Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 09:29     Subject: Re:Makeup school day?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Maybe April 1? Not a religious holiday as far as I know (I'm RC, and Easter Monday isn't a thing except a rest day--although I admit that other Christian traditions could vary in ways in which I'm not familiar), and if students are traveling back from spring break, oh well--no harm, no foul: hold school for whoever can come, tick the requirement off, and life goes on.

The problem I could see there is if _teachers and staff_ were planning last-minute travel return from spring break, but my instinct (as someone who teaches elsewhere) is that that number might be comparatively low.

I suppose they'd have to see, and it might get voted down for any number of reasons, but it might be a middle course.


They can’t use that day because of MD law. I don’t celebrate Easter but it seems like it isn’t really the holiday from what I can tell? Isn’t Good Friday and Easter Monday when most people gather/celebrate? Regardless, they don’t have flexibility on that day.


Easter Sunday is definitely the holiday. I'm a lifelong Catholic, and I haven't known anyone who does anything on Easter Monday. Good Friday has religious observances throughout the day (usually Noon and 3 PM).
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 09:26     Subject: Re:Makeup school day?
Anonymous wrote:Maybe April 1? Not a religious holiday as far as I know (I'm RC, and Easter Monday isn't a thing except a rest day--although I admit that other Christian traditions could vary in ways in which I'm not familiar), and if students are traveling back from spring break, oh well--no harm, no foul: hold school for whoever can come, tick the requirement off, and life goes on.

The problem I could see there is if _teachers and staff_ were planning last-minute travel return from spring break, but my instinct (as someone who teaches elsewhere) is that that number might be comparatively low.

I suppose they'd have to see, and it might get voted down for any number of reasons, but it might be a middle course.


Easter Monday is a state mandated holiday.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 09:21     Subject: Makeup school day?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:May 14 is the Maryland primary election. Wouldn’t June 14 make the most sense?


No, as has been discussed at length, days tacked on to the very end of the year end up being useless. We've got other make-ups in the calendar. This really shouldn't be so complicated. Use the first make-up day that's available to preserve the others for the additional days that will be needed.


That’s your opinion, but I personally think June 14 is a useful and better option in that it will upset/disrupt fewer people. No one has a one day camp starting that day. It doesn’t ignite a religious debate. It could have easily been the last day of school in the first place. I would even keep 6/13 as a half day, do 6/14 as a half day to give teachers time to wrap everything up and close out.


half days are a waste of tax dollars it's all the cost and no education
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 09:20     Subject: Re:Makeup school day?
Anonymous wrote:Maybe April 1? Not a religious holiday as far as I know (I'm RC, and Easter Monday isn't a thing except a rest day--although I admit that other Christian traditions could vary in ways in which I'm not familiar), and if students are traveling back from spring break, oh well--no harm, no foul: hold school for whoever can come, tick the requirement off, and life goes on.

The problem I could see there is if _teachers and staff_ were planning last-minute travel return from spring break, but my instinct (as someone who teaches elsewhere) is that that number might be comparatively low.

I suppose they'd have to see, and it might get voted down for any number of reasons, but it might be a middle course.


They can’t use that day because of MD law. I don’t celebrate Easter but it seems like it isn’t really the holiday from what I can tell? Isn’t Good Friday and Easter Monday when most people gather/celebrate? Regardless, they don’t have flexibility on that day.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 09:16     Subject: Makeup school day?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:May 14 is the Maryland primary election. Wouldn’t June 14 make the most sense?


No, as has been discussed at length, days tacked on to the very end of the year end up being useless. We've got other make-ups in the calendar. This really shouldn't be so complicated. Use the first make-up day that's available to preserve the others for the additional days that will be needed.


That’s your opinion, but I personally think June 14 is a useful and better option in that it will upset/disrupt fewer people. No one has a one day camp starting that day. It doesn’t ignite a religious debate. It could have easily been the last day of school in the first place. I would even keep 6/13 as a half day, do 6/14 as a half day to give teachers time to wrap everything up and close out.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 09:13     Subject: Re:Makeup school day?
Maybe April 1? Not a religious holiday as far as I know (I'm RC, and Easter Monday isn't a thing except a rest day--although I admit that other Christian traditions could vary in ways in which I'm not familiar), and if students are traveling back from spring break, oh well--no harm, no foul: hold school for whoever can come, tick the requirement off, and life goes on.

The problem I could see there is if _teachers and staff_ were planning last-minute travel return from spring break, but my instinct (as someone who teaches elsewhere) is that that number might be comparatively low.

