2026-2027 calendar updates

[Anonymous]

They need to use the makeup days listed for the upcoming school year, and THEN they can change the start date to earlier for the following school year.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Who knows what they will do. Maybe MCEA is calling Taylor's bluff which I support. If your kid misses the first two days of school, it will be fine, hardly catastrophic if not ideal. I assume it will be worse for the teachers to have kids slowly streaming in the first 3 days of school. Seems like this will mean starting off with 2 fewer days of actual instruction. If teachers miss 3 days of preservice, I feel for them and hope they don't lose leave days because of it. Taylor and the BOE have done a lot of stupid things, this is one on a very long list of them.

Of course they will have to take leave if they don’t show up for work.

That sucks because in order to show up many will have to lose money on travel that has been booked or other jobs. I don't know about you but I think that's a 5h!tty way to treat my kid's wonderful teachers.

I hope teachers are pushing MCPS to choose another option, and for the union to negotiate to allow makeups as 1/2 days on grading and reporting. Otherwise they will need to show up as early as Aug 10th.

MCEA told teachers there is nothing they can do except fill out the survey, unfortunately. I agree that they could be doing more to push Taylor and the board. But they didn't even poll teachers.

MCEA has no input on the calendar.

They have impact on the grading days. That’s what TT is targeting. He wants MCEA to relent on that contract requirement.

Teachers need those days for grading and reporting. Better to get rid of a few PD days, and make the day before Thanksgiving and 12/23 early release days, and get rid of transition day.

Better yet, people need to advocate for counting hours of instruction or (not and) days.

In reality MCPS never utilizes the feedback from its surveys. They’ve already made the decision regarding the calendar.

PD is required by state law. If we have a snow day, teachers should use that to catch up on grading and allow the next grading to be a makeup day.

I’m very against getting rid of the days requirement

And if the snow day falls two weeks into the marking period?

Use the snow day to get ahead on planning. Then you have more time for grading later on. It's not that hard. A day without school that you are being paid for should be used productively and replace the day you would have had for that planning/grading.

I'm not a teacher but I have a young child and don't get a lot done on most snow days since they also close child care on those days.

Then like everyone else, teachers should have to take PTO or a sick day to cover the childcare on those days. Why are teachers the exception here and expect they don't have to work when being paid to do so on a snow day? I also have to work and have an elementary student. If I can't work, I have to take PTO.

That's ridiculous. Teachers have so little flexibility in the first place. I don't support this at all. Especially given workloads for teachers like for many professionals vary throughout the year. Working on a snow day in February is simply not going to make up for losing a grading day in April. Stop embarrassing yourself.

Then start advocating for TT and MCPS to use the holidays they've already designated as makeup days. Truly, those are the only two options.

No, there are multiple options. Some are more realistic than others. TT is recommending the worst option in hopes of getting teachers to give up their grading and planning days, which I do not support for the reasons I have already discussed.

The designated makeup days in the approved 2026-27 calendar are:
October 16 2026 - obviously not helpful
November 2 2026 - obviously not helpful
March 9 - aligns with Eid al Adha
April 16 - aligns with Eid al Fitr
June 17, 21, 22 and 23 - all occur after the last day of school and three of them they can't use now because they are after Juneteenth (they wouldn't have used them anyway, as we all know)

The only designated makeup days on the calendar that occur after snow days are reasonably likely to happen and occur before the last day of school are both on Muslim holidays.

I totally understand that many if not most families are fine with using both Eids to make up snow days, but the BOE will never approve that. MCPS needs buy in from the Muslim community and they certainly can't get that by only using their holidays as makeup days.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Who knows what they will do. Maybe MCEA is calling Taylor's bluff which I support. If your kid misses the first two days of school, it will be fine, hardly catastrophic if not ideal. I assume it will be worse for the teachers to have kids slowly streaming in the first 3 days of school. Seems like this will mean starting off with 2 fewer days of actual instruction. If teachers miss 3 days of preservice, I feel for them and hope they don't lose leave days because of it. Taylor and the BOE have done a lot of stupid things, this is one on a very long list of them.

Of course they will have to take leave if they don’t show up for work.

That sucks because in order to show up many will have to lose money on travel that has been booked or other jobs. I don't know about you but I think that's a 5h!tty way to treat my kid's wonderful teachers.

I hope teachers are pushing MCPS to choose another option, and for the union to negotiate to allow makeups as 1/2 days on grading and reporting. Otherwise they will need to show up as early as Aug 10th.

MCEA told teachers there is nothing they can do except fill out the survey, unfortunately. I agree that they could be doing more to push Taylor and the board. But they didn't even poll teachers.

MCEA has no input on the calendar.

They have impact on the grading days. That’s what TT is targeting. He wants MCEA to relent on that contract requirement.

Teachers need those days for grading and reporting. Better to get rid of a few PD days, and make the day before Thanksgiving and 12/23 early release days, and get rid of transition day.

Better yet, people need to advocate for counting hours of instruction or (not and) days.

In reality MCPS never utilizes the feedback from its surveys. They’ve already made the decision regarding the calendar.

PD is required by state law. If we have a snow day, teachers should use that to catch up on grading and allow the next grading to be a makeup day.

I’m very against getting rid of the days requirement

And if the snow day falls two weeks into the marking period?

