Melanie Meren's FB post about the calendar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a waste of time on her part. The calendar debate happened three years ago.

She voted to approve the 2026-27 calendar BTW. She really has no business trying to take up everyone's time with a "framework" now.

She can get rid of early release and declare victory for 26-27 then pass some sensible policies for the next few years.

[Anonymous]

To put it into perspective, there are 20 weeks in the calendar that are not 5 day weeks. Of those:

- 4 are floating days not connected to a weekend (the worst kind)
- 6 are 4 day weeks with a long weekend
- 7 are 3 days or fewer (not counting full weeks)
- 3 are full weeks off

Next year there are 19 incomplete weeks:
- 2 are floating days not connected to a weekend.
- 11 are 4 day weeks with a long weekend.
- 3 are 3 days of fewer.
- 3 are full weeks off.

So next year we get both more 5 day weeks and continuous 4 day weeks. It’s already a huge improvement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To put it into perspective, there are 20 weeks in the calendar that are not 5 day weeks. Of those:

- 4 are floating days not connected to a weekend (the worst kind)
- 6 are 4 day weeks with a long weekend
- 7 are 3 days or fewer (not counting full weeks)
- 3 are full weeks off

Next year there are 19 incomplete weeks:
- 2 are floating days not connected to a weekend.
- 11 are 4 day weeks with a long weekend.
- 3 are 3 days of fewer.
- 3 are full weeks off.

So next year we get both more 5 day weeks and continuous 4 day weeks. It’s already a huge improvement.

It is better BUT that’s because the religious holidays fall at better times next school year. The overarching problem still remains. There are just too many mid-year days off and disruptions and it’s cutting into the most important instructional time - the time period up until about mid-May so our students can be well-prepared for SOL’s and AP tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To put it into perspective, there are 20 weeks in the calendar that are not 5 day weeks. Of those:

- 4 are floating days not connected to a weekend (the worst kind)
- 6 are 4 day weeks with a long weekend
- 7 are 3 days or fewer (not counting full weeks)
- 3 are full weeks off

Next year there are 19 incomplete weeks:
- 2 are floating days not connected to a weekend.
- 11 are 4 day weeks with a long weekend.
- 3 are 3 days of fewer.
- 3 are full weeks off.

So next year we get both more 5 day weeks and continuous 4 day weeks. It’s already a huge improvement.

It is better BUT that’s because the religious holidays fall at better times next school year. The overarching problem still remains. There are just too many mid-year days off and disruptions and it’s cutting into the most important instructional time - the time period up until about mid-May so our students can be well-prepared for SOL’s and AP tests.

They need to get rid of early release for 26-27. Then, past policies like moving teacher training to virtual. That lets you eliminate two SD days in 27-28 and use snow days for those. Also, a good time to put a TW day on veterans. That way by 28-29 we have both reasonable schedules and reasonable policies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, love the non-5 day weeks. They are great. Summer is such a pain to plan, and we (and most of our friends) much prefer a day here and there, rather than additional weeks in the summer.

Now that I have somewhat older children (taking SOL’s and trying to get into Algebra in 7th etc.) I am actually pretty concerned and anxious about the relative lack of instructional time they get compared to other districts that have more full weeks. Aren’t you concerned that your kids are behind and being short-changed?

I fear this will only get worse as my kids get older. I can supplement now with upper elementary kids. I can’t teach a HS junior AP Calc or AP French or high school level cello. The HS block scheduling makes this even worse. Missing “a day” is like missing two days in one class. It all adds up very quickly.

They aren't getting less instructional time. It's just paced differently. In fact, in years that we don't use a lot of snow days (like last year), they actually get quite a bit more instructional time than surrounding districts. We build in enough hours to have something like 11 snow days. If they aren't used, that's bonus time. As opposed to, say Anne Arundel County, that only builds in 3-5 snow days.

It’s not about the snow days really, we can’t control the weather. I wish they weren’t so quick to close though.

But just as an example: the AP Calc exam is given on May 11 this year. The district where I grew up has 173 school days for students. 160 are before the AP test - not counting Memorial Day where they have a 3 day weekend.

FCPS has 179 school days for students (counting O days and early release days as full days, which is being generous). 154 of those days are before May 11. Again this is not counting the massive 5 day weekend for Memorial Day. The point is other districts get in a full week or more of instructional time before state and AP testing in May. And where I grew up still did 2 full weeks at winter break this year, 3 days at Thanksgiving, and the same spring break as us and aligned with Easter. It just feels like we’re putting learning at a disadvantage with this calendar. It’s too many days off, too much playing catch-up.

The 5 day memorial is ideal for HS taking AP so they can study. By time hit May it’s no longer about teacher instruction anyway.

APs are long done by Memorial Day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To put it into perspective, there are 20 weeks in the calendar that are not 5 day weeks. Of those:

- 4 are floating days not connected to a weekend (the worst kind)
- 6 are 4 day weeks with a long weekend
- 7 are 3 days or fewer (not counting full weeks)
- 3 are full weeks off

Next year there are 19 incomplete weeks:
- 2 are floating days not connected to a weekend.
- 11 are 4 day weeks with a long weekend.
- 3 are 3 days of fewer.
- 3 are full weeks off.

So next year we get both more 5 day weeks and continuous 4 day weeks. It’s already a huge improvement.

It is better BUT that’s because the religious holidays fall at better times next school year. The overarching problem still remains. There are just too many mid-year days off and disruptions and it’s cutting into the most important instructional time - the time period up until about mid-May so our students can be well-prepared for SOL’s and AP tests.

