MCPS snow day waiver denied!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
So you work 9-3pm 180 days out of 365 and you can't find any other date for a specialist but a few days after school ends? That is a shame. You know what? School shouldn't make up those days. You work 175 days instead because it sounds really tough to work around your very "rigid" schedule.

I'm not a teacher, and even I know that teachers work a lot more than 9 am-3 pm 180 days a year.

[Anonymous]

I am deeply grateful that the state did not just roll over on this issue. I wondered when I saw that they had denied Anne Arundel county's waiver request. You can't have it both ways in life, and you can't be a credible school system that doesn't stand by its own written policies.

And yes, as a 2-career family, I'd be thrilled for one less week of camp to pay for. I already paid for the snow days by losing vacation time and paying for extra babysitting. I usually book at least 8 weeks of the summer by mid-February, but this year I held off because I wondered what might happen with the calendar.

Why doesn't MCPS build more snow days into the calendar for next year? And then, if the days aren't needed, announce that on April 1. That should be enough time for camps to add days/short sessions to cover the gap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
So you work 9-3pm 180 days out of 365 and you can't find any other date for a specialist but a few days after school ends? That is a shame. You know what? School shouldn't make up those days. You work 175 days instead because it sounds really tough to work around your very "rigid" schedule.

I'm not a teacher, and even I know that teachers work a lot more than 9 am-3 pm 180 days a year.

They can make a 4pm appointment (3pm if they work upper school) where most other full time workers can't. They have multiple breaks of 7 days or more, the whole summer off and many 3 day weekends. Half days too. Their professional days are teleworking. No other full time workers have these options when making doctors appointments. No pity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
So you work 9-3pm 180 days out of 365 and you can't find any other date for a specialist but a few days after school ends? That is a shame. You know what? School shouldn't make up those days. You work 175 days instead because it sounds really tough to work around your very "rigid" schedule.

I'm not a teacher, and even I know that teachers work a lot more than 9 am-3 pm 180 days a year.

They can make a 4pm appointment (3pm if they work upper school) where most other full time workers can't. They have multiple breaks of 7 days or more, the whole summer off and many 3 day weekends. Half days too. Their professional days are teleworking. No other full time workers have these options when making doctors appointments. No pity.

It does sound nice, doesn't it? Maybe you should have gone into teaching, into whatever field you went to where the working conditions aren't so good.

[Anonymous]

^^instead of whatever field

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
So you work 9-3pm 180 days out of 365 and you can't find any other date for a specialist but a few days after school ends? That is a shame. You know what? School shouldn't make up those days. You work 175 days instead because it sounds really tough to work around your very "rigid" schedule.

I'm not a teacher, and even I know that teachers work a lot more than 9 am-3 pm 180 days a year.

They can make a 4pm appointment (3pm if they work upper school) where most other full time workers can't. They have multiple breaks of 7 days or more, the whole summer off and many 3 day weekends. Half days too. Their professional days are teleworking. No other full time workers have these options when making doctors appointments. No pity.

Yea, and they get the pleasure of working with all the little snowflakes and all the parents who think that their child is the only child in the world that matters. Both of my parents were teachers and you could not pay me enough money to deal with parents like you.

And it is informative to know what some of you think about the people you entrust your childrent to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For MCPS to have school on Easter Monday, the state would have to grant a waiver. State law requires schools to close on Easter Monday (and Good Friday too).

The state has already given a waiver to Anne Arundel county and maybe one more school system for attending on Easter Monday. I suspect that MCPS will resubmit a proposal that includes classes on April 21, June 13, June 16-17 and maybe 18 and then ask for a waiver the last 1 (or 2, depending on the status of the 18th).

It's Frederick County. Frederick County gave up a professional development day in mid-March and is cutting Spring Break down to Thurs/Fri only. The kids will also attend on Easter Monday.

I find it's so much more rational than tacking on days to the end of the year or, even, adding 15 minutes to each day. It may even result in some actual learning.

I think they will add time to each day and/or do April 21, and re-request a waiver for the rest. The first week of Spring Break is done, people (responsibly--since Spring Break has never been on the table before) have vacations planned, there would never be enough subs to cover and it's a diasaster waiting to happen. They have camps and groups that paid for use of school buildings for the week of June 16. MCPS's priority must be getting everyone OUT of the building by that time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For MCPS to have school on Easter Monday, the state would have to grant a waiver. State law requires schools to close on Easter Monday (and Good Friday too).

The state has already given a waiver to Anne Arundel county and maybe one more school system for attending on Easter Monday. I suspect that MCPS will resubmit a proposal that includes classes on April 21, June 13, June 16-17 and maybe 18 and then ask for a waiver the last 1 (or 2, depending on the status of the 18th).

It's Frederick County. Frederick County gave up a professional development day in mid-March and is cutting Spring Break down to Thurs/Fri only. The kids will also attend on Easter Monday.

I find it's so much more rational than tacking on days to the end of the year or, even, adding 15 minutes to each day. It may even result in some actual learning.

Also just found out that FCPS just had it's waiver request (for the last two days) approved. So, no additional days need to be tacked onto their school year. Why in the world didn't MCPS follow this rationale?

[Anonymous]

Adding on to the end of the year is pointless. The third marking period was cut short and tests/papers were crammed in last week. Having an extra week added won't be helpful if they don't change, graduation, promotions, end of year picnics, etc.

[Anonymous]

I don't think adding 15 minutes a day will be enough.

If the goal is to make up 5 days, at 6.75 hours / day (for MS and HS), you're looking at nearly 34 hours. Only doing 15 minutes / day is 1.25 hours a week.

The State has clearly said they'll grant waivers but want to see something earnest with regard to a make-up plan. The only way you can make up that many days is to make up some days, not minutes here & there. There could be a combination of days + minutes, but it isn't going to be done just based on 15 minutes at a time.

The State is not concerned with Camp schedules and other groups using buildings the week of June 16.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think adding 15 minutes a day will be enough.

If the goal is to make up 5 days, at 6.75 hours / day (for MS and HS), you're looking at nearly 34 hours. Only doing 15 minutes / day is 1.25 hours a week.

The State has clearly said they'll grant waivers but want to see something earnest with regard to a make-up plan. The only way you can make up that many days is to make up some days, not minutes here & there. There could be a combination of days + minutes, but it isn't going to be done just based on 15 minutes at a time.

The State is not concerned with Camp schedules and other groups using buildings the week of June 16.

I know the state isn't, but MCPS likely is, so they would probably make their plan something that involves ending school on June 13. They have 6 days to make up. Adding June 13 leaves 5 days. They wouldn't be able to make up the 34 hours, but they could do 10 with the 15 extra minutes, and asked for the rest to be waived. Adding Memorial Day, too. My point is that MCPS will likely get SOME of the time waived.

[Anonymous]

I think 15 minutes a day is more worthwhile then full days after finals.

[Anonymous]

"I know the state isn't, but MCPS likely is"

If that is true, then MCPS really needs to stop publishing school calendars that say they will extend the school year.

[Anonymous]

I think the state is looking for a valid reason to give waivers of much less than 5 days. Say 3 or 2. Not 4.

I agree that some time will be waived, but not more than 3 days or 3 "day equivalents".

I also think if MCPS appears too "selfish" on their revised request, the state will simply say "no, you go until June 20."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I know the state isn't, but MCPS likely is"

If that is true, then MCPS really needs to stop publishing school calendars that say they will extend the school year.

+10000. The contingency plan, as it is currently written, doesn't work for anyone.