Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They always have make up days on the calendar during spring break, but they never use them.

Not never. Years ago the make up day was Easter Monday. They did not consider the 10 month services staff who do not get paid for spring break but do get paid for Good Friday and Easter Monday. I don’t remember what the outcome was , whether they got paid overtime or if they didn’t work that day, but it was a cluster for them not considering support staff.

Easter Monday is a state-mandated holiday (and is also not one of the make-up days this year).

In 2003, there were 10 snow days, and in February the state removed the holiday status from Easter Monday in order to have it be available as a makeup day.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=987&type=allarchive&startYear=&pageNumber=&mode=action

Ah yes. I remember that winter. I was a student myself then, though not at MCPS (this was NoVA). We lost Spring break days and it suuuuucked.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whoever is in charge of the calendar clearly doesn't have a brain. Who in their right mind even thinks to put potential make-up days during Spring Break? People need to be able to make concrete travel plans in advance. If they use it, it will be a wasted day for students as many will be absent and staff members will more than likely be out as well. (And to the incoming poster who keeps saying it's irresponsible to plan during POTENTIAL make-up days-it's not. It's irresponsible of MCPS to plan them during a time where many people are traveling.)

Even before the demographic change of the last decade, most MCPS students didn’t travel during Spring Break. And now, people travel for days before or after break without caring.

DP, but this affects staff members as well. Most staff members DO travel during Spring Break, and I'd say the vast majority of my kid's elementary school and middle school does travel for Spring Break, so its really not uncommon at all actually. I have friends all over the county with Spring Break plans so my kid's schools aren't outliers.

^^^ This. Most people I know as well, have plans for spring break travel. Again, it just doesnt affect students, it affects staff members too. Might be easy for you to just take off without a care in the world, but there's a sub shortage. It would be even more of a pointless day for the kid's who show up than a virtual/asynchronous day would be. You'd get your free babysitting and that's about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whoever is in charge of the calendar clearly doesn't have a brain. Who in their right mind even thinks to put potential make-up days during Spring Break? People need to be able to make concrete travel plans in advance. If they use it, it will be a wasted day for students as many will be absent and staff members will more than likely be out as well. (And to the incoming poster who keeps saying it's irresponsible to plan during POTENTIAL make-up days-it's not. It's irresponsible of MCPS to plan them during a time where many people are traveling.)

Even before the demographic change of the last decade, most MCPS students didn’t travel during Spring Break. And now, people travel for days before or after break without caring.

DP, but this affects staff members as well. Most staff members DO travel during Spring Break, and I'd say the vast majority of my kid's elementary school and middle school does travel for Spring Break, so its really not uncommon at all actually. I have friends all over the county with Spring Break plans so my kid's schools aren't outliers.

Anonymous wrote:It’s ridiculous that they only build two snow days into the calendar. They should build more in and let school out earlier if we don’t use them. Last year was an anomaly; we normally have at least 4 or 5.

OP don’t worry about it - lots of people will be out whatever date they choose, and they are very unlikely to choose Spring break.

Technically they have 3. The last 2, maybe 3, years they have burned one of those days on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It has been a scheduled day off but employees have had to put in the emergency pay code on time sheets. This coincides with only having 2 emergency days built in.

Anonymous wrote:Whoever is in charge of the calendar clearly doesn't have a brain. Who in their right mind even thinks to put potential make-up days during Spring Break? People need to be able to make concrete travel plans in advance. If they use it, it will be a wasted day for students as many will be absent and staff members will more than likely be out as well. (And to the incoming poster who keeps saying it's irresponsible to plan during POTENTIAL make-up days-it's not. It's irresponsible of MCPS to plan them during a time where many people are traveling.)

Even before the demographic change of the last decade, most MCPS students didn’t travel during Spring Break. And now, people travel for days before or after break without caring.

Anonymous wrote:It’s ridiculous that they only build two snow days into the calendar. They should build more in and let school out earlier if we don’t use them. Last year was an anomaly; we normally have at least 4 or 5.

OP don’t worry about it - lots of people will be out whatever date they choose, and they are very unlikely to choose Spring break.

This is exactly what PG County does-they build more (4 days) into the end of the year. If they aren't used, then they just let students and staff out 4 days early. This is communicated weeks in advance so parents have time to schedule necessary daycare if needed. It's pretty much known by the end of winter if they will be used. It's never been a problem. (I teach in PG county, live and have kids in MoCo)

Now...I suggested this in another thread on here about make-up days and you wouldn't believe how many angry posters were like "Why can't you just teach 4 more days? It's not like you'll run out of instruction" and.... "If you set a calendar, we expect you to abide by that calendar. It's unacceptable not to use those additional 4 days!' and blah blah blah....These were never problems with the parents in PG. It's really not hard to understand that 184 school days are scheduled with the caveat that 4 of those days potentially won't be used at the end of the year and we'll give you advanced notice if they won't be. School could end up to 4 days earlier. Done. I don't understand what is wrong with MCPS parents. (And I am one!) But the constant complaining about every little thing..no wonder central office isn't effective. I can't imagine having to deal with such perpetually unhappy people where no answer is ever good enough or the "right" answer for them.

It’s ridiculous that they only build two snow days into the calendar. They should build more in and let school out earlier if we don’t use them. Last year was an anomaly; we normally have at least 4 or 5.

OP don’t worry about it - lots of people will be out whatever date they choose, and they are very unlikely to choose Spring break.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They always have make up days on the calendar during spring break, but they never use them.

Not never. Years ago the make up day was Easter Monday. They did not consider the 10 month services staff who do not get paid for spring break but do get paid for Good Friday and Easter Monday. I don’t remember what the outcome was , whether they got paid overtime or if they didn’t work that day, but it was a cluster for them not considering support staff.

Easter Monday is a state-mandated holiday (and is also not one of the make-up days this year).

In 2003, there were 10 snow days, and in February the state removed the holiday status from Easter Monday in order to have it be available as a makeup day.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=987&type=allarchive&startYear=&pageNumber=&mode=action

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They always have make up days on the calendar during spring break, but they never use them.

Not never. Years ago the make up day was Easter Monday. They did not consider the 10 month services staff who do not get paid for spring break but do get paid for Good Friday and Easter Monday. I don’t remember what the outcome was , whether they got paid overtime or if they didn’t work that day, but it was a cluster for them not considering support staff.

Easter Monday is a state-mandated holiday (and is also not one of the make-up days this year).

Anonymous wrote:They always have make up days on the calendar during spring break, but they never use them.

Not never. Years ago the make up day was Easter Monday. They did not consider the 10 month services staff who do not get paid for spring break but do get paid for Good Friday and Easter Monday. I don’t remember what the outcome was , whether they got paid overtime or if they didn’t work that day, but it was a cluster for them not considering support staff.

They always have make up days on the calendar during spring break, but they never use them.

Get over it. Your child can survive missing 1 day of school.

Whoever is in charge of the calendar clearly doesn't have a brain. Who in their right mind even thinks to put potential make-up days during Spring Break? People need to be able to make concrete travel plans in advance. If they use it, it will be a wasted day for students as many will be absent and staff members will more than likely be out as well. (And to the incoming poster who keeps saying it's irresponsible to plan during POTENTIAL make-up days-it's not. It's irresponsible of MCPS to plan them during a time where many people are traveling.)

No repercussions for students ever in McPS. Teachers, on the other hand are the ones that get punished

What if any repercussions will it have on my kids if they don’t attend. We have travel plans immediately when school is supposed to end and over spring break. We’re not cancelling those.