OCEAN CITY – Local tourism officials will discuss the benefits of having schools open after Labor Day with the Worcester County Public Schools Superintendent next month.
During last Monday afternoon’s Tourism Commission Meeting Michael James, Carousel Hotel and Resort managing partner and Ocean City Economic Development Committee (EDC) Chairman reported the EDC will be meeting in February with Superintendent of Worcester County Public Schools Dr. Jerry B. Wilson.
The commission is interested in what the superintendent’s official opinion is over the current proposed legislation to have Maryland public schools start the school year after Labor Day, but it’s not a secret most school officials opposed a shift in the calendar, according to one ranking tourism official.
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17 comments:
How will this affect the Irish and Slovaks who comprise the labor pool? The State of Maryland partnered with the Federal Government to make sure our children are last in line for the opportunity to make some cash and learn how business works.
I am sure the Teacher's Union has more say in this than the politicos
Lazy spoiled american kids don't want to work. Foreigners had to be brought in to fill positions that US kids refused to do.
2:49 could you elaborate because I do not get what you are saying, at all.
Counties are starting school before Labor Day to give low achieving students five more days of instruction before the state testing in the spring. One more example of how looking out for "all" students means "all below average" students.
Why did it change to begin with? 20 years ago I remember school starting after labor day.
3:16 you are so wrong.
HAD to be brought in?
J-1 visas:
Under a government-sanctioned cultural exchange program, foreigners are brought in because they make less, and there are tax breaks. Typically no overtime. They are housed in substandard housing putting 4+ people in a bedroom.
"It gives tax breaks to employers, including government contractors, and it has been abused by some employers who treat the students like indentured workers. It also has been abused by some agencies that promise jobs, collect fees and leave students without employment."
"Another criticism is that what began as an educational and cultural program has evolved into a source of cheap labor for service industries. Scrubbing toilets and stocking shelves was not what the language in the founding legislation promised."
American kids do not have a chance at scoring one of those jobs, plus they have to leave to go back to school prior to the last big weekend of the summer.
I really wish people would educate themselves and quit carrying around these antiquated views.
4:51
In the late 70's and early 80's, many of us went to OC for the summer, rented at place, slept 6-8 people in a 2 bedroom rental and worked in OC. We got minimal pay but had enough money to pay the rent and have a little fun. Kids today want to live at the beach and have their parents pay for everything so they can party like on MTV. I've heard many local kids say that they are not going to work for minimum wage or entry level jobs. No work ethic and no desire to work. The people that come to OC on visas are hungry to work and make money.
To answer a few questions about why school now starts before Labor Day. It is plain and simple. The lawless teachers union got a law passed so they were able to "negotiate" 10 Professional Days. Those 10 professional days are actually 10 school days which is actually 2 weeks. They had to make up these days during the Summer. They end a week later and they start a week sooner ie. before Labor Day. Aren't your teachers unions just great!
5:48 To answer your question, no they are lured here:
The companies that supply workers to companies like Xanterra make the program sound problem-free. Online advertising is couched in language that is enticing to both workers and employers.
J1Jobs.com promises "thousands of U.S. jobs at the click of a mouse."
Jobofer.org promises that "your business can actually benefit from hiring Exchange Students!" Among the listed benefits is savings on payroll taxes because employers won't have to pay Medicare, Social Security and unemployment, or provide health insurance.
Another website, SeasonalStaff.org, adds up those benefits and tells employers they will save 7.79 percent on total payroll expenses for each J-1 worker. The site also promises "most of our students will be happy to work for sixty or more hours per week."
The students often go home empty- handed, according to some placement agencies, because the wages they are paid, combined with what they often must pay employers for housing and food, leaves only enough to pay for travel expenses and their way back home.
The summer U.S. unemployment rate for Americans aged 16 to 24 has risen from 11 percent in July 2005, to 19.1 percent last July. The measurement is taken in July because that represents the peak of seasonal hiring of youth.
Yes as a business manager I can tell you the foreign kids are contracted and HAVE to show up or be removed from the program. They work all nights or whenever we need them and they do it well. The pay is contracted as well, the have to earn enough to pay the company that contracts them as those fees are very high. If any locals can work whenever and don't mind $8/hour doing whatever needed including outside in the rain or heat, come on down. I know you won't so I already contracted my kids for next summer.
What a crock...again we contract them every year. They come in groups with friends. They live in groups and we don't offer housing, they are told when contracted to start looking for housing long before hey arrive. I have several that come back two years in a row because they love it. They enjoy working and we try to keep their group together so they don't have too many issues with homesickness. Save your bs, there are some sleazy companies but don't paint them all the same.
7:47 & 8:03 as employers I expect you to paint a rosy picture.
The feed back from the "kids" you are importing isn't that pretty.
They will openly tell you about horrible working conditions, crap pay and ghetto living conditions.
You are full of BS.
I talk to these J1 kids every day in the summer. The majority of them are having the time of their lives. They are in an exotic place mastering the language and having an adventure.
8:24, Your are overpainting the picture. While I'm sure there are some V1 student/workers who feel as you do, for the most part most are having a great time.
Having lived in Europe for a large part of my life, I can assure you that most of these kids are from middle to upper class families to begin with. This trip to the US isn't their first aboard. They are worldly and cosmopolitan as most have traveled extensively and this is just another adventure which allows them to make some money in the process.
Whomever claimed they don't get overtime is WRONG. Just as an American worker any hour after 40 is overtime. The so called tax break any employer gets is not having to match SS, as the student isn't eligible for SS anyway.
As far as housing, while may be considered substandard to some, it's no different than what a lot of off campus apartments are like in college towns. When you come from an middle to upper class European family and aren't used to living with 6 or 8 roommates who don't clean up after themselves and leave messes of course you are going to find fault with your living conditions.
6:52 talk about over painting a picture! Upper middle class! Hardly! I doubt mom and dad of the "upper middle class" would approve of their son spending 12+ hours a day in 90+ degree heat slinging fried in a 100+ degree concession stand. Upper Middle Class... what a laugh.
I am sure when you "talk" to these kids at their place of business they will tell you everything is fine
Try talking to them out side of business, or where they get their native food, such as the OC Party Mart on Baltimore. There they will tell you the truth.
As far as housing they are totally taken advantage of, often having to book living arrangements before they get here, not having seen the place and there are slumlords that do it over and over ever year.
Reality can be ugly.
It was not the teachers who wanted to more professional days to their schedules. Kids go 180, teachers used to go 184. It was the boards of ed. that made 190 days for teachers a demand during negotiations.
It wasn't the teachers. More instructional days before spring testing was the reason. BUT it was supposed to be on a TRIAL BASIS in Wicomico County years ago. Wonder why we're still doing it.
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