Hogan, Franchot promise big news on school start date

[awpitt]

Look like the Governor and Comptroller are moving toward requiring all Maryland schools to not start the school year until after the Labor Day weekend...

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Comptroller Peter Franchot, two of the state’s strongest advocates for starting the school year after Labor Day, say they will make a major announcement on the subject Wednesday.
On Monday, the comptroller’s office scheduled a news conference “regarding Maryland public schools’ starting date” that would take place in Ocean City, the only jurisdiction in the state where public schools stay closed for the summer until after the holiday.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...ff2922-6e11-11e6-8365-b19e428a975e_story.html

 

[sockgirl77]

It really does not matter. Parents b!tch about this every year. If it passes, they will be b!tching when their kids are still in school the last week of June.

They should all convert to an 11 month school year. My kids benefitted from that. While summer vacations are nice, there is really not a need for the kids to be off for over 2 full months. It seems as if the kids forget half of what they learned the previous school year and it takes them the first month just to gain the knowledge back.

 

[RareBreed]

I agree that it really doesn't matter. Hogan said kids needed a longer summer vacation. Starting after Labor Day would only add another week to their vacation (Calvert Co). Year round school would be nice as a parent and I don't think my kids would mind too much. My oldest barely had a summer vacation this year between HS soccer summer league, soccer conditioning, soccer tryouts, and practices. On his "days off", he'd go fishing or swimming with friends so he did enjoy himself a little this summer.

 

[awpitt]

It really does not matter. Parents b!tch about this every year. If it passes, they will be b!tching when their kids are still in school the last week of June.

They should all convert to an 11 month school year. My kids benefitted from that. While summer vacations are nice, there is really not a need for the kids to be off for over 2 full months. It seems as if the kids forget half of what they learned the previous school year and it takes them the first month just to gain the knowledge back.

I went to year round school when I lived in Colorado in the 70's. We were on a rotation. I think it was something like six weeks on then a week off (I think). I just remember having vacations throughout the year which was nice.

 

[getbent]

I think some parents were against it due to potential issues with daycare.

 

[Hannibal]

The whole premise of a 2.5 month summer vacation is a bit dated given current times IMO. I believe it's been a practice around here for years (certainly when I was a kid) and it goes back to a time when many houses were single-income and mom usually stayed home. Now-a-days, it's a rarity for a parent to be home all day and this puts a big strain on many families to find adequate child care for young kids or requires parents to leave older kids at home by themselves.

I understand that many teachers love their "summers off" (my mother did) but it does come at the price of pay. Any way you slice it, teachers are paid against a 9-10 month calendar. They can divvy their pay periods against 12 months but it's still the same concept. That being said, if more days were required of them, their salaries should increase. This would require more funding of course and I am not sure where that would come from.

 

[sockgirl77]

I think some parents were against it due to potential issues with daycare.

Daycares will adhere to whatever schedule the public schools change to.

 

[awpitt]

The whole premise of a 2.5 month summer vacation is a bit dated given current times IMO. I believe it's been a practice around here for years (certainly when I was a kid) and it goes back to a time when many houses were single-income and mom usually stayed home. Now-a-days, it's a rarity for a parent to be home all day and this puts a big strain on many families to find adequate child care for young kids or requires parents to leave older kids at home by themselves.

I understand that many teachers love their "summers off" (my mother did) but it does come at the price of pay. Any way you slice it, teachers are paid against a 9-10 month calendar. They can divvy their pay periods against 12 months but it's still the same concept. That being said, if more days were required of them, their salaries should increase. This would require more funding of course and I am not sure where that would come from.

I don't believe the number of teacher duty days will change as a result of any changes in the scheduling. The 180 day school year remains the same. It's that those 180 school days are distributed differently. Less summer break means more smaller breaks throughout the school year. In fact, when SMCPS first started moving the school start date into August, they added a full week plus one day for spring break which was originally a four day weekend.

 

[Restitution]

I understand that many teachers love their "summers off" (my mother did) but it does come at the price of pay. Any way you slice it, teachers are paid against a 9-10 month calendar. They can divvy their pay periods against 12 months but it's still the same concept. That being said, if more days were required of them, their salaries should increase. This would require more funding of course and I am not sure where that would come from.

But.. but... but....

It would come from the lottery monies that are going into the education fund... right?

 

[Gilligan]

I went to year round school when I lived in Colorado in the 70's. We were on a rotation. I think it was something like six weeks on then a week off (I think). I just remember having vacations throughout the year which was nice.

That's an interesting way to schedule school. Hadn't heard about that before.

Biggest problem I would have had with that kind of school schedule would be that a typical summer job would no longer be an option. But I'm not sure how many kids work summer jobs these days compared to the 70s when I was in HS.

 

[getbent]

That's an interesting way to schedule school. Hadn't heard about that before.

Biggest problem I would have had with that kind of school schedule would be that a typical summer job would no longer be an option. But I'm not sure how many kids work summer jobs these days compared to the 70s when I was in HS.

I didn't even think about teenagers working during the summer. A lot of my daughters friends do not have to work. Parents pay for everything. Must be nice to make that kind of money. Wonder if it would throw a monkey wrench in sports camps, conditioning, tryouts, etc.

 

[awpitt]

That's an interesting way to schedule school. Hadn't heard about that before.

Biggest problem I would have had with that kind of school schedule would be that a typical summer job would no longer be an option. But I'm not sure how many kids work summer jobs these days compared to the 70s when I was in HS.

My year round experience was during my 3rd and 4th grade years so I might not have the rotation weeks right. I do remember the student was split up in 4 sections called patterns. So, at any given time, one quarter of the student body was on vacation while the other three quarters were in school. Kids from any given household would all be on the same pattern. So if a household had kids in elementary, middle, and high school, all the kids in that house would be on the same schedule.

 

[RoseRed]

I'm just glad I don't have to worry about it anymore. My Chicklet is now a Senior. 3 morning classes, then off to work.

 

[getbent]

I'm just glad I don't have to worry about it anymore. My Chicklet is now a Senior. 3 morning classes, then off to work.

I have one Senior and one Freshman. 4 more years to go!!

 

[RoseRed]

I have one Senior and one Freshman. 4 more years to go!!

 

[awpitt]

I'm just glad I don't have to worry about it anymore. My Chicklet is now a Senior. 3 morning classes, then off to work.

My youngest is a senior this year also.

 

[sockgirl77]

I went to year round school when I lived in Colorado in the 70's. We were on a rotation. I think it was something like six weeks on then a week off (I think). I just remember having vacations throughout the year which was nice.

That's an interesting way to schedule school. Hadn't heard about that before.

Biggest problem I would have had with that kind of school schedule would be that a typical summer job would no longer be an option. But I'm not sure how many kids work summer jobs these days compared to the 70s when I was in HS.

This is how Chesapeake Public Charter School's schedule is. It was perfect. The kids got a little mini break a few times per year and were able to retain their knowledge during the summer.

While I want my kids to work during their teenage years, their education is FAR more important. They can work throughout the whole year, but just a few hours per week. As far as the summers, 6 weeks is enough time for them to rack up some hours at the local pool or summer camp counselor type job.

 

[spr1975wshs]

I'd like to see the schools get off the agrarian schedule completely.
4 terms throughout the year, 10 weeks on, 3 weeks off.

 

[jrt_ms1995]

Why not solve the issue by privatizing all the public schools, then when they start won't be any of the state's concern? :shrug:

 

[awpitt]

Why not solve the issue by privatizing all the public schools, then when they start won't be any of the state's concern? :shrug:

Well, apparently, the state wants to be concern so what makes you think the state would privatize schools?