Use the snow day to get ahead on planning. Then you have more time for grading later on. It's not that hard. A day without school that you are being paid for should be used productively and replace the day you would have had for that planning/grading.

I'm not a teacher but I have a young child and don't get a lot done on most snow days since they also close child care on those days.

Then like everyone else, teachers should have to take PTO or a sick day to cover the childcare on those days. Why are teachers the exception here and expect they don't have to work when being paid to do so on a snow day? I also have to work and have an elementary student. If I can't work, I have to take PTO.

That's ridiculous. Teachers have so little flexibility in the first place. I don't support this at all. Especially given workloads for teachers like for many professionals vary throughout the year. Working on a snow day in February is simply not going to make up for losing a grading day in April. Stop embarrassing yourself.

Then start advocating for TT and MCPS to use the holidays they've already designated as makeup days. Truly, those are the only two options.

No, there are multiple options. Some are more realistic than others. TT is recommending the worst option in hopes of getting teachers to give up their grading and planning days, which I do not support for the reasons I have already discussed.

The designated makeup days in the approved 2026-27 calendar are:
October 16 2026 - obviously not helpful
November 2 2026 - obviously not helpful
March 9 - aligns with Eid al Adha
April 16 - aligns with Eid al Fitr
June 17, 21, 22 and 23 - all occur after the last day of school and three of them they can't use now because they are after Juneteenth (they wouldn't have used them anyway, as we all know)

The only designated makeup days on the calendar that occur after snow days are reasonably likely to happen and occur before the last day of school are both on Muslim holidays.

I totally understand that many if not most families are fine with using both Eids to make up snow days, but the BOE will never approve that. MCPS needs buy in from the Muslim community and they certainly can't get that by only using their holidays as makeup days.

April 16 is a school day, so how can it also be a makeup day?

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/pdfs/2026-2027/2026-2027-TRADITIONAL-Calendar.pdf

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Who knows what they will do. Maybe MCEA is calling Taylor's bluff which I support. If your kid misses the first two days of school, it will be fine, hardly catastrophic if not ideal. I assume it will be worse for the teachers to have kids slowly streaming in the first 3 days of school. Seems like this will mean starting off with 2 fewer days of actual instruction. If teachers miss 3 days of preservice, I feel for them and hope they don't lose leave days because of it. Taylor and the BOE have done a lot of stupid things, this is one on a very long list of them.

Of course they will have to take leave if they don’t show up for work.

That sucks because in order to show up many will have to lose money on travel that has been booked or other jobs. I don't know about you but I think that's a 5h!tty way to treat my kid's wonderful teachers.

I hope teachers are pushing MCPS to choose another option, and for the union to negotiate to allow makeups as 1/2 days on grading and reporting. Otherwise they will need to show up as early as Aug 10th.

MCEA told teachers there is nothing they can do except fill out the survey, unfortunately. I agree that they could be doing more to push Taylor and the board. But they didn't even poll teachers.

MCEA has no input on the calendar.

They have impact on the grading days. That’s what TT is targeting. He wants MCEA to relent on that contract requirement.

Teachers need those days for grading and reporting. Better to get rid of a few PD days, and make the day before Thanksgiving and 12/23 early release days, and get rid of transition day.

Better yet, people need to advocate for counting hours of instruction or (not and) days.

In reality MCPS never utilizes the feedback from its surveys. They’ve already made the decision regarding the calendar.

PD is required by state law. If we have a snow day, teachers should use that to catch up on grading and allow the next grading to be a makeup day.

I’m very against getting rid of the days requirement

And if the snow day falls two weeks into the marking period?

Use the snow day to get ahead on planning. Then you have more time for grading later on. It's not that hard. A day without school that you are being paid for should be used productively and replace the day you would have had for that planning/grading.

I'm not a teacher but I have a young child and don't get a lot done on most snow days since they also close child care on those days.

Then like everyone else, teachers should have to take PTO or a sick day to cover the childcare on those days. Why are teachers the exception here and expect they don't have to work when being paid to do so on a snow day? I also have to work and have an elementary student. If I can't work, I have to take PTO.

That's ridiculous. Teachers have so little flexibility in the first place. I don't support this at all. Especially given workloads for teachers like for many professionals vary throughout the year. Working on a snow day in February is simply not going to make up for losing a grading day in April. Stop embarrassing yourself.

Then start advocating for TT and MCPS to use the holidays they've already designated as makeup days. Truly, those are the only two options.

No, there are multiple options. Some are more realistic than others. TT is recommending the worst option in hopes of getting teachers to give up their grading and planning days, which I do not support for the reasons I have already discussed.

The designated makeup days in the approved 2026-27 calendar are:
October 16 2026 - obviously not helpful
November 2 2026 - obviously not helpful
March 9 - aligns with Eid al Adha
April 16 - aligns with Eid al Fitr
June 17, 21, 22 and 23 - all occur after the last day of school and three of them they can't use now because they are after Juneteenth (they wouldn't have used them anyway, as we all know)

The only designated makeup days on the calendar that occur after snow days are reasonably likely to happen and occur before the last day of school are both on Muslim holidays.

I totally understand that many if not most families are fine with using both Eids to make up snow days, but the BOE will never approve that. MCPS needs buy in from the Muslim community and they certainly can't get that by only using their holidays as makeup days.

You have your dates wrong.

