The three draft calendars, along with a side-by-side comparison of dates in the three calendars, can be found on the www.wcboe.org home page by clicking on the Calendar Input 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.
Calendar C would begin school on Monday, Aug. 31, and end the year on Thursday, June 9.
Please submit any comments or suggestions as soon as possible by contacting either comments@wcboe.org or 410-677-5251. The Board is expected to discuss the 2015-2016 school calendar at its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on March 10. The Board is tentatively scheduled to have a 1st reading in March and 2nd and final reading at the April 14 Board meeting.
Wicomico has started school in late 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, three 2015-2016 draft calendars have been prepared for Wicomico Schools. Two of these calendars would start school prior to Labor Day, and one would start school the day after Labor Day. 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. The newly added Calendar C option would begin school on Aug. 31 and end it on June 9.
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; all three draft calendars currently 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 currently 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 by requesting a state waiver for some missed days.
15 comments:
I am a teacher and have been for 5 years. I have barely seen a raise in those years but from what I hear is that in year's past when raises were given, the BOE added work days to our calendar to now make 190 days. More money + added work days to ease public perception.
Since these PD days are such a contention with the public, I propose that since raises are not available, let's remove the 4 PD days that have been added over the years to take it back to 186 teacher work days. Removing them from the contract will ease the calendar issues and act as a "raise" but with no money required from taxpayers.
It is funny.
A has six pd during school
b also has 6 pds
c has 4.
If we started after labor day (B), we accord to the calendar, we get out June 20th.
HOWEVER, the C calendar shows us starting on the 31rst and ending on the 9th.
Thats a difference of 5 days. So in all reality, the last day should be the 16th, when using B, with only 4 pds.
Then I read, it really won't make a difference what the locals decide, bc it is now in the hands of the legislative.
How about they change it to the way it used to be? The kids dont need 2 full weeks off for winter break and the teachers dont need professional days. School started after Labor Day and still were let out around the second week of June.
"...in year's past..."?
You're obviously not an English teacher.
I am a teacher in Wicomico county. I think that we should start school after labor day, and finish up at memorial day. Teachers should have to do their pd days during the summer whenever they choose to take the available classes that will be during different times throughout the summer. Shorten winter and spring break to equal the days needed for the students.
If elementary schools are open but secondary schools are closed for professional development, it is still counted as an attendance day. Same in reverse. Why isn't this done for some of the days?
Used to be done this way but parents complained that one kid may be in school and another out on the same day. Guess it was too confusing.
My feelings are hurt. Sorry Mr. Perfect.
4:26 is probably right, but sometimes high school kids have a revised schedule during HSA's or exams while elementary kids have a regular schedule. Folks survive.
Start school after Labor Day and end School before Memorial Day. Teachers do not need to attend professional development days. They can be required to complete one or two courses each year online, salisbury university, or the community college.
6:58, I am a teacher and I agree.
Totally agree with 903 & 658.
As a teacher, the only professional days that is useful is when they let us in our room for "book keeping. I never attended a meeting and walked away and was amazed at what we had discussed. Let us alone to do what needs to be done.
I agree with 6:58
Professional days have been a waste of time in this county for many years. Look at teacher attendance on these days. The "data" will speak for itself. Teacher's have found that these days are a waste of their time. Then, we could say dollars in many areas. Why do we send staff members to conferences when they DON'T share any of the information they have learned? The Office of Special Education attends a conference in Ocean City every year for "leadership training". Do you think they share anything with anyone? Each year the Office of Special Education sends a preselected group to an Assistive Technology Conference in Minnesota. They have been doing this for years. Do you think anyone shares anything? Recently, Patti Adkins, the appointed Supervisor of Birth to Five Special Education (position not posted or interviewed for) was attending a conference in Hunt Valley. On her Facebook page she posted a picture of her and others have an adult beverage. I thought this was a children's conference. Guess they had to much to drink to come back and present? Wise use of money! Save the PD days for something more meaningful!
People have to work all year long to make what a teacher makes. So lets discuss when you should get off for the summer and not getting a raise.
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