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Old 09-01-2016, 05:37 AM
 
5,100 posts, read 6,010,523 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by imbobbbb View Post
When I went to school in Md we never started before Labor Day and winters haven't gotten any worse in 30-40 years,people have just gotten softer.
See my post above. It isn't the weather that is causing the longer school year. It is the mandates for more non-student days during the year. The mandates don't just come from the state. They come from parents and politicians who want an extra day on each holiday for travel, days when there are no students for parent teacher conferences (which many parents ignore), etc
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Old 09-01-2016, 06:11 AM
 
Location: On the Chesapeake
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MidValleyDad View Post
See my post above. It isn't the weather that is causing the longer school year. It is the mandates for more non-student days during the year. The mandates don't just come from the state. They come from parents and politicians who want an extra day on each holiday for travel, days when there are no students for parent teacher conferences (which many parents ignore), etc
That's what a lot of people don't know, maybe, kids may be out but teachers are in.

What I want to throw in is my former system, Prince George's, would start earlier than most in August and still get out later in June. If anyone is paying attention, most Maryland school systems have only one month, usually March, that is a full 20 day month. Every other month there are days out for religious holidays, voting, parent conference days (I would usually only have 2 or 3 show up and they'd be parents I wouldn't really need to see) professional development (in-service), whatever.

As a note, a minimum of 10 days in-service for all school systems is enshrined in COMAR. School systems with academic issues have more, the number set by directive from MSDE.
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Old 09-01-2016, 10:03 AM
 
Location: Cumberland
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Time was every little cross roads had its own 20-40 kid elementary school, and it was much easier to get to school every day. Now lots of kids have 20+ minute drives over mountain roads. Add in snow, wind, sub-zero temperatures, and there are some days when it just isn't safe.........and putting all the buses on the road would cripple traffic for the grown-ups that have to go to work.

It is foolish to send the kids in over pride about being "tough."
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Old 09-01-2016, 12:42 PM
 
Location: Howard County, Maryland
16,291 posts, read 10,314,791 times
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In Howard County, the 2016-17 school year started on August 29th and is scheduled to end (not counting any snow days) on June 13th. Starting after Labor Day pushes the start date back by only 5 school days. But on the other end, there are only two days left to be used until you bump up against the June 15th deadline. Where do the other three days come from? I had thought (hoped!) that they would cut back on the professional work days, which wreak havoc on the schedules of two-income households. But if those days are mandated by state law, that leaves only the Jewish holidays or Spring Break to cut back. Which one(s) will give? And what will happen if (i.e. WHEN) we have snow days?

Plenty of school systems around the country manage to start after Labor Day and finish up by mid-June, so obviously it's doable. My question is, how do they do it? Do they not have professional work days? No Spring Break? No religious holidays?
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Old 09-01-2016, 01:24 PM
 
Location: On the Chesapeake
44,878 posts, read 59,858,372 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bus man View Post
In Howard County, the 2016-17 school year started on August 29th and is scheduled to end (not counting any snow days) on June 13th. Starting after Labor Day pushes the start date back by only 5 school days. But on the other end, there are only two days left to be used until you bump up against the June 15th deadline. Where do the other three days come from? I had thought (hoped!) that they would cut back on the professional work days, which wreak havoc on the schedules of two-income households. But if those days are mandated by state law, that leaves only the Jewish holidays or Spring Break to cut back. Which one(s) will give? And what will happen if (i.e. WHEN) we have snow days?

Plenty of school systems around the country manage to start after Labor Day and finish up by mid-June, so obviously it's doable. My question is, how do they do it? Do they not have professional work days? No Spring Break? No religious holidays?
Some don't have the Jewish holidays (and truly, some systems wouldn't have that much of an attendance problem from either staff or students if school was in session that day or two).

Systems lose one or two days in October for the MSEA convention, this year they'll lose election day. The day before Thanksgiving started to be a day off because attendance was down so much it screwed with AYP.

Also, Spring Break is just Good Friday and Easter Monday, not a full week plus.