Eid Al-fitr is March 9.
Eid Al-adha is May 17

[Anonymous]

The April date which is misprinted ostensibly lines up with Passover

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Who knows what they will do. Maybe MCEA is calling Taylor's bluff which I support. If your kid misses the first two days of school, it will be fine, hardly catastrophic if not ideal. I assume it will be worse for the teachers to have kids slowly streaming in the first 3 days of school. Seems like this will mean starting off with 2 fewer days of actual instruction. If teachers miss 3 days of preservice, I feel for them and hope they don't lose leave days because of it. Taylor and the BOE have done a lot of stupid things, this is one on a very long list of them.

Of course they will have to take leave if they don’t show up for work.

That sucks because in order to show up many will have to lose money on travel that has been booked or other jobs. I don't know about you but I think that's a 5h!tty way to treat my kid's wonderful teachers.

I hope teachers are pushing MCPS to choose another option, and for the union to negotiate to allow makeups as 1/2 days on grading and reporting. Otherwise they will need to show up as early as Aug 10th.

MCEA told teachers there is nothing they can do except fill out the survey, unfortunately. I agree that they could be doing more to push Taylor and the board. But they didn't even poll teachers.

MCEA has no input on the calendar.

They have impact on the grading days. That’s what TT is targeting. He wants MCEA to relent on that contract requirement.

Teachers need those days for grading and reporting. Better to get rid of a few PD days, and make the day before Thanksgiving and 12/23 early release days, and get rid of transition day.

Better yet, people need to advocate for counting hours of instruction or (not and) days.

In reality MCPS never utilizes the feedback from its surveys. They’ve already made the decision regarding the calendar.

PD is required by state law. If we have a snow day, teachers should use that to catch up on grading and allow the next grading to be a makeup day.

I’m very against getting rid of the days requirement

And if the snow day falls two weeks into the marking period?

Use the snow day to get ahead on planning. Then you have more time for grading later on. It's not that hard. A day without school that you are being paid for should be used productively and replace the day you would have had for that planning/grading.

I'm not a teacher but I have a young child and don't get a lot done on most snow days since they also close child care on those days.

Then like everyone else, teachers should have to take PTO or a sick day to cover the childcare on those days. Why are teachers the exception here and expect they don't have to work when being paid to do so on a snow day? I also have to work and have an elementary student. If I can't work, I have to take PTO.

That's ridiculous. Teachers have so little flexibility in the first place. I don't support this at all. Especially given workloads for teachers like for many professionals vary throughout the year. Working on a snow day in February is simply not going to make up for losing a grading day in April. Stop embarrassing yourself.

Then start advocating for TT and MCPS to use the holidays they've already designated as makeup days. Truly, those are the only two options.

No, there are multiple options. Some are more realistic than others. TT is recommending the worst option in hopes of getting teachers to give up their grading and planning days, which I do not support for the reasons I have already discussed.

The designated makeup days in the approved 2026-27 calendar are:
October 16 2026 - obviously not helpful
November 2 2026 - obviously not helpful
March 9 - aligns with Eid al Adha
April 16 - aligns with Eid al Fitr
June 17, 21, 22 and 23 - all occur after the last day of school and three of them they can't use now because they are after Juneteenth (they wouldn't have used them anyway, as we all know)

The only designated makeup days on the calendar that occur after snow days are reasonably likely to happen and occur before the last day of school are both on Muslim holidays.

I totally understand that many if not most families are fine with using both Eids to make up snow days, but the BOE will never approve that. MCPS needs buy in from the Muslim community and they certainly can't get that by only using their holidays as makeup days.

April 16 is a school day, so how can it also be a makeup day?

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/pdfs/2026-2027/2026-2027-TRADITIONAL-Calendar.pdf

Yes, that is strange that the posted calendar (https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/pdfs/2026-2027/2026-2027-TRADITIONAL-Calendar.pdf )designates it with a * as a makeup day but it is also shaded in green indicating it is an instructional day.

If you look at the calendar the BOE approved, April 16 is shaded in yellow and marked as a grading and planning day (https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DP9T6T75E2A8/$file/Apprv%202026-2027%20SY%20Calendars%20251211.pdf note the links on the BOE page seem to be working only intermittently today so sorry if this link doesn't work)

Which is also odd because in the posted calendar you are referring to ( https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/pdfs/2026-2027/2026-2027-TRADITIONAL-Calendar.pdf ), April 12 is shaded in yellow and marked as a grading and planning day. But not in the calendar the BOE approved.

MCPS is such a mess.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Who knows what they will do. Maybe MCEA is calling Taylor's bluff which I support. If your kid misses the first two days of school, it will be fine, hardly catastrophic if not ideal. I assume it will be worse for the teachers to have kids slowly streaming in the first 3 days of school. Seems like this will mean starting off with 2 fewer days of actual instruction. If teachers miss 3 days of preservice, I feel for them and hope they don't lose leave days because of it. Taylor and the BOE have done a lot of stupid things, this is one on a very long list of them.

Of course they will have to take leave if they don’t show up for work.

That sucks because in order to show up many will have to lose money on travel that has been booked or other jobs. I don't know about you but I think that's a 5h!tty way to treat my kid's wonderful teachers.

I hope teachers are pushing MCPS to choose another option, and for the union to negotiate to allow makeups as 1/2 days on grading and reporting. Otherwise they will need to show up as early as Aug 10th.

