How to fit school days into Gov Larry Hogan's ridiculous policy on school start and stop dates

[Anonymous]

MCPS parents just got the email pasted below. I certainly hope we don't lose any of the 184 days of learning the kids are entitled to just because the governor wants our children to spend more money in Ocean City forgetting all the math and reading they've learned over the year because we "love summer" so much. Cutting spring break is not the answer either. Didn't anyone tell him that research shows that shorter breaks, not a long summer vacation, reduces the chances of kids backtracking in their learning? Smh.

Dear MCPS Community,

It’s that time of year again when we develop the school calendar for the following school year. Since last year, school districts across Maryland have been discussing how best to design their school calendars given the new time constraints placed on the length of the school year. The current 2017–2018 school year is the first school year operating under these new rules, which are that school cannot start before Labor Day and must end before June 15.

We have been meeting with focus groups of parents, staff, and other stakeholder groups these past several weeks, and we welcome your feedback on how best to design the 2018-2019 school calendar. Next year, we will have even fewer days to work with than in years past to accommodate our instructional traditions, such as having 184 instructional days, and our non-instructional traditions, such as a full week for Spring Break. As we design next year’s calendar, we start with several requirements from the State:

September 4–June 14: the permissible time frame for instruction
180: the minimum number of instructional days required
15: the number of State mandated days that schools must be closed
3: the number of snow make-up days required at the end of the year (before June 14)


Once the calendar accounts for these State required elements, a total of six days remain that can be programmed for other, non-required educational or operational priorities, such as Spring Break or instructional days above the state minimum of 180. How to allocate these days among our multiple calendar priorities is our challenge.

For a more detailed explanation of the calendar, as well as to see various examples of how the calendar could be developed, please visit our school calendar webpage. If you would like to offer comment on the calendar, please do so using the drop box provided on the calendar webpage.

Thank you for your continued support.

Montgomery County Public Schools

[Anonymous]

At one point, there was discussion about the idea that the governor couldn't legally do this by executive order. What happened to that?

In the meantime, I'm certainly going to remind my elected state representatives that I think this should be a priority for the General Assembly.

[Anonymous]

Sorry but its not ridiculous. We grew up in the midwest with harsh winters thus the occasional snow day and school started after labor day. The fix us the teachers and administrators dont need so many admin days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At one point, there was discussion about the idea that the governor couldn't legally do this by executive order. What happened to that?

In the meantime, I'm certainly going to remind my elected state representatives that I think this should be a priority for the General Assembly.

Good idea!

I get the appeal of starting after Labor Day, but why must school end before June 15th? It's still winter in OC in June.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry but its not ridiculous. We grew up in the midwest with harsh winters thus the occasional snow day and school started after labor day. The fix us the teachers and administrators dont need so many admin days.

We who? I grew up in the Midwest, and school started before Labor Day. It still does.

[Anonymous]

CAN MCPS apply for the waiver? School starts after Labor day is fine, but why must it be end by June 15? Six days for spring break and all other training days etc. are simply not enough. The county can shorten the spring break to a few days, but many will probably take leave that make real instruction during the week impossible.

[Anonymous]

Can MCPS just do what the rest of the state does seeing they have been doing it for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can MCPS just do what the rest of the state does seeing they have been doing it for years.

What the rest of the state used to do, before the governor's executive order, is the same as what MCPS used to do. Before the governor's executive order, only one of the school districts in Maryland started after Labor Day. Guess which one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS parents just got the email pasted below. I certainly hope we don't lose any of the 184 days of learning the kids are entitled to just because the governor wants our children to spend more money in Ocean City forgetting all the math and reading they've learned over the year because we "love summer" so much. Cutting spring break is not the answer either. Didn't anyone tell him that research shows that shorter breaks, not a long summer vacation, reduces the chances of kids backtracking in their learning? Smh.

Dear MCPS Community,

It’s that time of year again when we develop the school calendar for the following school year. Since last year, school districts across Maryland have been discussing how best to design their school calendars given the new time constraints placed on the length of the school year. The current 2017–2018 school year is the first school year operating under these new rules, which are that school cannot start before Labor Day and must end before June 15.

