Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My solution to the start time? We should have kept the start/end times of all schools as is and not changed a thing. I teach high school. My observations are anecdotal, but I personally see no difference in the wakefulness of my first period students than I saw in the past. My colleagues concur. Across the board. In my school and in other schools. We've talked about it a LOT this fall. My students find no difference themselves and they HATE ending school 20 minutes later. Elementary school teachers that I know DESPISE the new times as their students (I'm talking about the little ones...K and first grade) have trouble staying engaged 20 minutes later in the afternoon. Teachers across the board were very negative about changing the start times when our input was solicited (and obviously not heard). Shoot, we're just the ones who actually teach so why should what we, in our best professional judgement, think matter?

The Board of Education is an elected board. When enough parents yell, they are supposed to listen. Keeping the start/end times was a politically infeasible solution.

The operative term is "enough." What happened was a small group of Bethesda/Potomac parents with time on their hands and money in their wallets wanted the bell times changed. Money talks.

Anonymous wrote:

My solution to the start time? We should have kept the start/end times of all schools as is and not changed a thing. I teach high school. My observations are anecdotal, but I personally see no difference in the wakefulness of my first period students than I saw in the past. My colleagues concur. Across the board. In my school and in other schools. We've talked about it a LOT this fall. My students find no difference themselves and they HATE ending school 20 minutes later. Elementary school teachers that I know DESPISE the new times as their students (I'm talking about the little ones...K and first grade) have trouble staying engaged 20 minutes later in the afternoon. Teachers across the board were very negative about changing the start times when our input was solicited (and obviously not heard). Shoot, we're just the ones who actually teach so why should what we, in our best professional judgement, think matter?

The Board of Education is an elected board. When enough parents yell, they are supposed to listen. Keeping the start/end times was a politically infeasible solution.

Anonymous wrote:

No, there won't be final exams. Perhaps end of quarter tests, but they will not reflect a semester's worth of content like finals now reflect. They will not be final exams.

In other words, there actually will be final exams, it's just they'll be at the end-of-quarter tests instead of end-of-semester tests.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No more final exams. Start times shifted by 20 minutes. A debacle masquerading as a Superintendent search. Now this Bullshit (closing for a religious holiday less than one year after announcing that schools don't close for religious holidays; they close because low staff and student attendance is expected to make opening impossible). Anyone else think this Board of Ed is less than competent?

Or, more accurately, no more semester-long final exams written by the central office and administered during a special exam period. There will still be final exams.

Also, what was your solution for the high school start time issue?

The Board of Education is a mess, but the problems they're dealing with wouldn't be easy for the most competent Board of Education in the world to solve.

No, there won't be final exams. Perhaps end of quarter tests, but they will not reflect a semester's worth of content like finals now reflect. They will not be final exams.

My solution to the start time? We should have kept the start/end times of all schools as is and not changed a thing. I teach high school. My observations are anecdotal, but I personally see no difference in the wakefulness of my first period students than I saw in the past. My colleagues concur. Across the board. In my school and in other schools. We've talked about it a LOT this fall. My students find no difference themselves and they HATE ending school 20 minutes later. Elementary school teachers that I know DESPISE the new times as their students (I'm talking about the little ones...K and first grade) have trouble staying engaged 20 minutes later in the afternoon. Teachers across the board were very negative about changing the start times when our input was solicited (and obviously not heard). Shoot, we're just the ones who actually teach so why should what we, in our best professional judgement, think matter?

Anonymous wrote:

NP here. New to MCPS. What is the HS start time issue? Thanks!

Here is a summary: http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/2015/MoCo-High-Schools-Will-Start-20-Minutes-Later-Next-School-Year/

Basically, there was no good solution. The 20-minute delay was arguably the least bad low-cost alternative.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at your calendar for the current year. We had Monday, 9/14/15 OFF this year. So, there won't be any real change next year with this holiday. Simmer down, folks.

Actually it IS a big deal, thanks to the Board of Education deciding that 9/12/16 is a holiday for students but a Professional Day for teachers. Teachers are PAID to work. Since they made this a Professional Day, a Professional Day had to be moved from elsewhere in the calendar or it would have cost $7 million in salary.