MCEA told teachers there is nothing they can do except fill out the survey, unfortunately. I agree that they could be doing more to push Taylor and the board. But they didn't even poll teachers.

MCEA has no input on the calendar.

They have impact on the grading days. That’s what TT is targeting. He wants MCEA to relent on that contract requirement.

Teachers need those days for grading and reporting. Better to get rid of a few PD days, and make the day before Thanksgiving and 12/23 early release days, and get rid of transition day.

Better yet, people need to advocate for counting hours of instruction or (not and) days.

In reality MCPS never utilizes the feedback from its surveys. They’ve already made the decision regarding the calendar.

PD is required by state law. If we have a snow day, teachers should use that to catch up on grading and allow the next grading to be a makeup day.

I’m very against getting rid of the days requirement

And if the snow day falls two weeks into the marking period?

Use the snow day to get ahead on planning. Then you have more time for grading later on. It's not that hard. A day without school that you are being paid for should be used productively and replace the day you would have had for that planning/grading.

I'm not a teacher but I have a young child and don't get a lot done on most snow days since they also close child care on those days.

Then like everyone else, teachers should have to take PTO or a sick day to cover the childcare on those days. Why are teachers the exception here and expect they don't have to work when being paid to do so on a snow day? I also have to work and have an elementary student. If I can't work, I have to take PTO.

That's ridiculous. Teachers have so little flexibility in the first place. I don't support this at all. Especially given workloads for teachers like for many professionals vary throughout the year. Working on a snow day in February is simply not going to make up for losing a grading day in April. Stop embarrassing yourself.

Then start advocating for TT and MCPS to use the holidays they've already designated as makeup days. Truly, those are the only two options.

No, there are multiple options. Some are more realistic than others. TT is recommending the worst option in hopes of getting teachers to give up their grading and planning days, which I do not support for the reasons I have already discussed.

The designated makeup days in the approved 2026-27 calendar are:
October 16 2026 - obviously not helpful
November 2 2026 - obviously not helpful
March 9 - aligns with Eid al Adha
April 16 - aligns with Eid al Fitr
June 17, 21, 22 and 23 - all occur after the last day of school and three of them they can't use now because they are after Juneteenth (they wouldn't have used them anyway, as we all know)

The only designated makeup days on the calendar that occur after snow days are reasonably likely to happen and occur before the last day of school are both on Muslim holidays.

I totally understand that many if not most families are fine with using both Eids to make up snow days, but the BOE will never approve that. MCPS needs buy in from the Muslim community and they certainly can't get that by only using their holidays as makeup days.

You have your dates wrong.

Eid Al-fitr is March 9.
Eid Al-adha is May 17

You are absolutely correct, sorry about that and thanks for the correction. Here we go:

The designated makeup days in the approved 2026-27 calendar are:
October 16 2026 - obviously not helpful
November 2 2026 - obviously not helpful
March 9 - aligns with Eid al-Fitr
April 16 - not clear but my guess is this day or April 12 is a designated makeup day and a grading day and they won't want to use as it is part of the collective bargaining agreement with MCEA *
June 17, 21, 22 and 23 - all occur after the last day of school and three of them they can't use now because they are after Juneteenth (they wouldn't have used them anyway, as we all know)

* It is unclear if there will be school on April 12 or April 16. In the calendar presented to the BOE for approval on December 11 2025, April 16 was a designated grading and planning day and a designated makeup day. In the posted calendar on the MCPS website, April 12 is a grading and planning day but not a designated makeup day, and April 16 is designated as an instructional day but also a makeup day with is nonsensical

I don't think the BOE will approve having school on March 9. They haven't designated May 17 as a makeup day. Some Muslim communities consider Eid al-Fitr to be more important and others consider Eid al-Adha to be more important. For my Muslim family members, Eid al-Fitr is more important (yes, this is not what AI will tell you, AI is often wrong).

[Anonymous]

https://mocoshow.com/2026/04/27/montgomery-county-fair-pushes-back-on-proposed-august-17-mcps-school-start/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://mocoshow.com/2026/04/27/montgomery-county-fair-pushes-back-on-proposed-august-17-mcps-school-start/

+1 the Ag Fair is just one of many issues with moving the school year forward three days. Only a narcissist would even consider proposing what TT has proposed. He is causing so much chaos for so many people, and it is totally unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://mocoshow.com/2026/04/27/montgomery-county-fair-pushes-back-on-proposed-august-17-mcps-school-start/

I've been saying from the start... this fair is very important to the MoCo economy....What a train wreck TT is. Jerking everyone around.... Not just teachers, students and parents, but also the entire community.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Who knows what they will do. Maybe MCEA is calling Taylor's bluff which I support. If your kid misses the first two days of school, it will be fine, hardly catastrophic if not ideal. I assume it will be worse for the teachers to have kids slowly streaming in the first 3 days of school. Seems like this will mean starting off with 2 fewer days of actual instruction. If teachers miss 3 days of preservice, I feel for them and hope they don't lose leave days because of it. Taylor and the BOE have done a lot of stupid things, this is one on a very long list of them.

Of course they will have to take leave if they don’t show up for work.

That sucks because in order to show up many will have to lose money on travel that has been booked or other jobs. I don't know about you but I think that's a 5h!tty way to treat my kid's wonderful teachers.

