 2018 – Germantown Multi-Vehicle Crash
Incident: A school bus was struck by a truck on Clopper Road.
Outcome: Three students sustained minor injuries.

November 2018 – Silver Spring T-Bone Collision
Incident: A bus carrying students was involved in a T-bone collision.
Outcome: One student transported for evaluation; driver cited for running a stop sign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHY Can't Maryland change to 1000 HOURS requirements instant of 180 days? It work for VIRGINIA SCHOOLS

Help me understand how this will make a difference

MCPS’ school day exceeds the minimum length required by law. If we miss days, the excess in minutes covers any inclement weather days. If you end up short minutes, you can just extend school by 10/15 minutes instead of adding days.

This wouldn't work for a lot of families who have other after school committments. Might work for you but it wouldn't for us.

My own children have after school commitments but they (as well as every other MCPS) would just run late for those activities, for the few days it would impact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHY Can't Maryland change to 1000 HOURS requirements instant of 180 days? It work for VIRGINIA SCHOOLS

Help me understand how this will make a difference

MCPS’ school day exceeds the minimum length required by law. If we miss days, the excess in minutes covers any inclement weather days. If you end up short minutes, you can just extend school by 10/15 minutes instead of adding days.

This wouldn't work for a lot of families who have other after school committments. Might work for you but it wouldn't for us.

I’m not advocating for this, but I somehow think you’d find a way to make it work for you if you needed to. It’s 10 minutes! The inflexibility of posters on this board is really next level. And the anxiety about one possible make up day that we might not even need to use is also next level.

Exactly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHY Can't Maryland change to 1000 HOURS requirements instant of 180 days? It work for VIRGINIA SCHOOLS

Help me understand how this will make a difference

MCPS’ school day exceeds the minimum length required by law. If we miss days, the excess in minutes covers any inclement weather days. If you end up short minutes, you can just extend school by 10/15 minutes instead of adding days.

This is what some school systems did in Maryland 31 yrs ago when we got clobbered by repeated ice storms. I think we missed about 2 weeks or more of school over the months of January and February. Good thing social medai wasn't around. Would hate to find out how that ruined my life and education. Oh wait. It turned out fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But will childcare open tomorrow?

Don’t have kids if you are this dependent on others raising them.

Go away. People like you are exhausting.

No. Truth hurts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The federal government is closed today. My doctors office was closed yesterday and also today. Yet, only MCPS is getting a torrent of abuse for being closed. Why such double standards?

I do not see a "torrent of abuse". I see out my window that the roads are fine right now, yet I expect there to be no school tomorrow.

And teachers will take the blame for that, even though they have absolutely no control over school closures.

And my roads aren’t fine. We had a plow come through midday yesterday, and now it is a packed sea of snow and ice.

Same here. It's like that for two blocks until we get to a road that goes out of the neighborhood. That road is plowed out to major roads.

It was fine. It was a slow 2 blocks, but drivable.

Why do you think you can't drive on snow?

The issue is that the BUSES cannot drive on snow. The majority of kids in our school travel by school bus each day. If the buses cannot safely transport these kids, school will be closed or delayed.

I just drove to an appointment in Rockville. My street (which intersects with a main road) is the only street that has been plowed so far. That surprised me, but I assume they will finish the rest today, because there’s no way that school buses will be allowed on those streets.

The main roads are plowed, but the melted snow will re-freeze tonight and be icy early in the morning, I imagine. Based on past experience with MCPS, I’m guessing two hour delay.

Right. So if buses in Maryland can't drive in snow, there need to be more snow days. Silver Spring gets an average of 12 inches of snow per year, Damascus over 20 I beleie. And then it all melts and re-freezes, making road and sidewalks impassible for days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The federal government is closed today. My doctors office was closed yesterday and also today. Yet, only MCPS is getting a torrent of abuse for being closed. Why such double standards?

Because no one expects — nay, demands — that the federal government or their doctor’s office warehouse their kids for them, at all times and under any and all weather conditions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The federal government is closed today. My doctors office was closed yesterday and also today. Yet, only MCPS is getting a torrent of abuse for being closed. Why such double standards?

I do not see a "torrent of abuse". I see out my window that the roads are fine right now, yet I expect there to be no school tomorrow.

And teachers will take the blame for that, even though they have absolutely no control over school closures.

And my roads aren’t fine. We had a plow come through midday yesterday, and now it is a packed sea of snow and ice.

Same here. It's like that for two blocks until we get to a road that goes out of the neighborhood. That road is plowed out to major roads.

It was fine. It was a slow 2 blocks, but drivable.

Why do you think you can't drive on snow?

The issue is that the BUSES cannot drive on snow. The majority of kids in our school travel by school bus each day. If the buses cannot safely transport these kids, school will be closed or delayed.

I just drove to an appointment in Rockville. My street (which intersects with a main road) is the only street that has been plowed so far. That surprised me, but I assume they will finish the rest today, because there’s no way that school buses will be allowed on those streets.

The main roads are plowed, but the melted snow will re-freeze tonight and be icy early in the morning, I imagine. Based on past experience with MCPS, I’m guessing two hour delay.

Buses absolutely can drive on snow. They're heavy. Who told you they can't?

Good question. Over the years I’ve heard that the reason they close so often is due to the buses. And one time they stayed open and there was an accident (I can’t remember the details but it was in recent years). Am I wrong?

I have heard its because we don't have heated bus bays like they do up north, and the busses can't run well because the engines and/or oils are not able to heat up properly. Maybe that's another myth...

The story keeps changing. Is it the cold not allowing buses to start, or the snow/ice they allegedly can't drive on?

I think it's both.