MCPS School Year Extended by One Day to June 17; Final Three Days of the School Year Now Early Release Days

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher I would prefer starting earlier in August and ending earlier in June. It would give more prep time for AP classes

+1 A lot of the schools in the South have that. It gives the kids there an advantage for AP classes. But no one in MCPS has ever surveyed me about when I want to start the school year for as long as I've been here, so not sure how they've come to the conclusion it's "unpopular."

Southern schools start earlier in August but are done by the third week in August.

*May

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS families want a 10 week summer. If people here were okay with a 9 week summer, we could have full days towards the end of the year.

Keep in mind that high schoolers (especially 10th and 11th graders who are taking lots of AP classes) are doing very little after AP exams are finished.

I have family in Loudoun county, and this is what their school district does.

No one has ever asked me how long of a break is desirable.

I know plenty of families that would be fine with a 9-week summer.

It is MCPS, not families, that insists on the longer summer break.

They have surveyed families on starting school two weeks before Labor Day, and that option is very unpopular.

MCPS loves to hide behind online surveys. They can make the right decision but lack moral courage, and our kids are suffering.

I understand this is slightly different but there is no research to support that year round schooling is beneficial. I can’t imagine a few extra days would make any measurable difference.

Why not then have just 100 days of school? Taxpayers would save a fortune. Since the amount of instructional time doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most interesting part: "We know this is a change and although it is not entirely unexpected, we also realize that families may have already made plans. We understand this."

Like they can't quite bring themselves to say we know many of you won't show up, and that's OK.

Makes sense. They can’t say the quiet part aloud but if the state wants a big show of number of days, that’s what they will get

How dare the state demand a certain number of instructional days

My kids will show up, but they're definitely getting shortchanged on their 180 days of education this year.

If they have the required 1080 hours they are not being shortchanged! It just feels that way based on three consecutive half days. I think the Friday has been changed back to a half day because they expect it to be treated as the last day of school by many students to retain 10 full weeks of summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL three half-days at the end of the year? Who is MCPS expecting to show up for that?

Blame the state for requiring them to makeup days but blame MCPS for not holding school on any of the three earlier designated makeup days (January 29, March 31, June 6). If they needed substitute teachers and excused absences that would have been sufficient state wise but they ignored their own designated makeup days.

Next year has January 26, March 20, April 17 (spring break is two weeks earlier) designated as makeup days but I doubt they would actually use them. November 3 is also designated but it is pre-winter so that would only matter if there is some tropical storm/hurricane. While they should use these days and hold substitute classes so the teachers can grade it seems like June 18, 2026 is the earliest day they would actually use. Despite starting Pre-Labor Day three cancelations would result in school entering the week of June 22 barring them surprising us with those earlier makeup days.
Most likely:
1st cancelation-Freebie
2nd cancelation-June 18
3rd cancelation onwards-Week of June 22

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher I would prefer starting earlier in August and ending earlier in June. It would give more prep time for AP classes

+1 A lot of the schools in the South have that. It gives the kids there an advantage for AP classes. But no one in MCPS has ever surveyed me about when I want to start the school year for as long as I've been here, so not sure how they've come to the conclusion it's "unpopular."

Southern schools start earlier in August but are done by the third week in August.

*May

I get that you mean May but only 2 or 3 weeks in August would have been a pretty short school year! haha

[Anonymous]

I feel like our children are being cheated out of a first rate education by this death by 1000 cuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL three half-days at the end of the year? Who is MCPS expecting to show up for that?

Blame the state for requiring them to makeup days but blame MCPS for not holding school on any of the three earlier designated makeup days (January 29, March 31, June 6). If they needed substitute teachers and excused absences that would have been sufficient state wise but they ignored their own designated makeup days.

Next year has January 26, March 20, April 17 (spring break is two weeks earlier) designated as makeup days but I doubt they would actually use them. November 3 is also designated but it is pre-winter so that would only matter if there is some tropical storm/hurricane. While they should use these days and hold substitute classes so the teachers can grade it seems like June 18, 2026 is the earliest day they would actually use. Despite starting Pre-Labor Day three cancelations would result in school entering the week of June 22 barring them surprising us with those earlier makeup days.
Most likely:
1st cancelation-Freebie
2nd cancelation-June 18
3rd cancelation onwards-Week of June 22

+1. This. Why didn’t they use the designated makeup days?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL three half-days at the end of the year? Who is MCPS expecting to show up for that?

Blame the state for requiring them to makeup days but blame MCPS for not holding school on any of the three earlier designated makeup days (January 29, March 31, June 6). If they needed substitute teachers and excused absences that would have been sufficient state wise but they ignored their own designated makeup days.

Next year has January 26, March 20, April 17 (spring break is two weeks earlier) designated as makeup days but I doubt they would actually use them. November 3 is also designated but it is pre-winter so that would only matter if there is some tropical storm/hurricane. While they should use these days and hold substitute classes so the teachers can grade it seems like June 18, 2026 is the earliest day they would actually use. Despite starting Pre-Labor Day three cancelations would result in school entering the week of June 22 barring them surprising us with those earlier makeup days.
Most likely:
1st cancelation-Freebie
2nd cancelation-June 18
3rd cancelation onwards-Week of June 22

+1. This. Why didn’t they use the designated makeup days?

Because various constituencies would have complained about that too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL three half-days at the end of the year? Who is MCPS expecting to show up for that?

Blame the state for requiring them to makeup days but blame MCPS for not holding school on any of the three earlier designated makeup days (January 29, March 31, June 6). If they needed substitute teachers and excused absences that would have been sufficient state wise but they ignored their own designated makeup days.

Next year has January 26, March 20, April 17 (spring break is two weeks earlier) designated as makeup days but I doubt they would actually use them. November 3 is also designated but it is pre-winter so that would only matter if there is some tropical storm/hurricane. While they should use these days and hold substitute classes so the teachers can grade it seems like June 18, 2026 is the earliest day they would actually use. Despite starting Pre-Labor Day three cancelations would result in school entering the week of June 22 barring them surprising us with those earlier makeup days.
Most likely:
1st cancelation-Freebie
2nd cancelation-June 18
3rd cancelation onwards-Week of June 22

+1. This. Why didn’t they use the designated makeup days?

Because various constituencies would have complained about that too.

Then don’t make them designated days.

They should be using the first makeup fay after each snow day.