I hope teachers are pushing MCPS to choose another option, and for the union to negotiate to allow makeups as 1/2 days on grading and reporting. Otherwise they will need to show up as early as Aug 10th.

MCEA told teachers there is nothing they can do except fill out the survey, unfortunately. I agree that they could be doing more to push Taylor and the board. But they didn't even poll teachers.

MCEA has no input on the calendar.

They have impact on the grading days. That’s what TT is targeting. He wants MCEA to relent on that contract requirement.

Teachers need those days for grading and reporting. Better to get rid of a few PD days, and make the day before Thanksgiving and 12/23 early release days, and get rid of transition day.

Better yet, people need to advocate for counting hours of instruction or (not and) days.

In reality MCPS never utilizes the feedback from its surveys. They’ve already made the decision regarding the calendar.

PD is required by state law. If we have a snow day, teachers should use that to catch up on grading and allow the next grading to be a makeup day.

I’m very against getting rid of the days requirement

And if the snow day falls two weeks into the marking period?

Use the snow day to get ahead on planning. Then you have more time for grading later on. It's not that hard. A day without school that you are being paid for should be used productively and replace the day you would have had for that planning/grading.

I'm not a teacher but I have a young child and don't get a lot done on most snow days since they also close child care on those days.

Then like everyone else, teachers should have to take PTO or a sick day to cover the childcare on those days. Why are teachers the exception here and expect they don't have to work when being paid to do so on a snow day? I also have to work and have an elementary student. If I can't work, I have to take PTO.

That's ridiculous. Teachers have so little flexibility in the first place. I don't support this at all. Especially given workloads for teachers like for many professionals vary throughout the year. Working on a snow day in February is simply not going to make up for losing a grading day in April. Stop embarrassing yourself.

Then start advocating for TT and MCPS to use the holidays they've already designated as makeup days. Truly, those are the only two options.

No, there are multiple options. Some are more realistic than others. TT is recommending the worst option in hopes of getting teachers to give up their grading and planning days, which I do not support for the reasons I have already discussed.

The designated makeup days in the approved 2026-27 calendar are:
October 16 2026 - obviously not helpful
November 2 2026 - obviously not helpful
March 9 - aligns with Eid al Adha
April 16 - aligns with Eid al Fitr
June 17, 21, 22 and 23 - all occur after the last day of school and three of them they can't use now because they are after Juneteenth (they wouldn't have used them anyway, as we all know)

The only designated makeup days on the calendar that occur after snow days are reasonably likely to happen and occur before the last day of school are both on Muslim holidays.

I totally understand that many if not most families are fine with using both Eids to make up snow days, but the BOE will never approve that. MCPS needs buy in from the Muslim community and they certainly can't get that by only using their holidays as makeup days.

You have your dates wrong.

Eid Al-fitr is March 9.
Eid Al-adha is May 17

Every Muslim family I know is super into education. I wish a community of them would come forward and say -- look, we'd rather you use these days as makeup days rather than mess up everybody's plans, and upset the teachers so much.
The state rule requiring a 4-day weekend for easter is ridiculous and should absolutely be changed, but for some dumb reason no one got that through Annapolis this year. Maybe this will be the push to get it done next year.

I personally think school holidays for religious holidays are dumb. I grew up in a religious family where we regularly took the day off school, or left early/went in late, due to mandatory observance rules. It was fine. We just made it up. Schools are flexible about that. I honestly don't believe many parents really care that much about having it off....I suspect it was a few squeaky wheels that felt disrespected this year.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who knows what they will do. Maybe MCEA is calling Taylor's bluff which I support. If your kid misses the first two days of school, it will be fine, hardly catastrophic if not ideal. I assume it will be worse for the teachers to have kids slowly streaming in the first 3 days of school. Seems like this will mean starting off with 2 fewer days of actual instruction. If teachers miss 3 days of preservice, I feel for them and hope they don't lose leave days because of it. Taylor and the BOE have done a lot of stupid things, this is one on a very long list of them.

Of course they will have to take leave if they don’t show up for work.

That sucks because in order to show up many will have to lose money on travel that has been booked or other jobs. I don't know about you but I think that's a 5h!tty way to treat my kid's wonderful teachers.

I hope teachers are pushing MCPS to choose another option, and for the union to negotiate to allow makeups as 1/2 days on grading and reporting. Otherwise they will need to show up as early as Aug 10th.

MCEA told teachers there is nothing they can do except fill out the survey, unfortunately. I agree that they could be doing more to push Taylor and the board. But they didn't even poll teachers.

MCEA has no input on the calendar.

They have impact on the grading days. That’s what TT is targeting. He wants MCEA to relent on that contract requirement.

Teachers need those days for grading and reporting. Better to get rid of a few PD days, and make the day before Thanksgiving and 12/23 early release days, and get rid of transition day.

Better yet, people need to advocate for counting hours of instruction or (not and) days.

In reality MCPS never utilizes the feedback from its surveys. They’ve already made the decision regarding the calendar.

PD is required by state law. If we have a snow day, teachers should use that to catch up on grading and allow the next grading to be a makeup day.

I’m very against getting rid of the days requirement

And if the snow day falls two weeks into the marking period?

