Maryland Senate votes to overturn after Labor Day school start

jazz lady

~*~ Rara Avis ~*~
PREMO Member
This was Governor Hogan's response he posted on his FB page:

Today, the Senate voted against an overwhelming majority of Marylanders who strongly support schools starting after Labor Day and sided with lobbyists, paid political operatives, and special interest groups. This common sense policy has always had broad, bipartisan support for years. The legislature voted nearly unanimously to study the issue, and their task force made up of legislators, education experts, teachers, and parents voted in favor of starting school after Labor Day by a 12-3 majority.

Some of the Senators who voted to stop the post-Labor Day start have previously SPONSORED legislation to start schools after Labor Day in the past - as recently as 2016. If that isn’t blatant, partisan hypocrisy, then I don’t know what is.

Contact these Senators and tell them that they are opposing the will of voters like you:

THOMAS V. MIKE MILLER
Democrat, District 27, Calvert, Charles & Prince George's Counties
thomas.v.mike.miller@senate.state.md.us

MALCOLM AUGUSTINE
Democrat, District 47, Prince George's County
malcolm.augustine@senate.state.md.us

PAM BEIDLE
Democrat, District 32, Anne Arundel County
pamela.beidle@senate.state.md.us

JOANNE BENSON
Democrat, District 24, Prince George's County
joanne.benson@senate.state.md.us

JILL CARTER
Democrat, District 41, Baltimore City
jill.carter@senate.state.md.us

SARAH ELFRETH
Democrat, District 30, Anne Arundel County
sarah.elfreth@senate.state.md.us

ARTHUR ELLIS
Democrat, District 28, Charles County
arthur.ellis@senate.state.md.us

BRIAN FELDMAN
Democrat, District 15, Montgomery County
brian.feldman@senate.state.md.us

BILL FERGUSON
Democrat, District 46, Baltimore City
bill.ferguson@senate.state.md.us

MELONY GRIFFITH
Democrat, District 25, Prince George's County
melony.griffith@senate.state.md.us

GUY GUZZONE
Democrat, District 13, Howard County
guy.guzzone@senate.state.md.us

ANTONIO HAYES
Democrat, District 40, Baltimore City
antonio.hayes@senate.state.md.us

KATIE FRY HESTER
Democrat, District 9, Carroll & Howard Counties
katiefry.hester@senate.state.md.us

CHERYL KAGAN
Democrat, District 17, Montgomery County
cheryl.kagan@senate.state.md.us

DELORES GOODWIN KELLEY
Democrat, District 10, Baltimore County
delores.kelley@senate.state.md.us

NANCY KING
Democrat, District 39, Montgomery County
nancy.king@senate.state.md.us

KATHERINE KLAUSMEIER
Democrat, District 8, Baltimore County
katherine.klausmeier@senate.state.md.us

BENJAMIN KRAMER
Democrat, District 19, Montgomery County
ben.kramer@senate.state.md.us

CLARENCE LAM
Democrat, District 12, Baltimore County & Howard County
clarence.lam@senate.state.md.us

SUSAN LEE
Democrat, District 16, Montgomery County
susan.lee@senate.state.md.us

CORY McCRAY
Democrat, District 45, Baltimore City
cory.mccray@senate.state.md.us

OBIE PATTERSON
Democrat, District 26, Prince George's County
obie.patterson@senate.state.md.us

DOUGLAS J. J. PETERS
Democrat, District 23, Prince George's County
douglas.peters@senate.state.md.us

PAUL PINSKY
Democrat, District 22, Prince George's County
paul.pinsky@senate.state.md.us

JAMES ROSAPEPE
Democrat, District 21, Prince George's County & Anne Arundel County
jim.rosapepe@senate.state.md.us

WILL SMITH
Democrat, District 20, Montgomery County
will.smith@senate.state.md.us

JEFFREY WALDSTREICHER
Democrat, District 18, Montgomery County
jeff.waldstreicher@senate.state.md.us

MARY WASHINGTON
Democrat, District 43, Baltimore City
mary.washington@senate.state.md.us

RON YOUNG
Democrat, District 3, Frederick & Washington Counties
ronald.young@senate.state.md.us

BOBBY ZIRKIN
Democrat, District 11, Baltimore County
bobby.zirkin@senate.state.md.us

CRAIG ZUCKER
Democrat, District 14, Montgomery County
craig.zucker@senate.state.md.us

Great response and called them all on the carpet for their actions.
 

