Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 15:40     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:See what happens when we elect a conservative firebrand like Hogan - he interferes in our school calendar for the benefit of his Ocean City cronies. Vote him out.


Or he realizes

1. schools are secular
2. Our debt is in the toilet and needed to help our economy with a little more state surplus
3. Small businesses in tourist areas were folding and needed help, which in turn also helps employment and our economy
4. College and High school students depend on summer employment and need the weeks to work, which in turn also helps our economy and small business


What do #2, #3, and #4 have to do with education? (And what does "our debt is in the toilet" mean?)

(#1 is not relevant to the governor's Ocean City order. His comments about days off have all been targeted at the teachers' union.)
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 15:38     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

MCPS takes off for Eid if in the calendar year. It was last year.
Proposal for Lunar New Year to be off starting next year



You are misinformed. Look again:

http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/ARCHEU482A41/$file/170919%20PMC%20Calendar%20SY18-19.pdf
http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2017/School-Board-to-Weigh-Cutting-Spring-Break-Academic-Days-in-2018-2019-Calendar/


No YOU are misinformed. MCPS gave off Sept 12th 2016 for Eid and would have this year if school started a week prior to Labor Day.

Eid is Aug 20th in 2018 so it is not on the calendar due to Hogan starting all schools after Labor Day.
Lunar New Year is in the works so it would not be on any current proposals for calendars

Thank you


How do you know that Lunar New Year is "in the works", and what does being "in the works" mean? The Board is not considering it for 2017-2018.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 15:37     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Anonymous wrote:See what happens when we elect a conservative firebrand like Hogan - he interferes in our school calendar for the benefit of his Ocean City cronies. Vote him out.


Or he realizes

1. schools are secular
2. Our debt is in the toilet and needed to help our economy with a little more state surplus
3. Small businesses in tourist areas were folding and needed help, which in turn also helps employment and our economy
4. College and High school students depend on summer employment and need the weeks to work, which in turn also helps our economy and small business
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 15:34     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

MCPS takes off for Eid if in the calendar year. It was last year.
Proposal for Lunar New Year to be off starting next year



You are misinformed. Look again:

http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/ARCHEU482A41/$file/170919%20PMC%20Calendar%20SY18-19.pdf
http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2017/School-Board-to-Weigh-Cutting-Spring-Break-Academic-Days-in-2018-2019-Calendar/


No YOU are misinformed. MCPS gave off Sept 12th 2016 for Eid and would have this year if school started a week prior to Labor Day.

Eid is Aug 20th in 2018 so it is not on the calendar due to Hogan starting all schools after Labor Day.
Lunar New Year is in the works so it would not be on any current proposals for calendars


Thank you
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 15:31     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
See what happens when we elect a conservative firebrand like Hogan - he interferes in our school calendar for the benefit of his Ocean City cronies. Vote him out.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 15:26     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Anonymous wrote:

MCPS takes off for Eid if in the calendar year. It was last year.
Proposal for Lunar New Year to be off starting next year



You are misinformed. Look again:

http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/ARCHEU482A41/$file/170919%20PMC%20Calendar%20SY18-19.pdf
http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2017/School-Board-to-Weigh-Cutting-Spring-Break-Academic-Days-in-2018-2019-Calendar/
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 15:24     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We are starting to turn into NYC Public Schools and that issue is a MESS.

The NYC district gives off for all of these holidays:

Eid-Al-Hada
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Diwali
Chinese Luna New Year
Eid-Al_Fitr

Last Pew poll showed New York City has 8% Jewish, 3% Hindu and 3% Muslim.

Now that these small minorities have their holidays off, are they satisfied? Nope.

NYC Muslims do not want any field days or other field trip or end of year activities going on their 30 day of Ramadan because their kids can not eat from dawn to dusk and it is too tiring for them and is unfair.

Muslim and Jewish leaders introduced a bill that would make it mandatory for school cafeterias to offer Kosher and Halal meals for anyone that asked for one.

The list goes on. It is a slippery slope and MCPS is trying way too hard to appease a very tiny group of people and now all of us will lose our Springs Breaks because of it. Public school is non-religious. We should not be off for religious holidays. We shouldn't be learning about them either. If a parent feels so strongly, they should send their child to a private religious school instead. I am a Christian and they can take away Good Friday and Easter Monday. I have no issues. The kids should be in school.