We have been meeting with focus groups of parents, staff, and other stakeholder groups these past several weeks, and we welcome your feedback on how best to design the 2018-2019 school calendar. Next year, we will have even fewer days to work with than in years past to accommodate our instructional traditions, such as having 184 instructional days, and our non-instructional traditions, such as a full week for Spring Break. As we design next year’s calendar, we start with several requirements from the State:

September 4–June 14: the permissible time frame for instruction
180: the minimum number of instructional days required
15: the number of State mandated days that schools must be closed
3: the number of snow make-up days required at the end of the year (before June 14)


Once the calendar accounts for these State required elements, a total of six days remain that can be programmed for other, non-required educational or operational priorities, such as Spring Break or instructional days above the state minimum of 180. How to allocate these days among our multiple calendar priorities is our challenge.

For a more detailed explanation of the calendar, as well as to see various examples of how the calendar could be developed, please visit our school calendar webpage. If you would like to offer comment on the calendar, please do so using the drop box provided on the calendar webpage.

Thank you for your continued support.

Montgomery County Public Schools

Take a deep breath.

There is more than enough time to get the required 180 days of classroom instruction.

I am married to an MCPS teacher and she and many of her colleagues have absolutely no issue with Hogan's action, despite their union telling them to be so upset about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Take a deep breath.

There is more than enough time to get the required 180 days of classroom instruction.

I am married to an MCPS teacher and she and many of her colleagues have absolutely no issue with Hogan's action, despite their union telling them to be so upset about it.

Have you looked at the actual calendar proposals?

[Anonymous]

We aren't in DC, but in Chesterfield, Va. The kids have 180 total days. That fit in those start & stop with a week-long spring break, 2 weeks at Christmas, not sure how many state holidays.

http://mychesterfieldschools.com/wp-content/uploads/calendar_files/CCPS2017-18_calendar.pdf

[Anonymous]

Easy solution: move the teacher "admin days" from during the school year to the summer.

The reason the union opposes it is that it cuts into the teachers' (paid) summer vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS parents just got the email pasted below. I certainly hope we don't lose any of the 184 days of learning the kids are entitled to just because the governor wants our children to spend more money in Ocean City forgetting all the math and reading they've learned over the year because we "love summer" so much. Cutting spring break is not the answer either. Didn't anyone tell him that research shows that shorter breaks, not a long summer vacation, reduces the chances of kids backtracking in their learning? Smh.

Dear MCPS Community,

It’s that time of year again when we develop the school calendar for the following school year. Since last year, school districts across Maryland have been discussing how best to design their school calendars given the new time constraints placed on the length of the school year. The current 2017–2018 school year is the first school year operating under these new rules, which are that school cannot start before Labor Day and must end before June 15.

We have been meeting with focus groups of parents, staff, and other stakeholder groups these past several weeks, and we welcome your feedback on how best to design the 2018-2019 school calendar. Next year, we will have even fewer days to work with than in years past to accommodate our instructional traditions, such as having 184 instructional days, and our non-instructional traditions, such as a full week for Spring Break. As we design next year’s calendar, we start with several requirements from the State:

September 4–June 14: the permissible time frame for instruction
180: the minimum number of instructional days required
15: the number of State mandated days that schools must be closed
3: the number of snow make-up days required at the end of the year (before June 14)


Once the calendar accounts for these State required elements, a total of six days remain that can be programmed for other, non-required educational or operational priorities, such as Spring Break or instructional days above the state minimum of 180. How to allocate these days among our multiple calendar priorities is our challenge.

For a more detailed explanation of the calendar, as well as to see various examples of how the calendar could be developed, please visit our school calendar webpage. If you would like to offer comment on the calendar, please do so using the drop box provided on the calendar webpage.

Thank you for your continued support.

Montgomery County Public Schools

Take a deep breath.

There is more than enough time to get the required 180 days of classroom instruction.

I am married to an MCPS teacher and she and many of her colleagues have absolutely no issue with Hogan's action, despite their union telling them to be so upset about it.

So your wife doesn't care about the boatload of research that indicated that longer breaks adversely impact retention? Fantastic.

Let me guess, though - they all have strong opinions about the calendar options that take away the two non-instructional days the first three weeks of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We aren't in DC, but in Chesterfield, Va. The kids have 180 total days. That fit in those start & stop with a week-long spring break, 2 weeks at Christmas, not sure how many state holidays.

http://mychesterfieldschools.com/wp-content/uploads/calendar_files/CCPS2017-18_calendar.pdf

That calendar would not be legit under the Maryland governor's order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Easy solution: move the teacher "admin days" from during the school year to the summer.

The reason the union opposes it is that it cuts into the teachers' (paid) summer vacation.

Why is it good for all professional training to happen before the school year starts or after the school year ends?