I suppose they'd have to see, and it might get voted down for any number of reasons, but it might be a middle course.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 09:13     Subject: Makeup school day?
I think in order to have the 1/29 be used as a makeup day there would have to be a significant snow event mid to late december.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 08:57     Subject: Makeup school day?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:May 14 is the Maryland primary election. Wouldn’t June 14 make the most sense?


No, as has been discussed at length, days tacked on to the very end of the year end up being useless. We've got other make-ups in the calendar. This really shouldn't be so complicated. Use the first make-up day that's available to preserve the others for the additional days that will be needed.


They don't do it that way. They wait until winter is mostly over and they have a good sense of the total number of days needed. If there are a lot they ask MSDE for a waiver. Depending on what they say, they figure out how to fit the makeup days in. I would not expect to know anything until late Feb/early March.


Unless there's a Snowmageddon, MSDE isn't going to approve waivers. So there's no point in even considering that.

But why do we have 1/29 on the calender as a make-up day if, as you claim, there's no way to use it as such?
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 08:51     Subject: Makeup school day?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:May 14 is the Maryland primary election. Wouldn’t June 14 make the most sense?


No, as has been discussed at length, days tacked on to the very end of the year end up being useless. We've got other make-ups in the calendar. This really shouldn't be so complicated. Use the first make-up day that's available to preserve the others for the additional days that will be needed.


They don't do it that way. They wait until winter is mostly over and they have a good sense of the total number of days needed. If there are a lot they ask MSDE for a waiver. Depending on what they say, they figure out how to fit the makeup days in. I would not expect to know anything until late Feb/early March.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 08:43     Subject: Makeup school day?
Anonymous wrote:May 14 is the Maryland primary election. Wouldn’t June 14 make the most sense?


No, as has been discussed at length, days tacked on to the very end of the year end up being useless. We've got other make-ups in the calendar. This really shouldn't be so complicated. Use the first make-up day that's available to preserve the others for the additional days that will be needed.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 08:42     Subject: Re:Makeup school day?
4/22 is not a religious observance. Passover starts at sundown on that day. No reason kids can’t go to school. If they were going to travel for a Seder that night they’d have missed school the next day anyway. I don’t know about how Eid is celebrated so not going to comment on that, but the number of Jewish kids religious enough to miss school on the first two and last two days of Passover, who are enrolled in MCPS, has to be very small - and 4/22 isn’t even one of those days, 4/23 would be.
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 08:40     Subject: Makeup school day?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:January 29th would be the best option, but MCPS probably can't get their act together to do it.

April 10th is the next best option, partly so they can reserve April 22nd for an almost-certainty-needed second make-up day.


Choosing 4/10 before choosing 4/22 would be a rather large show of religious favoritism. There are unlikely to be snow days after 3/15, so there would be no need to choose an April makeup day at this time. Using 1/29 would be prudent.


I definitely think that should make 1/29 a full school day, but unless they announce that tomorrow, I don't think it's happening. It takes so long for MCPS to make decisions that it would be best to plan on having both 4/10 and 4/22 as make-up days.


Right now, it’s only 1 day. If they choose 4/10 and not 4/22, they are bigots


They're both religious observances. There's no winning. Particularly now, they need to not touch either one of those.


But those are the options. Why schedule those days as make-up days if we're not willing to use them?

The person trying to rile people up through accusations of discrimination is being ridiculous. And probably a troll. We're going to need to use both days anyway.

Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 08:37     Subject: Makeup school day?
May 14 is the Maryland primary election. Wouldn’t June 14 make the most sense?
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 08:37     Subject: Re:Makeup school day?
Why is May 14 a holiday? What holiday is it
Anonymous
Post 01/22/2024 08:32     Subject: Makeup school day?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:January 29th would be the best option, but MCPS probably can't get their act together to do it.

April 10th is the next best option, partly so they can reserve April 22nd for an almost-certainty-needed second make-up day.


Choosing 4/10 before choosing 4/22 would be a rather large show of religious favoritism. There are unlikely to be snow days after 3/15, so there would be no need to choose an April makeup day at this time. Using 1/29 would be prudent.


I definitely think that should make 1/29 a full school day, but unless they announce that tomorrow, I don't think it's happening. It takes so long for MCPS to make decisions that it would be best to plan on having both 4/10 and 4/22 as make-up days.


Right now, it’s only 1 day. If they choose 4/10 and not 4/22, they are bigots


They're both religious observances. There's no winning. Particularly now, they need to not touch either one of those.