Virgina schools don't need waivers when they have extra school hours..(as MCPS does). They don't need to even ask to reduce the number of days. I think Loudon closed 15 days..no make-ups no waiver.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster. You are lame. The school has it in their budget plan. They just don't want to use it. [/b]We are the ONLY district in the DC Metro area not making up lost time before the school year ends. Some are taking federal holidays, others professional days, others Spring Break. Not MCPS. They just cry to the state so they don't have to provide an education the way our taxes are being taken. There was a huge issue just a few years ago and they CHOSE to not change the make-up dates to professional days. The teachers union wants bare minimum. MCPS wants bare minimum and there are actually parents fighting FOR the bare minimum. It is ridiculous how you all justify it. So yes let's keep the calendar "make-ups" for the end of the year, continue to ask for waivers and continue to flip-flop on when the school year will actually end. It just works so well. The more confusing and less work the better, right?

How do you know that MCPS has the money in their budget plan?

[b]And MCPS is not the ONLY district in the DC Metro area not making up lost time before the school year ends. Prince George's County moved its last day back and applied for the waiver.

Yeah, they tend to forget PG exists.

Okay, who else besides PG and MC then? Who else is making up nothing and asking for waivers?

My sister's school in Pa gave up two teacher days, President's Day and Easter Monday (still off the previous week) and the kids still go 3 more days in June to make up for it all their missed days. No one asking for waivers. Maryland is very very sad when it comes to the importance of education. Waivers should not be allowed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Typically, teachers have the grades done already prior to the work-day. At least, that's how it is at my child's ES. I had no clue until I went in once to retrieve a left-behind jacket... had to track down a custodian to let me in her room. Custodian was VERY forthcoming about how few people go in and why. Of course, I could already tell the school was empty except for the on-site child care.

Just because teachers are not in the building does not mean that their grades are completed. Today was a telework day. Teachers are allowed to complete their grading and report card preparation at home.

Yeah, they had plenty of time home this 3rd quarter. Another day home and a missed school day yet again is pathetic. MANY other jobs besides teachers work outside their 9-5 time. Oh wait, I mean 9-3 slot.

IN response to the PP about some VA schools: Students in Loudoun County Public Schools attend school six hours a day, at minimum, for 180 days, a policy held since 1990. So snow and ice would have to cause the cancellation of more than 15 days school days in Loudoun before students had to make up any of their instructional hours.
Arlington County has announced that it will change a teacher grade preparation day on March 31 into a full school day and that some elementary schools and a secondary program that have scheduled early release days on Wednesday are losing those early release days to make up programming time.
MCPS has not tried to make ANY days up=weak!

Anonymous wrote:Typically, teachers have the grades done already prior to the work-day. At least, that's how it is at my child's ES. I had no clue until I went in once to retrieve a left-behind jacket... had to track down a custodian to let me in her room. Custodian was VERY forthcoming about how few people go in and why. Of course, I could already tell the school was empty except for the on-site child care.

Just because teachers are not in the building does not mean that their grades are completed. Today was a telework day. Teachers are allowed to complete their grading and report card preparation at home.

Typically, teachers have the grades done already prior to the work-day. At least, that's how it is at my child's ES. I had no clue until I went in once to retrieve a left-behind jacket... had to track down a custodian to let me in her room. Custodian was VERY forthcoming about how few people go in and why. Of course, I could already tell the school was empty except for the on-site child care.

Anonymous wrote:So....

Teacher in-service day today, so no schooling for the kids and application for cutting 5 days off of the year.

SMH.

There's a professional day today because it's the end of the third quarter. Would you prefer it if the teachers just skipped doing their third-quarter grades and assessments?

So....

Teacher in-service day today, so no schooling for the kids and application for cutting 5 days off of the year.

