tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284446320251611266.post5997907251375017813..comments2024-03-22T13:31:45.213-04:00Comments on HoCo Connect: New school start date misses the correct educational changeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284446320251611266.post-86952127219024155612016-09-07T13:00:19.087-04:002016-09-07T13:00:19.087-04:00I completely agree with edblisa here. Very well s...I completely agree with edblisa here. Very well stated. <br /><br />I will say the number of "service days" has gotten out of control. My girls aren't in school yet, but I often talk with my wife about the insane challenges of how working parents get all that time off from work to deal with these one-off service days sprinkled throughout the calendar with no rhyme or reason. <br /><br />I also think the days off for religious holidays are getting out of control too. Schools just need to give the kids and staff who celebrate these holidays an excused absence on these days. Done deal. There is absolutely no need to shut down a whole school system for a day over a religious holiday that a small minority of the population celebrates.<br /><br />I'm glad to see some bi-partisan work being done by Hogan and Franchot to come up with some executive orders that make sense for the general public. <br /><br />-Brentbosoxbrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16386703736692747071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5284446320251611266.post-67716668619476187172016-09-02T08:14:00.215-04:002016-09-02T08:14:00.215-04:00Personally, I'm glad for the mandate. I have ...Personally, I'm glad for the mandate. I have never understood why they changed it in the first place and it created a battle then. If the MSDE is claiming "brain drain" from having a longer vacation, I think that they need to start addressing the problem of too many days off DURING the school year. NUMEROUS 4 day weeks and NUMEROUS 1/2 days off cause more distraction and disruption to the student and are more difficult for the working parents than having a hard start/end date. As it is now, I don't know how any learning gets done. Getting any local school district to voluntarily do something these days is more painful than pulling teeth without anesthesia, therefore the executive order. Really, could you imagine how much money would be spent by the HoCo BoEd on study after study after study, year after year after year....and then they still wouldn't take action ( teen sleep cycles and the early HS start time). Elected officials want to keep their jobs so they don't want to potentially tee off their voters, which leads to them doing the least amount of decision making. I think this executive order is a win-win for all students, parents, teachers AND the economy and I'm glad that the Hogan/Franchot team is committed to making it happen. edblisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01792046029260177146noreply@blogger.com