What some systems do, both in Maryland and elsewhere, is do half day in-service days with kids in the morning and afternoon meetings. You still get a full day if you serve the kids lunch.
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Old 09-01-2016, 03:35 PM
 
125 posts, read 113,317 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by westsideboy View Post
I am not in support of this. Leave it a local decision. Counties like Garrett and Allegany start well in advance of Labor Day because of the expected number of snow closings. Under this new law, kids could very well be going to school until the end of June if it is a bad winter.

Well, another reason I am glad I choose private school for my kids.
They don't close for 2 inches of snow like downstate, especially Garrett County..
They won't even delay jn less it's half a foot

BTW they used to start after Labor day and get out around 1st week of june.. ask any old timer


Now OP: I think it's great, it'll help the economy a lot.
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Old 09-01-2016, 03:45 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cruzincat View Post
It still is a local decision insofar that the local districts can apply for waivers. Areas of the country that have much more snow than we ever get in the rest of Maryland, seem to handle the snowfall well enough to not have this problem. Why does Western Maryland not have the infrastructure to deal with more snow?

I grew up in NE Ohio, and back then we started after Labor Day and never got out of school later than the first week in June.
They clear snow like nobodies business in western Maryland..
We also dumb salt like nobodies business
MD is more than well equpiped ti deal with snow.
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Old 09-01-2016, 04:18 PM
 
Location: Cumberland
6,908 posts, read 11,160,662 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LudditeMan View Post
They clear snow like nobodies business in western Maryland..
We also dumb salt like nobodies business
MD is more than well equpiped ti deal with snow.
Listen to the people that actually live there.

“A post-Labor Day start doesn’t work well with the weather in Garrett County. Last year we missed 20 days,” said Janet Wilson, Garrett County superintendent of schools."

Allegany, Garrett officials: Start school year before Labor Day | News | times-news.com

The locals are tough as nails, it takes much more snow to cancel school that it does downstate.



but the amount of snow that can fall up there on rural mountain roads with wind and below zero temperatures still means there are times it is too risky to send the kids in.

I'm not sure you guys really understand the magnitude of difference between Garrett County and the rest of the state when it comes to snowfall. It's like a different world. The snow totals are more similar to what you find in the lake effect belt and northern New England than anywhere else in the state.


Last edited by westsideboy; 09-01-2016 at 04:56 PM..
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Old 09-01-2016, 09:35 PM
 
125 posts, read 113,317 times
Reputation: 165
Quote:
Originally Posted by westsideboy View Post
Listen to the people that actually live there.

“A post-Labor Day start doesn’t work well with the weather in Garrett County. Last year we missed 20 days,” said Janet Wilson, Garrett County superintendent of schools."

Allegany, Garrett officials: Start school year before Labor Day | News | times-news.com

The locals are tough as nails, it takes much more snow to cancel school that it does downstate.



but the amount of snow that can fall up there on rural mountain roads with wind and below zero temperatures still means there are times it is too risky to send the kids in.

I'm not sure you guys really understand the magnitude of difference between Garrett County and the rest of the state when it comes to snowfall. It's like a different world. The snow totals are more similar to what you find in the lake effect belt and northern New England than anywhere else in the state.
I actually know how much falls, about 120in a year and in Alleghany its about same as washington except for the frostburg area where its more like 72-80
Most of Alleghany is not snowy, it's just past cumberland where frostburg and the other towns are. La Vale, Flintstone,Cumberland, not very snowy.. (and I have been to every single town in Alleghany county, every single one)

Anyways; They'll be out by the 15th no matter what, so it doesn't matter much to be honest.
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Old 09-01-2016, 10:13 PM
 
Location: Cumberland
6,908 posts, read 11,160,662 times
Reputation: 6086
Quote:
Originally Posted by LudditeMan View Post
I actually know how much falls, about 120in a year and in Alleghany its about same as washington except for the frostburg area where its more like 72-80
Most of Alleghany is not snowy, it's just past cumberland where frostburg and the other towns are. La Vale, Flintstone,Cumberland, not very snowy.. (and I have been to every single town in Alleghany county, every single one)

Anyways; They'll be out by the 15th no matter what, so it doesn't matter much to be honest.
It's Allegany, no 'h.'

Last edited by westsideboy; 09-01-2016 at 10:41 PM..
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