SMH.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster. You are lame. The school has it in their budget plan. They just don't want to use it. [/b]We are the ONLY district in the DC Metro area not making up lost time before the school year ends. Some are taking federal holidays, others professional days, others Spring Break. Not MCPS. They just cry to the state so they don't have to provide an education the way our taxes are being taken. There was a huge issue just a few years ago and they CHOSE to not change the make-up dates to professional days. The teachers union wants bare minimum. MCPS wants bare minimum and there are actually parents fighting FOR the bare minimum. It is ridiculous how you all justify it. So yes let's keep the calendar "make-ups" for the end of the year, continue to ask for waivers and continue to flip-flop on when the school year will actually end. It just works so well. The more confusing and less work the better, right?

How do you know that MCPS has the money in their budget plan?

[b]And MCPS is not the ONLY district in the DC Metro area not making up lost time before the school year ends. Prince George's County moved its last day back and applied for the waiver.

Yeah, they tend to forget PG exists.

Anonymous wrote:New poster. You are lame. The school has it in their budget plan. They just don't want to use it. [/b]We are the ONLY district in the DC Metro area not making up lost time before the school year ends.[b] Some are taking federal holidays, others professional days, others Spring Break. Not MCPS. They just cry to the state so they don't have to provide an education the way our taxes are being taken. There was a huge issue just a few years ago and they CHOSE to not change the make-up dates to professional days. The teachers union wants bare minimum. MCPS wants bare minimum and there are actually parents fighting FOR the bare minimum. It is ridiculous how you all justify it. So yes let's keep the calendar "make-ups" for the end of the year, continue to ask for waivers and continue to flip-flop on when the school year will actually end. It just works so well. The more confusing and less work the better, right?

How do you know that MCPS has the money in their budget plan?

And MCPS is not the ONLY district in the DC Metro area not making up lost time before the school year ends. Prince George's County moved its last day back and applied for the waiver.

Loudon and Arlington are both relying on school day hour counts to call their school years complete despite all the snow days. Loudon has had something like 15 snow days and is not making up anything. Arlington is making up 1? and extending the ES day a bit but not changing MS and HS. PG county will likely apply for a waiver too. PW county shortened ES recess to 10 minutes a day!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

keithcc wrote:By this math, the extra days would cost $500,000 each.
That's an absolute bargain!

The FY2015 budget is $2.32 billion for 184 days -- $12.6 million per day. We should be thrilled to get it for $500k.

Mr. Starr and MCPS officials-- The service your teachers provide is really important. I urge you to value it more highly.

Where do you think this extra money should come from?

+1

New poster. You are lame. The school has it in their budget plan. They just don't want to use it. We are the ONLY district in the DC Metro area not making up lost time before the school year ends. Some are taking federal holidays, others professional days, others Spring Break. Not MCPS. They just cry to the state so they don't have to provide an education the way our taxes are being taken. There was a huge issue just a few years ago and they CHOSE to not change the make-up dates to professional days. The teachers union wants bare minimum. MCPS wants bare minimum and there are actually parents fighting FOR the bare minimum. It is ridiculous how you all justify it. So yes let's keep the calendar "make-ups" for the end of the year, continue to ask for waivers and continue to flip-flop on when the school year will actually end. It just works so well. The more confusing and less work the better, right?

Anonymous wrote:

keithcc wrote:By this math, the extra days would cost $500,000 each.
That's an absolute bargain!

The FY2015 budget is $2.32 billion for 184 days -- $12.6 million per day. We should be thrilled to get it for $500k.

Mr. Starr and MCPS officials-- The service your teachers provide is really important. I urge you to value it more highly.

Where do you think this extra money should come from?

+1

Anonymous wrote:"Fairfax didn't go to school on MLK day. That was a holiday. They DID go to school on Presidents' Day, per their contingency plan. "
Sorry my mistake. But should the point be that most schools at least try to make up the days and try to stick to their contingency plan BEFORE even thinking about putting in a waiver?

Which most schools? There seems to be a general tendency among Maryland school districts to get a waiver, if there were a lot of missed days -- which there were.