This_person

Well-Known Member
Good. I hope it passes the House of Delegates as well. This sort of thing (school calendar) should be decided by the local boards of education.
I've been mulling this over, and I would generally want to agree. Something tells me it's ok for the state to establish some things, though. There are statewide factors to consider, like road construction and police support and other things that go far beyond a local school district.

I'm very much in favor of local school boards establishing curriculum and such, but some things are reasonable to be set by the state level.
 

Bird Dog

Bird Dog
PREMO Member
According to the democats it wasn't a big deal.. it was insignificant even. That's why we needed new legislation
It’s just typical Bush/Miller power play.....with support of the Unions. You need those campaign contributions
 

awpitt

Main Streeter
I've been mulling this over, and I would generally want to agree. Something tells me it's ok for the state to establish some things, though. There are statewide factors to consider, like road construction and police support and other things that go far beyond a local school district.

I'm very much in favor of local school boards establishing curriculum and such, but some things are reasonable to be set by the state level.

I agree with what you're saying but school calendar is not one of them.
 

Hijinx

Well-Known Member
Doesn't make a lot of sense. Have no idea why this was done. Just to have something to do I suppose.
So maybe it is veto proof.
Veto it any way and make them vote again.
Let the people see what kind of azz wipes we have running the state.
 

awpitt

Main Streeter
Doesn't make a lot of sense. Have no idea why this was done. Just to have something to do I suppose.
So maybe it is veto proof.
Veto it any way and make them vote again.
Let the people see what kind of azz wipes we have running the state.

Why does it not make a lot of sense to you? It's simple. Local county boards of education should be setting the school calendar.
 

This_person

Well-Known Member
I agree with what you're saying but school calendar is not one of them.
I'm not convinced that is completely true. As I say, my default is to say control should be at the local level, but let's say the state planned road maintenance that would take out the emergency route from a school....that is not up to a local school board, but would be coordinated if there is a state mandate for when school starts (as in, road must be complete by X date). That's clearly much easier to do if the state also controls the date of a school start.
 

awpitt

Main Streeter
I'm not convinced that is completely true. As I say, my default is to say control should be at the local level, but let's say the state planned road maintenance that would take out the emergency route from a school....that is not up to a local school board, but would be coordinated if there is a state mandate for when school starts (as in, road must be complete by X date). That's clearly much easier to do if the state also controls the date of a school start.

Something like that would be coordinated regardless of who sets the school calendar. That has always been the practice.
 

Hijinx

Well-Known Member
Why does it not make a lot of sense to you? It's simple. Local county boards of education should be setting the school calendar.
That's your opinion, you are entitled to be wrong. School should start after Labor day
 
I don't have kids, so no dog in this fight, but I remember returning to school after Labor Day weekend, usually that Wednesday. When and how did that change? Was it done to allow earlier exit from school in June?
 

awpitt

Main Streeter
That's your opinion, you are entitled to be wrong. School should start after Labor day

I'm not wrong since I'm not advocating for school to start before or after Labor Day. I am advocating for the school calendar to be set by the local boards of education.
 

awpitt

Main Streeter
I don't have kids, so no dog in this fight, but I remember returning to school after Labor Day weekend, usually that Wednesday. When and how did that change? Was it done to allow earlier exit from school in June?

The first time I remember school starting before Labor Day was in 1982 in Washington County, MD.
 

Grumpy

Well-Known Member
The first time I remember school starting before Labor Day was in 1982 in Washington County, MD.
I remember community college classes starting the week before Labor Day in 1971, not sure when that happened with K-12.
 

This_person

Well-Known Member
Something like that would be coordinated regardless of who sets the school calendar. That has always been the practice.
Sure, hopefully well, too.

But what's easier, knowing the date and working around it, or hoping you get the right date for the right school district for the right project?
 

awpitt

Main Streeter
Sure, hopefully well, too.

But what's easier, knowing the date and working around it, or hoping you get the right date for the right school district for the right project?


Each county has a local SHA office that coordinates with local govt and schools. Besides, the school calendars are set well in advance of the start of the school year. It's really not that difficult.
 

Hijinx

Well-Known Member
I'm not wrong since I'm not advocating for school to start before or after Labor Day. I am advocating for the school calendar to be set by the local boards of education.
And that is fine as long as they set their school calendar to start after Labor day.

They can play with Christmas and Easter , the teachers days off and the close of school any time they like.
 

Salmon

Well-Known Member
Good. Fat Hogan overstepped his boundaries and the Democrats reminded him that he possesses little power.
 
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