The Wicomico County Board of Education is seeking input as it builds a calendar for the 2015-2016 school year. Two different draft calendars showing pre- and post-Labor Day starts have been drafted in order to gather feedback prior to Board votes at the February 10 and March 10 Board meetings.
The two draft calendars, along with information about the calendar development process and ways to comment on the calendars, can be found at left on this page, or on the www.wcboe.org home page by clicking on the Calendar button.
Calendar A would begin school on Monday, Aug. 24, and end the year on Monday, June 6.
Calendar B would begin school on Tuesday, Sept. 8, and end the year on Monday, June 20.
Please submit any comments or suggestions by Feb. 1 by taking the online survey, or by contacting either comments@wcboe.org or 410-677-5251.
Wicomico has started school on the fourth Monday in August for a number of years to give students as much instructional time as possible before the start of testing. However, there is ongoing discussion at the state level about potentially mandating a post-Labor Day start for all Maryland school systems. (Currently each school system determines its own starting date; Worcester County this year chose to start school after Labor Day based on community input.)
With that discussion in mind, two 2015-2016 draft calendars have been prepared for Wicomico Schools. The greatest differences between the two calendars is the dates for the start and end of the school year. Calendar A would begin Aug. 24 and end on June 6. Calendar B would start the school year Sept. 8, after Labor Day, and end on June 20. In 2015, Labor Day occurs on its latest possible date, which would mean a longer summer break in 2015 but a shorter one in 2016 if school begins after Labor Day.
Feedback on a mandatory post-Labor Day start for all Maryland school systems should be shared with state senators and delegates, as the topic is expected to be discussed during the 2015 General Assembly session that began this week.
Sen. Adelaide C. Eckardt (R), District 37, adelaide.eckardt@senate.state.md.us, 410-841-3590
Del. Sheree Sample-Hughes (D), District 37A,sheree.sample.hughes@house.state.md.us, 410-841-3427
Del. Christopher T. Adams (R), District 37B,christopher.adams@house.state.md.us, 410-841-3343
Del. Johnny Mautz (R), District 37B, johnny.mautz@house.state.md.us, 410-841-3429
Sen. James N. Mathias, Jr. (D), District 38, james.mathias@senate.state.md.us, 410-841-3645
Del. Carl L. Anderton, Jr. (D), District 38B, carl.anderton@house.state.md.us, 410-841-3431
Del. Mary Beth Carozza (R), District 38C, mary.beth.carozza@house.state.md.us, 410-841-3433
Del. Sheree Sample-Hughes (D), District 37A,sheree.sample.hughes@house.state.md.us, 410-841-3427
Del. Christopher T. Adams (R), District 37B,christopher.adams@house.state.md.us, 410-841-3343
Del. Johnny Mautz (R), District 37B, johnny.mautz@house.state.md.us, 410-841-3429
Sen. James N. Mathias, Jr. (D), District 38, james.mathias@senate.state.md.us, 410-841-3645
Del. Carl L. Anderton, Jr. (D), District 38B, carl.anderton@house.state.md.us, 410-841-3431
Del. Mary Beth Carozza (R), District 38C, mary.beth.carozza@house.state.md.us, 410-841-3433
Please note that the draft 2015-2016 school calendars take into account the following:
- The school calendar must include a minimum of 180 days of instruction.
- Families and staff members have consistently supported two full weeks off for the winter break, whenever possible; both draft calendars provide that.
- Wicomico teachers, by contract, work 190 days. The 10 days that teachers do not have students are professional development days or record management days. Four of the 10 days take place prior to the opening of the school year, and one day is scheduled for teachers after students leave for the summer.
- Schools must be closed at the following times, in accordance with COMAR (Code of Maryland): Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, from Dec. 24 through Jan. 1, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Presidents Day, Good Friday, the Monday after Easter, and Memorial Day. Additionally, Wicomico schools must be closed when there is a Primary or General Election; a Presidential Primary Election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 5.
- Makeup days, if needed, will be scheduled in accordance with Board of Education policy. Makeup days may occur on professional days, on a holiday break day, or at the end of the school year, or lost school time may be made up through extending the instructional day, holding school on Saturday, or requesting a state waiver for some missed days.
What a joke Wicomico county is becoming. The list of holidays off they can't say Christmas. Now do you get why we are the arm pit of the eastern shore. I find it humorous how some defend Wicomico and Salisbury for silly PC . Wicomico county were gays get married, Muslims run rampant but don't dare mention Christmas. How much more money will they need to pay the salaries of the over payed liberal teachers.
ReplyDeleteI knew this would happen.
ReplyDeleteThe state touts what a great idea starting after labor day would be, how the kids would get out a the same time, etc.
Did they take in consideration that our county has so many professional days? I say, get rid of them, re do the contracts. I have a lot of teacher friends, who state all the time, they are a waste! They learn different strategies, that they all ready knew. One friend tells me that they meet with coaches who have no clue what happens in classrooms.
As far as having 2 weeks off in winter, who are these people that support this? None of my friends do. I call bullshit on the whole thing.