Well the stars align for the 27-28 school year too. The next two years are fine. All they need to do is get rid of 3 hour early release.

[Anonymous]

The five-day Memorial Day weekend is a joke. Especially because the holiday could change and

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Melanie Meren just posted this on Facebook:

The School Board has heard from many families regarding the lack of full, five-day school weeks this year and the significant burden this places on families who must navigate complex and often costly childcare arrangements. In the 2025-26 school year alone, partial weeks occurred more than half the time, functioning as an informal “childcare tax” that falls hardest on our hourly-wage and most vulnerable households.
To address these challenges, I am collaborating on a new draft policy to be circulated among my School Board colleagues that aims to consolidate overlapping directives into a single, unified framework. A primary goal is to prioritize five-day school weeks as the default standard to restore instructional continuity and provide families with stability they need.
Another goal is to clarify the Superintendent’s responsibilities in developing the student calendar while ensuring the School Board reviews and approves it as part of our annual work cycle.
My goal is to have the calendar beginning in SY 26-27 adjusted to increase the number of five-day school weeks.
I’ll keep the community updated as work proceeds.
Sincerely,
Melanie

So, reach out to your Board and have your opinions heard! Don't wait for some dumb and poorly designed survey to land in your spam folder.

Nope, not going to spend my time advocating on a calendar that 1) is already decided and 2) is an improvement over this years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Melanie Meren just posted this on Facebook:

The School Board has heard from many families regarding the lack of full, five-day school weeks this year and the significant burden this places on families who must navigate complex and often costly childcare arrangements. In the 2025-26 school year alone, partial weeks occurred more than half the time, functioning as an informal “childcare tax” that falls hardest on our hourly-wage and most vulnerable households.
To address these challenges, I am collaborating on a new draft policy to be circulated among my School Board colleagues that aims to consolidate overlapping directives into a single, unified framework. A primary goal is to prioritize five-day school weeks as the default standard to restore instructional continuity and provide families with stability they need.
Another goal is to clarify the Superintendent’s responsibilities in developing the student calendar while ensuring the School Board reviews and approves it as part of our annual work cycle.
My goal is to have the calendar beginning in SY 26-27 adjusted to increase the number of five-day school weeks.
I’ll keep the community updated as work proceeds.
Sincerely,
Melanie

So, reach out to your Board and have your opinions heard! Don't wait for some dumb and poorly designed survey to land in your spam folder.

Nope, not going to spend my time advocating on a calendar that 1) is already decided and 2) is an improvement over this years.

Hi Gatehouse!

[Anonymous]

Naturally, I just booked a cruise for next January when we had a Friday thru Monday long weekend. That is literally the only weekend they could adjust to earn back a 5 day week without doing something controversial like taking away a holiday. I’m not sure how a 3 day/5 day week is any better than a 4 day/4 day week, but Meren is on a mission now.

I know my vacation plans are insignificant, but it’s irritating that we’re adding the calendar that’s published years in advance to the list of uncertainties. After the boundary debacle this year, I’m so tired.

[Anonymous]

The calendar isn’t going to significantly change.

[Anonymous]

I doubt anything changes, Meren is a lot of talk and no action.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To put it into perspective, there are 20 weeks in the calendar that are not 5 day weeks. Of those:

- 4 are floating days not connected to a weekend (the worst kind)
- 6 are 4 day weeks with a long weekend
- 7 are 3 days or fewer (not counting full weeks)
- 3 are full weeks off

Next year there are 19 incomplete weeks:
- 2 are floating days not connected to a weekend.
- 11 are 4 day weeks with a long weekend.
- 3 are 3 days of fewer.
- 3 are full weeks off.

So next year we get both more 5 day weeks and continuous 4 day weeks. It’s already a huge improvement.

It is better BUT that’s because the religious holidays fall at better times next school year. The overarching problem still remains. There are just too many mid-year days off and disruptions and it’s cutting into the most important instructional time - the time period up until about mid-May so our students can be well-prepared for SOL’s and AP tests.

Yes, just because the religious holidays are "better" next year isn't solving the problem. Get rid of all of them. Now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To put it into perspective, there are 20 weeks in the calendar that are not 5 day weeks. Of those:

- 4 are floating days not connected to a weekend (the worst kind)
- 6 are 4 day weeks with a long weekend
- 7 are 3 days or fewer (not counting full weeks)
- 3 are full weeks off

Next year there are 19 incomplete weeks:
- 2 are floating days not connected to a weekend.
- 11 are 4 day weeks with a long weekend.
- 3 are 3 days of fewer.
- 3 are full weeks off.

So next year we get both more 5 day weeks and continuous 4 day weeks. It’s already a huge improvement.

It is better BUT that’s because the religious holidays fall at better times next school year. The overarching problem still remains. There are just too many mid-year days off and disruptions and it’s cutting into the most important instructional time - the time period up until about mid-May so our students can be well-prepared for SOL’s and AP tests.

Well the stars align for the 27-28 school year too. The next two years are fine. All they need to do is get rid of 3 hour early release.

Which we never should have had this year or any future year in the first place. Can’t wait for the board members to say “we’re getting rid of the 3 hour early releases next school year! Problems solved, let’s all pat ourselves on the back!”

[Anonymous]

People are mad about this year. I get it. But next year’s calendar and the year after is fine.

Meren voted for these calendars and supported them. Very odd that she chooses NOW to say she is ready to act? What is going on with her?