Use the snow day to get ahead on planning. Then you have more time for grading later on. It's not that hard. A day without school that you are being paid for should be used productively and replace the day you would have had for that planning/grading.

I'm not a teacher but I have a young child and don't get a lot done on most snow days since they also close child care on those days.

Then like everyone else, teachers should have to take PTO or a sick day to cover the childcare on those days. Why are teachers the exception here and expect they don't have to work when being paid to do so on a snow day? I also have to work and have an elementary student. If I can't work, I have to take PTO.

That's ridiculous. Teachers have so little flexibility in the first place. I don't support this at all. Especially given workloads for teachers like for many professionals vary throughout the year. Working on a snow day in February is simply not going to make up for losing a grading day in April. Stop embarrassing yourself.

Then start advocating for TT and MCPS to use the holidays they've already designated as makeup days. Truly, those are the only two options.

No, there are multiple options. Some are more realistic than others. TT is recommending the worst option in hopes of getting teachers to give up their grading and planning days, which I do not support for the reasons I have already discussed.

The designated makeup days in the approved 2026-27 calendar are:
October 16 2026 - obviously not helpful
November 2 2026 - obviously not helpful
March 9 - aligns with Eid al Adha
April 16 - aligns with Eid al Fitr
June 17, 21, 22 and 23 - all occur after the last day of school and three of them they can't use now because they are after Juneteenth (they wouldn't have used them anyway, as we all know)

The only designated makeup days on the calendar that occur after snow days are reasonably likely to happen and occur before the last day of school are both on Muslim holidays.

I totally understand that many if not most families are fine with using both Eids to make up snow days, but the BOE will never approve that. MCPS needs buy in from the Muslim community and they certainly can't get that by only using their holidays as makeup days.

You have your dates wrong.

Eid Al-fitr is March 9.
Eid Al-adha is May 17

Every Muslim family I know is super into education. I wish a community of them would come forward and say -- look, we'd rather you use these days as makeup days rather than mess up everybody's plans, and upset the teachers so much.
The state rule requiring a 4-day weekend for easter is ridiculous and should absolutely be changed, but for some dumb reason no one got that through Annapolis this year. Maybe this will be the push to get it done next year.

I personally think school holidays for religious holidays are dumb. I grew up in a religious family where we regularly took the day off school, or left early/went in late, due to mandatory observance rules. It was fine. We just made it up. Schools are flexible about that. I honestly don't believe many parents really care that much about having it off....I suspect it was a few squeaky wheels that felt disrespected this year.

"A community of them" has come forward and said they want MCPS to allow Muslim students to celebrate Eid without missing school, which means not having school on those days.

I wish MCPS would actually work with the Muslim community to find a solution instead of wishing they would help you get what you want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who knows what they will do. Maybe MCEA is calling Taylor's bluff which I support. If your kid misses the first two days of school, it will be fine, hardly catastrophic if not ideal. I assume it will be worse for the teachers to have kids slowly streaming in the first 3 days of school. Seems like this will mean starting off with 2 fewer days of actual instruction. If teachers miss 3 days of preservice, I feel for them and hope they don't lose leave days because of it. Taylor and the BOE have done a lot of stupid things, this is one on a very long list of them.

Of course they will have to take leave if they don’t show up for work.

That sucks because in order to show up many will have to lose money on travel that has been booked or other jobs. I don't know about you but I think that's a 5h!tty way to treat my kid's wonderful teachers.

I hope teachers are pushing MCPS to choose another option, and for the union to negotiate to allow makeups as 1/2 days on grading and reporting. Otherwise they will need to show up as early as Aug 10th.

MCEA told teachers there is nothing they can do except fill out the survey, unfortunately. I agree that they could be doing more to push Taylor and the board. But they didn't even poll teachers.

MCEA has no input on the calendar.

They have impact on the grading days. That’s what TT is targeting. He wants MCEA to relent on that contract requirement.

Teachers need those days for grading and reporting. Better to get rid of a few PD days, and make the day before Thanksgiving and 12/23 early release days, and get rid of transition day.

Better yet, people need to advocate for counting hours of instruction or (not and) days.

In reality MCPS never utilizes the feedback from its surveys. They’ve already made the decision regarding the calendar.

PD is required by state law. If we have a snow day, teachers should use that to catch up on grading and allow the next grading to be a makeup day.

I’m very against getting rid of the days requirement

And if the snow day falls two weeks into the marking period?

Use the snow day to get ahead on planning. Then you have more time for grading later on. It's not that hard. A day without school that you are being paid for should be used productively and replace the day you would have had for that planning/grading.

I'm not a teacher but I have a young child and don't get a lot done on most snow days since they also close child care on those days.

Then like everyone else, teachers should have to take PTO or a sick day to cover the childcare on those days. Why are teachers the exception here and expect they don't have to work when being paid to do so on a snow day? I also have to work and have an elementary student. If I can't work, I have to take PTO.

That's ridiculous. Teachers have so little flexibility in the first place. I don't support this at all. Especially given workloads for teachers like for many professionals vary throughout the year. Working on a snow day in February is simply not going to make up for losing a grading day in April. Stop embarrassing yourself.

Then start advocating for TT and MCPS to use the holidays they've already designated as makeup days. Truly, those are the only two options.

No, there are multiple options. Some are more realistic than others. TT is recommending the worst option in hopes of getting teachers to give up their grading and planning days, which I do not support for the reasons I have already discussed.