Have you looked at the proposed calendars? First, religious holidays are the reason for spring break: Good Friday and Easter Monday, per state law. Second, other than Christmas, the only other religious holidays on the proposed calendars are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which MCPS has consistently maintained are operational issues, not religious ones.

If you want a spring break, tell Governor Hogan that you think the local school boards should set the local school calendars, not him.


MCPS takes off for Eid if in the calendar year. It was last year.
Proposal for Lunar New Year to be off starting next year

Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 14:41     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Anonymous wrote:

You do realize that most public schools celebrate Fall Break after the first quarter and Spring Break after the 3rd quarter? Spring Break does not mean Easter. I am against the state law of Good Friday and Easter Monday.

I would NEVER EVER want the MCPS to have full control over our calendar. We would have started on August 21st this year (High School sports starting Aug 2nd) and we would have gone until the 3rd week of June with a ton of days off sprinkled in-between. I am happy Hogan took over because once again (similar to the snow day issues) MCPS gets out of hand.


Then you should ask Governor Hogan to tell the General Assembly that he supports changing the law. Until the law changes, spring break in Maryland means Easter weekend.

Alternatively, you should support keeping the law, because without those mandated state days, MCPS would have more control over the MCPS calendar.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 14:35     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Anonymous wrote:Today is the second day of RH. Post this afternoon if your kid had a sub.

MCPS should be able to release the stats on how many teachers called in for a sub today and how many slots were able to be filled/unfilled.

Today's numbers will be smaller than yesterday but it's a good starting point.


Way less people take the 2nd day off then the first. This will tell you nothing.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 14:28     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We are starting to turn into NYC Public Schools and that issue is a MESS.

The NYC district gives off for all of these holidays:

Eid-Al-Hada
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Diwali
Chinese Luna New Year
Eid-Al_Fitr

Last Pew poll showed New York City has 8% Jewish, 3% Hindu and 3% Muslim.

Now that these small minorities have their holidays off, are they satisfied? Nope.

NYC Muslims do not want any field days or other field trip or end of year activities going on their 30 day of Ramadan because their kids can not eat from dawn to dusk and it is too tiring for them and is unfair.

Muslim and Jewish leaders introduced a bill that would make it mandatory for school cafeterias to offer Kosher and Halal meals for anyone that asked for one.

The list goes on. It is a slippery slope and MCPS is trying way too hard to appease a very tiny group of people and now all of us will lose our Springs Breaks because of it. Public school is non-religious. We should not be off for religious holidays. We shouldn't be learning about them either. If a parent feels so strongly, they should send their child to a private religious school instead. I am a Christian and they can take away Good Friday and Easter Monday. I have no issues. The kids should be in school.


Have you looked at the proposed calendars? First, religious holidays are the reason for spring break: Good Friday and Easter Monday, per state law. Second, other than Christmas, the only other religious holidays on the proposed calendars are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which MCPS has consistently maintained are operational issues, not religious ones.

If you want a spring break, tell Governor Hogan that you think the local school boards should set the local school calendars, not him.


You do realize that most public schools celebrate Fall Break after the first quarter and Spring Break after the 3rd quarter? Spring Break does not mean Easter. I am against the state law of Good Friday and Easter Monday.

I would NEVER EVER want the MCPS to have full control over our calendar. We would have started on August 21st this year (High School sports starting Aug 2nd) and we would have gone until the 3rd week of June with a ton of days off sprinkled in-between. I am happy Hogan took over because once again (similar to the snow day issues) MCPS gets out of hand.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 14:18     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Anonymous wrote:We are starting to turn into NYC Public Schools and that issue is a MESS.

The NYC district gives off for all of these holidays:

Eid-Al-Hada
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Diwali
Chinese Luna New Year
Eid-Al_Fitr

Last Pew poll showed New York City has 8% Jewish, 3% Hindu and 3% Muslim.

Now that these small minorities have their holidays off, are they satisfied? Nope.

NYC Muslims do not want any field days or other field trip or end of year activities going on their 30 day of Ramadan because their kids can not eat from dawn to dusk and it is too tiring for them and is unfair.

Muslim and Jewish leaders introduced a bill that would make it mandatory for school cafeterias to offer Kosher and Halal meals for anyone that asked for one.