Get rid of those professional days and they wouldn't have to stay so late in June.
ReplyDeleteI agree teachers need training so they don't become stagnant but it needs to be taught by qualified people. Much of the day is filled with fluff just to say they provided professional development. Here is something to think about. The Office of Special Education sends a team to Minnesota every year for an Assistive Technology conference. Do you think they have once shared their new strategies? This has been going on for years. They spend taxpayers money and don't share. Waste! Then try to ask someone a question about AT in this department is filled with excuses as to why we can't provide it. For the past few years the same department (special Ed) attends leadership conferences both locally and one in CA. Do you think they shared anything? So why did they go? Again this has been going on for years! Elected school board would look closely at departments like this and say hey why are you going and what do you plan to share with the people who really need it?
ReplyDeleteThis is where the unions have brought the state of public education, the more personnel, the more union dues. Just think if some of these common sense ideas mentioned where adopted, teacher tutors, coaches and etc., would be eliminated.
ReplyDeleteI believe Anderton is a Republican.
Why do they need so many professional days and so many days off at Christmas? Ridiculous and all our input really doesn't matter anyway because they will still do what they want to do.
ReplyDeleteJoe, who does Fredrickson answer to? How do we go about getting rid of him. Is it the BOE that hires and fires. Does the County Council have any input at all?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to move out of Communist MD.
ReplyDeleteThe professional days are a complete waste of time, as is such a long "Christmas" break. And Joe let me send you a picture of my W2 and what I really bring home!!
ReplyDeleteCut down on all the professional days. If their contract states they have to have them, make them come in a week earlier to get them in for the year.
ReplyDeleteAs long as we let liberal agenda rule, we get what we ask for, more PC, failing social structure, more poverty, people dependant upon government to meet their basic needs, failing businesses, over taxed citizens, failing schools, social programs that don't work and everyone afraid to say something for fear of offending others.
ReplyDeletejust a bunchof poor losers and whiners on here i think as teachers we are under paid and we should have more days off now go back to flipping burgers
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why starting on August 31st and running until June 13th isn't option A? Why a full 2 weeks difference between the two? It seems like the BOE is attempting to sway everyone into the first option imo, by doing this.
ReplyDeleteThe number of professional days could certainly be reduced. Also, COMAR requires a certain number of days OR a certain number of hours for students to attend each year. Wicomico has the longest school day in the state, along with one other county, so the length of the day could be decreased.
ReplyDelete"The greatest differences between the two calendars is the dates for the start and end of the school year." Composing a sentence in which the subject and verb agree should not have been beyond the skills set of the author of this piece. Citizens would have more confidence in the board of education's staff if written communications were free of grammatical errors. If a copy of this discourse was sent to state officials, one can only hope it was proofread first.
ReplyDeleteIf all faculty meetings were for professional development, the number of whole days for p.d. could be decreased. Let coaches do their presentations to the faculty (or appropriate groups) then. Currently, day long sessions are replete with ice breakers, endless group activities with reporting out and chart sharing, etc., so all time allotted is filled.
ReplyDelete12:03--The BOE try to sway the public by using misleading information? Surely you jest. Starting before Labor Day was to have been piloted for a couple of years in this county and then evaluated. Hear about any evaluation? Hear that it was only a pilot?
ReplyDeleteI doubt WCBOE bothers to make changes based on sarcastic remarks on a blog. Why not consider attending board meetings to offer your view or suggestions. Crowds actually responding in person works wonders,
ReplyDeleteWhy lengthen the instructional day to make up snow days if we already have the longest school day in the state? Just count hours.
ReplyDeletePrivate schools have full days....8:15 - 4:30 +/- a couple minutes. Why can't they have longer school days which would fulfill their hours earlier. They can get more time in class and can put back recess/physical activity other than gym. It's also beneficial for parents and day care costs. Not so good for before/after school caregivers though.
ReplyDelete8:43 - "Elected school board would look closely at departments like this and say hey why are you going and what do you plan to share with the people who really need it?"
ReplyDeleteAn elected or appointed board won't matter in this instance. State Law is very clear that the Board sets policy , but does NOT run the day to day operation of the school system. A board can ask, "Why are you going & what do you plan to share?" but the board (elect ed or appointed) has no authority to say, "You can't go." The only way this could be done is for the board to reduce travel & professional budgets to 0.
PLEASE LOOK CLOSELY AT THE START DATES! One has school starting two weeks before Labor day and the other is after Labor day. Lots of people just focus on the teachers, thinking they are over paid, but they aren't the only employees of the BOE. The classroom assistants are very underpaid and work 2 or3 jobs to make ends meet. Starting 2 weeks before Labor day cuts into their extra summer money. Surrounding counties classified make more than Wicomico.They have only seen a 1percent cost of living increase in over 5 years yet the health insurance has increased much more than that, the retirement contrubition increases an additional 2 percent, taxes have increased, not counting everything else. So a lot of those folks are actually bring home less money than they did last year and the year before. Don't say "go get another job" because there aren't any. Be grateful you have a job? When an employer can take advantage of the classified employee!
ReplyDelete