The designated makeup days in the approved 2026-27 calendar are:
October 16 2026 - obviously not helpful
November 2 2026 - obviously not helpful
March 9 - aligns with Eid al Adha
April 16 - aligns with Eid al Fitr
June 17, 21, 22 and 23 - all occur after the last day of school and three of them they can't use now because they are after Juneteenth (they wouldn't have used them anyway, as we all know)

The only designated makeup days on the calendar that occur after snow days are reasonably likely to happen and occur before the last day of school are both on Muslim holidays.

I totally understand that many if not most families are fine with using both Eids to make up snow days, but the BOE will never approve that. MCPS needs buy in from the Muslim community and they certainly can't get that by only using their holidays as makeup days.

April 16 is a school day, so how can it also be a makeup day?

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/pdfs/2026-2027/2026-2027-TRADITIONAL-Calendar.pdf

Yes, that is strange that the posted calendar (https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/pdfs/2026-2027/2026-2027-TRADITIONAL-Calendar.pdf )designates it with a * as a makeup day but it is also shaded in green indicating it is an instructional day.

If you look at the calendar the BOE approved, April 16 is shaded in yellow and marked as a grading and planning day (https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DP9T6T75E2A8/$file/Apprv%202026-2027%20SY%20Calendars%20251211.pdf note the links on the BOE page seem to be working only intermittently today so sorry if this link doesn't work)

Which is also odd because in the posted calendar you are referring to ( https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/pdfs/2026-2027/2026-2027-TRADITIONAL-Calendar.pdf ), April 12 is shaded in yellow and marked as a grading and planning day. But not in the calendar the BOE approved.

MCPS is such a mess.

Indeed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who knows what they will do. Maybe MCEA is calling Taylor's bluff which I support. If your kid misses the first two days of school, it will be fine, hardly catastrophic if not ideal. I assume it will be worse for the teachers to have kids slowly streaming in the first 3 days of school. Seems like this will mean starting off with 2 fewer days of actual instruction. If teachers miss 3 days of preservice, I feel for them and hope they don't lose leave days because of it. Taylor and the BOE have done a lot of stupid things, this is one on a very long list of them.

Of course they will have to take leave if they don’t show up for work.

That sucks because in order to show up many will have to lose money on travel that has been booked or other jobs. I don't know about you but I think that's a 5h!tty way to treat my kid's wonderful teachers.

I hope teachers are pushing MCPS to choose another option, and for the union to negotiate to allow makeups as 1/2 days on grading and reporting. Otherwise they will need to show up as early as Aug 10th.

MCEA told teachers there is nothing they can do except fill out the survey, unfortunately. I agree that they could be doing more to push Taylor and the board. But they didn't even poll teachers.

MCEA has no input on the calendar.

They have impact on the grading days. That’s what TT is targeting. He wants MCEA to relent on that contract requirement.

Teachers need those days for grading and reporting. Better to get rid of a few PD days, and make the day before Thanksgiving and 12/23 early release days, and get rid of transition day.

Better yet, people need to advocate for counting hours of instruction or (not and) days.

In reality MCPS never utilizes the feedback from its surveys. They’ve already made the decision regarding the calendar.

PD is required by state law. If we have a snow day, teachers should use that to catch up on grading and allow the next grading to be a makeup day.

I’m very against getting rid of the days requirement

And if the snow day falls two weeks into the marking period?

Use the snow day to get ahead on planning. Then you have more time for grading later on. It's not that hard. A day without school that you are being paid for should be used productively and replace the day you would have had for that planning/grading.

I'm not a teacher but I have a young child and don't get a lot done on most snow days since they also close child care on those days.

Then like everyone else, teachers should have to take PTO or a sick day to cover the childcare on those days. Why are teachers the exception here and expect they don't have to work when being paid to do so on a snow day? I also have to work and have an elementary student. If I can't work, I have to take PTO.

That's ridiculous. Teachers have so little flexibility in the first place. I don't support this at all. Especially given workloads for teachers like for many professionals vary throughout the year. Working on a snow day in February is simply not going to make up for losing a grading day in April. Stop embarrassing yourself.

Then start advocating for TT and MCPS to use the holidays they've already designated as makeup days. Truly, those are the only two options.

No, there are multiple options. Some are more realistic than others. TT is recommending the worst option in hopes of getting teachers to give up their grading and planning days, which I do not support for the reasons I have already discussed.

The designated makeup days in the approved 2026-27 calendar are:
October 16 2026 - obviously not helpful
November 2 2026 - obviously not helpful
March 9 - aligns with Eid al Adha
April 16 - aligns with Eid al Fitr
June 17, 21, 22 and 23 - all occur after the last day of school and three of them they can't use now because they are after Juneteenth (they wouldn't have used them anyway, as we all know)

The only designated makeup days on the calendar that occur after snow days are reasonably likely to happen and occur before the last day of school are both on Muslim holidays.

I totally understand that many if not most families are fine with using both Eids to make up snow days, but the BOE will never approve that. MCPS needs buy in from the Muslim community and they certainly can't get that by only using their holidays as makeup days.

You have your dates wrong.