The list goes on. It is a slippery slope and MCPS is trying way too hard to appease a very tiny group of people and now all of us will lose our Springs Breaks because of it. Public school is non-religious. We should not be off for religious holidays. We shouldn't be learning about them either. If a parent feels so strongly, they should send their child to a private religious school instead. I am a Christian and they can take away Good Friday and Easter Monday. I have no issues. The kids should be in school.

YES they absolutely should be learning about them! Build bridges not walls.
NO the holidays should not be observed at school - respected, not observed. Public schools should not be closed on religious holidays or expected to cater to religious diets and rituals. If you are devoutly religious you should absolutely send your children to private schools that meet your needs. This is not rocket science people.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 14:16     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Anonymous wrote:We are starting to turn into NYC Public Schools and that issue is a MESS.

The NYC district gives off for all of these holidays:

Eid-Al-Hada
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Diwali
Chinese Luna New Year
Eid-Al_Fitr

Last Pew poll showed New York City has 8% Jewish, 3% Hindu and 3% Muslim.

Now that these small minorities have their holidays off, are they satisfied? Nope.

NYC Muslims do not want any field days or other field trip or end of year activities going on their 30 day of Ramadan because their kids can not eat from dawn to dusk and it is too tiring for them and is unfair.

Muslim and Jewish leaders introduced a bill that would make it mandatory for school cafeterias to offer Kosher and Halal meals for anyone that asked for one.

The list goes on. It is a slippery slope and MCPS is trying way too hard to appease a very tiny group of people and now all of us will lose our Springs Breaks because of it. Public school is non-religious. We should not be off for religious holidays. We shouldn't be learning about them either. If a parent feels so strongly, they should send their child to a private religious school instead. I am a Christian and they can take away Good Friday and Easter Monday. I have no issues. The kids should be in school.


Have you looked at the proposed calendars? First, religious holidays are the reason for spring break: Good Friday and Easter Monday, per state law. Second, other than Christmas, the only other religious holidays on the proposed calendars are Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which MCPS has consistently maintained are operational issues, not religious ones.

If you want a spring break, tell Governor Hogan that you think the local school boards should set the local school calendars, not him.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 14:11     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Anonymous wrote:Today is the second day of RH. Post this afternoon if your kid had a sub.

MCPS should be able to release the stats on how many teachers called in for a sub today and how many slots were able to be filled/unfilled.

Today's numbers will be smaller than yesterday but it's a good starting point.


I was thinking this also. Previous post mentioned that asking about religion is not allowed - but the information would be helpful in planning the school calendar. It should not be hard to figure out or at least estimate how many subs are needed for the Jewish holidays.
Regarding the shortage of substitutes - this is possibly due to the fact that the qualifications for the job are too high for the pay and the nature of the work. The shortage of substitutes on any given day IS a systemic problem. Ideally each school should have enough full time support staff that could serve as subs when needed. But I am guessing that bureaucracy and budget won't allow it.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 14:05     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
We are starting to turn into NYC Public Schools and that issue is a MESS.

The NYC district gives off for all of these holidays:

Eid-Al-Hada
Rosh Hashanah
Yom Kippur
Diwali
Chinese Luna New Year
Eid-Al_Fitr

Last Pew poll showed New York City has 8% Jewish, 3% Hindu and 3% Muslim.

Now that these small minorities have their holidays off, are they satisfied? Nope.

NYC Muslims do not want any field days or other field trip or end of year activities going on their 30 day of Ramadan because their kids can not eat from dawn to dusk and it is too tiring for them and is unfair.

Muslim and Jewish leaders introduced a bill that would make it mandatory for school cafeterias to offer Kosher and Halal meals for anyone that asked for one.

The list goes on. It is a slippery slope and MCPS is trying way too hard to appease a very tiny group of people and now all of us will lose our Springs Breaks because of it. Public school is non-religious. We should not be off for religious holidays. We shouldn't be learning about them either. If a parent feels so strongly, they should send their child to a private religious school instead. I am a Christian and they can take away Good Friday and Easter Monday. I have no issues. The kids should be in school.
Anonymous
Post 09/22/2017 13:52     Subject: Next Year's School Calendar
Today is the second day of RH. Post this afternoon if your kid had a sub.

MCPS should be able to release the stats on how many teachers called in for a sub today and how many slots were able to be filled/unfilled.

Today's numbers will be smaller than yesterday but it's a good starting point.