Extended calendar next school year at two schools

[Anonymous]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/as-poverty-rises-one-maryland-school-system-tries-a-longer-school-year/2017/12/23/e7ed3990-e50a-11e7-833f-155031558ff4_story.html?utm_term=.06f318b34264

Next year two schools will have an extended calendar. I haven't seen or heard much about this, but I think it could be a good idea depending on how they put the program in practice. I know at least one of the schools already has a summer program, but it is half day. If it works out, it could be expanded to other schools. With the immersion changes and this extended calendar, it looks like MCPS is trying some new things to help students. I hope it works.

[Anonymous]

I think its terrible and should be voluntary. Lots of kids of divorced parents only get to see the other parent in the summer if there is distance so they lose out on their family time. We have relatives in another country and tis the only time we get to see them. Our child is also on daily summer swim team so that would conflict with school.

[Anonymous]

Wow, that's fascinating! I hadn't heard about this either.

How is it that they can only do this in certain schools and not do it in others?

Also, MCPS already offers school in the summers for low income children - has that not proven to be enough?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think its terrible and should be voluntary. Lots of kids of divorced parents only get to see the other parent in the summer if there is distance so they lose out on their family time. We have relatives in another country and tis the only time we get to see them. Our child is also on daily summer swim team so that would conflict with school.

Do your children attend Arcola ES or Roscoe Nix ES? If not, it doesn't affect your summer plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think its terrible and should be voluntary. Lots of kids of divorced parents only get to see the other parent in the summer if there is distance so they lose out on their family time. We have relatives in another country and tis the only time we get to see them. Our child is also on daily summer swim team so that would conflict with school.

Do your children attend Arcola ES or Roscoe Nix ES? If not, it doesn't affect your summer plans.

I'm a DP, but my kids are at a FOCUS school. I'd like some notice if they are planning to do this at all the low income schools in the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think its terrible and should be voluntary. Lots of kids of divorced parents only get to see the other parent in the summer if there is distance so they lose out on their family time. We have relatives in another country and tis the only time we get to see them. Our child is also on daily summer swim team so that would conflict with school.

Do your children attend Arcola ES or Roscoe Nix ES? If not, it doesn't affect your summer plans.

I'm a DP, but my kids are at a FOCUS school. I'd like some notice if they are planning to do this at all the low income schools in the county.

Right now they are planning to do this at Arcola ES and Roscoe Nix ES. Did you read the article?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think its terrible and should be voluntary. Lots of kids of divorced parents only get to see the other parent in the summer if there is distance so they lose out on their family time. We have relatives in another country and tis the only time we get to see them. Our child is also on daily summer swim team so that would conflict with school.

Do your children attend Arcola ES or Roscoe Nix ES? If not, it doesn't affect your summer plans.

I'm a DP, but my kids are at a FOCUS school. I'd like some notice if they are planning to do this at all the low income schools in the county.

Right now they are planning to do this at Arcola ES and Roscoe Nix ES. Did you read the article?

Yup, thanks. And it also says that they will be expanding it to other schools within the next 2 or 3 years. Which means, potentially, expansion to all Title 1 and Focus schools.

What did I read incorrectly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think its terrible and should be voluntary. Lots of kids of divorced parents only get to see the other parent in the summer if there is distance so they lose out on their family time. We have relatives in another country and tis the only time we get to see them. Our child is also on daily summer swim team so that would conflict with school.

Do your children attend Arcola ES or Roscoe Nix ES? If not, it doesn't affect your summer plans.

I'm a DP, but my kids are at a FOCUS school. I'd like some notice if they are planning to do this at all the low income schools in the county.

Right now they are planning to do this at Arcola ES and Roscoe Nix ES. Did you read the article?

Yup, thanks. And it also says that they will be expanding it to other schools within the next 2 or 3 years. Which means, potentially, expansion to all Title 1 and Focus schools.

What did I read incorrectly?

My kids are also at a Focus school and I'm not bothered by this. For starters, they'll expand to Title I schools before Focus schools. Next, so you pull your middle class, well-supported, kid before the end of the school year. What is the worst that happens?

[Anonymous]

It seems to work - helps kids who struggle. That is good

It also is expensive so it will probably be expanded slowly, if at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems to work - helps kids who struggle. That is good

It also is expensive so it will probably be expanded slowly, if at all.

How much does it cost to implement this in the two schools? Will be interested to see what kind of ROI they achieve and if it helps improve scores at these schools.

[Anonymous]

My kids go to Roscoe Nix. I like the school and this could be a good change. My concerns are with how they will really handle the schedule. They did not name a new before and after care provider until the summer and still had to send out reminders that it was no longer KAH this school year because they didn't change the school website. This is a K through 2nd grade school. There is no mention of the sister school, Cresthaven, having a schedule change. It could be that Cresthaven will be next to have the change because that will be 2 to 3 years away for the incoming kindergartners. The before and after care is at Cresthaven this year and the Roscoe Nix kids take a bus from there to school. I'm trusting they will work it out, probably last minute, but still work it out as they did this year. We are supposed to have a meeting next month about the change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that's fascinating! I hadn't heard about this either.

How is it that they can only do this in certain schools and not do it in others?

Also, MCPS already offers school in the summers for low income children - has that not proven to be enough?

Per the article, though it doesn't say how "strong" those results were. I'm sure there's some metric documented somewhere.

Montgomery has had summer programs designed to help disadvantaged students, including one run by the nonprofit BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life). Montgomery district officials say it has produced strong results, and they are doubling its enrollment for summer 2018 to 2,100 seats.

Article goes on to state that in DCPS when they extended school days, test scores did improve.

I quite like this idea, not just for low income kids, but for mine as well (we are middle income for western moco). They also get the summer slide even though they do their summer packets.

[Anonymous]

It's strange that it's being done at Roscoe Nix but not Creasthaven.

That seems like a pain for families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think its terrible and should be voluntary. Lots of kids of divorced parents only get to see the other parent in the summer if there is distance so they lose out on their family time. We have relatives in another country and tis the only time we get to see them. Our child is also on daily summer swim team so that would conflict with school.

Summer would still be several weeks long. Our cousins do this and still have 6 weeks of summer. Plenty of time to travel - with the savings they get from not paying for camps!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's strange that it's being done at Roscoe Nix but not Creasthaven.

That seems like a pain for families.

It could be a pain, but I'm hoping they have a good plan. The email they sent said they were still finalizing details. I wonder about the teachers too. Their year will also be extended. Do they have to agree? I know it's none of my business, just curious. I have so many questions, so I will be sure not to miss the meeting.