On 9/14/15 and every other Jewish holiday, schools were closed for students AND staff.

Simple solution would be to treat 9/12/16 like 9/14/15 and just close for everyone. But no, our Board of Education just can't keep from tripping all over themselves to make asinine decisions.

9/14/15 wasn't a Jewish holiday. It was a professional day.

Wrong! 9/14/15 was Rosh Hashana.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look at your calendar for the current year. We had Monday, 9/14/15 OFF this year. So, there won't be any real change next year with this holiday. Simmer down, folks.

Actually it IS a big deal, thanks to the Board of Education deciding that 9/12/16 is a holiday for students but a Professional Day for teachers. Teachers are PAID to work. Since they made this a Professional Day, a Professional Day had to be moved from elsewhere in the calendar or it would have cost $7 million in salary.

On 9/14/15 and every other Jewish holiday, schools were closed for students AND staff.

Simple solution would be to treat 9/12/16 like 9/14/15 and just close for everyone. But no, our Board of Education just can't keep from tripping all over themselves to make asinine decisions.

9/14/15 wasn't a Jewish holiday. It was a professional day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No more final exams. Start times shifted by 20 minutes. A debacle masquerading as a Superintendent search. Now this Bullshit (closing for a religious holiday less than one year after announcing that schools don't close for religious holidays; they close because low staff and student attendance is expected to make opening impossible). Anyone else think this Board of Ed is less than competent?

Or, more accurately, no more semester-long final exams written by the central office and administered during a special exam period. There will still be final exams.

Also, what was your solution for the high school start time issue?

The Board of Education is a mess, but the problems they're dealing with wouldn't be easy for the most competent Board of Education in the world to solve.

NP here. New to MCPS. What is the HS start time issue? Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:

No more final exams. Start times shifted by 20 minutes. A debacle masquerading as a Superintendent search. Now this Bullshit (closing for a religious holiday less than one year after announcing that schools don't close for religious holidays; they close because low staff and student attendance is expected to make opening impossible). Anyone else think this Board of Ed is less than competent?

Or, more accurately, no more semester-long final exams written by the central office and administered during a special exam period. There will still be final exams.

Also, what was your solution for the high school start time issue?

The Board of Education is a mess, but the problems they're dealing with wouldn't be easy for the most competent Board of Education in the world to solve.

I agree with the PP who said to make the inservice week start on Tuesday. I'm not sure why Bowers went a different direction.

Anonymous wrote:Look at your calendar for the current year. We had Monday, 9/14/15 OFF this year. So, there won't be any real change next year with this holiday. Simmer down, folks.

Actually it IS a big deal, thanks to the Board of Education deciding that 9/12/16 is a holiday for students but a Professional Day for teachers. Teachers are PAID to work. Since they made this a Professional Day, a Professional Day had to be moved from elsewhere in the calendar or it would have cost $7 million in salary.

On 9/14/15 and every other Jewish holiday, schools were closed for students AND staff.

Simple solution would be to treat 9/12/16 like 9/14/15 and just close for everyone. But no, our Board of Education just can't keep from tripping all over themselves to make asinine decisions.

Anonymous wrote:I am also still confused about the addition of a religious holiday after they deleted all references to religious holidays. The fall is a series of days off which drives me crazy. That said, summer was way too long for my kids last year so I am OK with starting earlier.

We must bow down to Muslims. That is why.

Anonymous wrote:I'm not bothered by it but hope they decide soon so I can pin down summer plans!

You would be if you have kids in high school sports. They start 2.5 weeks before school starts.

You're absolutely right PP. I think what is simmering is that the one additional day off in September is nothing compared to this year's calendar, and yet the Interim Superintendent has recommended cutting students' summer short and starting school on a Wednesday, which essentially means a week less of summer vacation. It's not about the extra holiday/day off in September.

I am also still confused about the addition of a religious holiday after they deleted all references to religious holidays. The fall is a series of days off which drives me crazy. That said, summer was way too long for my kids last year so I am OK with starting earlier.