Eid Al-fitr is March 9.
Eid Al-adha is May 17

Every Muslim family I know is super into education. I wish a community of them would come forward and say -- look, we'd rather you use these days as makeup days rather than mess up everybody's plans, and upset the teachers so much.
The state rule requiring a 4-day weekend for easter is ridiculous and should absolutely be changed, but for some dumb reason no one got that through Annapolis this year. Maybe this will be the push to get it done next year.

I personally think school holidays for religious holidays are dumb. I grew up in a religious family where we regularly took the day off school, or left early/went in late, due to mandatory observance rules. It was fine. We just made it up. Schools are flexible about that. I honestly don't believe many parents really care that much about having it off....I suspect it was a few squeaky wheels that felt disrespected this year.

Enjoy your bubble. Many families have issues with the day being excused, but not closed. Students need to make up work. Students who missed days for other reasons around then will have even more trouble making up work. It's actually quite a problem because many families will opt to send the children to school to avoid those issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who knows what they will do. Maybe MCEA is calling Taylor's bluff which I support. If your kid misses the first two days of school, it will be fine, hardly catastrophic if not ideal. I assume it will be worse for the teachers to have kids slowly streaming in the first 3 days of school. Seems like this will mean starting off with 2 fewer days of actual instruction. If teachers miss 3 days of preservice, I feel for them and hope they don't lose leave days because of it. Taylor and the BOE have done a lot of stupid things, this is one on a very long list of them.

Of course they will have to take leave if they don’t show up for work.

That sucks because in order to show up many will have to lose money on travel that has been booked or other jobs. I don't know about you but I think that's a 5h!tty way to treat my kid's wonderful teachers.

I hope teachers are pushing MCPS to choose another option, and for the union to negotiate to allow makeups as 1/2 days on grading and reporting. Otherwise they will need to show up as early as Aug 10th.

MCEA told teachers there is nothing they can do except fill out the survey, unfortunately. I agree that they could be doing more to push Taylor and the board. But they didn't even poll teachers.

MCEA has no input on the calendar.

They have impact on the grading days. That’s what TT is targeting. He wants MCEA to relent on that contract requirement.

Teachers need those days for grading and reporting. Better to get rid of a few PD days, and make the day before Thanksgiving and 12/23 early release days, and get rid of transition day.

Better yet, people need to advocate for counting hours of instruction or (not and) days.

In reality MCPS never utilizes the feedback from its surveys. They’ve already made the decision regarding the calendar.

PD is required by state law. If we have a snow day, teachers should use that to catch up on grading and allow the next grading to be a makeup day.

I’m very against getting rid of the days requirement

And if the snow day falls two weeks into the marking period?

Use the snow day to get ahead on planning. Then you have more time for grading later on. It's not that hard. A day without school that you are being paid for should be used productively and replace the day you would have had for that planning/grading.

I'm not a teacher but I have a young child and don't get a lot done on most snow days since they also close child care on those days.

Then like everyone else, teachers should have to take PTO or a sick day to cover the childcare on those days. Why are teachers the exception here and expect they don't have to work when being paid to do so on a snow day? I also have to work and have an elementary student. If I can't work, I have to take PTO.

That's ridiculous. Teachers have so little flexibility in the first place. I don't support this at all. Especially given workloads for teachers like for many professionals vary throughout the year. Working on a snow day in February is simply not going to make up for losing a grading day in April. Stop embarrassing yourself.

Then start advocating for TT and MCPS to use the holidays they've already designated as makeup days. Truly, those are the only two options.

No, there are multiple options. Some are more realistic than others. TT is recommending the worst option in hopes of getting teachers to give up their grading and planning days, which I do not support for the reasons I have already discussed.

The designated makeup days in the approved 2026-27 calendar are:
October 16 2026 - obviously not helpful
November 2 2026 - obviously not helpful
March 9 - aligns with Eid al Adha
April 16 - aligns with Eid al Fitr
June 17, 21, 22 and 23 - all occur after the last day of school and three of them they can't use now because they are after Juneteenth (they wouldn't have used them anyway, as we all know)

The only designated makeup days on the calendar that occur after snow days are reasonably likely to happen and occur before the last day of school are both on Muslim holidays.

I totally understand that many if not most families are fine with using both Eids to make up snow days, but the BOE will never approve that. MCPS needs buy in from the Muslim community and they certainly can't get that by only using their holidays as makeup days.

You have your dates wrong.

Eid Al-fitr is March 9.
Eid Al-adha is May 17

Every Muslim family I know is super into education. I wish a community of them would come forward and say -- look, we'd rather you use these days as makeup days rather than mess up everybody's plans, and upset the teachers so much.
The state rule requiring a 4-day weekend for easter is ridiculous and should absolutely be changed, but for some dumb reason no one got that through Annapolis this year. Maybe this will be the push to get it done next year.

I personally think school holidays for religious holidays are dumb. I grew up in a religious family where we regularly took the day off school, or left early/went in late, due to mandatory observance rules. It was fine. We just made it up. Schools are flexible about that. I honestly don't believe many parents really care that much about having it off....I suspect it was a few squeaky wheels that felt disrespected this year.

Enjoy your bubble. Many families have issues with the day being excused, but not closed. Students need to make up work. Students who missed days for other reasons around then will have even more trouble making up work. It's actually quite a problem because many families will opt to send the children to school to avoid those issues.

That PP doesn't give one single solitary f*ck about the Muslim community besides ways that they can help advance her agenda.