[Call to Order: Dr. Dyann Mack, Superintendent of Schools]
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THE SCHOOL CALENDAR PUBLIC INPUT SESSION ON SEPTEMBER THE 8TH, 2026 AT 6:00 ON THE DOT.
PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE. ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. BEFORE WE BEGIN, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS THAT TONIGHT'S PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE FOR INPUT AND FEEDBACK FOR OUR 2027 2028 SCHOOL CALENDAR. COMMENTS THAT ARE FOCUSED ON OTHER TOPICS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR COMPLIANCE WITH THIS
[A. Overview of the HCPS School Calendar, Ms. Jillian Lader, Manager of Communications]
EXPECTATION. THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JILLIAN LATER, MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS, FOR HER PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. BEFORE WE BEGIN THE LISTENING PORTION OF THE EVENING, I WILL GO OVER SOME INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE SOME BRIEF FACTORS THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED WHEN DEVELOPING A SCHOOL CALENDAR, JUST TO REMIND US ALL AND KEEP US ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. THERE WE GO. SO OUR GOALS TONIGHT WILL BE TO GO OVER THOSE CALENDAR REQUIREMENTS, OBVIOUSLY, TO LISTEN IN ON ALL OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT ARE BROUGHT FORTH, AND THEN TO INFORM THE FUTURE DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE CALENDAR. SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE THAT WE CONSIDER WHEN DEVELOPING THE CALENDAR ARE THINGS LIKE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, THE STATE REQUIREMENTS THAT GO INTO BUILDING A CALENDAR. STUDENT LEARNING NEEDS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS, AND OF COURSE, STAKEHOLDER INPUT INPUT, WHICH WE'RE HERE TO DO THIS EVENING. ALL OF OUR SCHOOL CALENDARS HAVE TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF 180 STUDENT DAYS. THERE'S ALSO REQUIRED INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS.THERE WE GO. STATE HOLIDAYS AND OBSERVANCES HAVE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE CALENDAR EACH TIME IT'S DEVELOPED. AND THEN OF COURSE, THE ASSESSMENT WINDOWS THAT ARE SET FORTH BY THE STATE AS WELL.
THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THAT COME INTO PLAY ARE THINGS LIKE THE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS, INCLEMENT WEATHER PLANNING, AND OF COURSE, THOSE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAYS. NOW, THE CALENDAR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS INCLUDES GATHERING INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, REVIEWING THOSE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS, ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH STATE REGULATIONS, AND EVALUATING HOW THOSE PROPOSED OPTIONS WILL IMPACT STUDENTS, STAFF AND, OF COURSE, FAMILIES. ULTIMATELY, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ADOPTS THE OFFICIAL SCHOOL CALENDAR. FOLLOWING THAT REVIEW AND THAT DISCUSSION PROCESS. SO TONIGHT IS DESIGNED PRIMARILY AS A LISTENING OPPORTUNITY. SO OUR GOAL IS TO HEAR YOUR PERSPECTIVES, YOUR PREFERENCES, YOUR CONCERNS REGARDING THE SCHOOL CALENDAR. SO TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD, WE DO ASK PARTICIPANTS TO BE RESPECTFUL OF DIFFERING VIEWPOINTS TO KEEP THE COMMENTS FOCUSED ON CALENDAR RELATED TOPICS, AS DOCTOR MACK SAID, AND TO LIMIT THE REMARKS TO THE ALLOTTED TIME SO THAT WE ENSURE THAT ALL THOSE WHO WISH TO SPEAK ARE ABLE TO. AND THEN, OF COURSE, TO REMEMBER THAT TONIGHT REALLY IS FOR LISTENING. THERE WON'T BE CONVERSATION OR DIALOG OR ANY DECISIONS MADE THIS EVENING, AS THIS IS THE FIRST FIRST STEP IN GATHERING THAT STAKEHOLDER INPUT. SO WE HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU WHAT WORKS WELL ON SCHOOL CALENDARS, WHAT CHALLENGES YOU FEEL WE SHOULD CONSIDER. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WHAT FACTORS ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU WHEN BUILDING THAT SCHOOL CALENDAR, KEEPING THE INSTRUCTIONAL INTEGRITY IN MIND. AND WITH THAT, I WILL HAND IT BACK OVER TO DOCTOR MACK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO TONIGHT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I CAN RECALL THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED A LISTENING SESSION TO GO TOWARDS THE CALENDAR. AND SO WE REALLY WANTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS TO SAY. TYPICALLY, WE DO HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT IS ESTABLISHED, BUT TONIGHT WE
[B. Public Comment on: 2027-2028 Harford County Public Schools Calendar]
WANT TO HEAR FROM THOSE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. AND SO AT THIS TIME, WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS TURN IT OVER TO MISS ROLLO. SHE IS OUR BOARD SECRETARY, AND SHE IS GOING TO CALL OUR SPEAKERS UP TO SPEAK. EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND SPEAKERS.YOU WILL BE INTERRUPTED AND GIVEN NOTICE. IF I'M SORRY WHEN YOU HAVE 30S LEFT. WHEN SPEAKERS HAVE REACHED THEIR THREE MINUTE MARK, YOUR TIME WILL EXPIRE. SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAR HEARING WHAT FEEDBACK YOU HAVE AS WE GO INTO CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE CALENDAR. THIS IS JUST THE FIRST STEP TODAY IS FOR THE COMMUNITY INPUT, AND THEN THERE WILL BE SEVERAL OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO GATHER INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, REGARDLESS OF THE DECISION OF THE BOARD REGARDING THE POLICY, THE POLICY ON THE CALENDAR DEVELOPMENT. SO AT THIS TIME, MISS ROLLO, YOU MAY CALL THE
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SPEAKERS. AND THANK YOU. MRS. LATER. OKAY. THIS EVENING WE WILL START WITH MISS DOCTOR DAVID BAUER, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTINA GRAY. GOOD EVENING. I'M DAVID BAUER THIS EVENING.I'M GOING TO BEGIN WITH SOME HISTORY. SO AS YOU ALL HOPEFULLY KNOW, BACK SOME YEARS AGO, THE PREVIOUS GOVERNOR ISSUED AN ORDER THAT ALL MARYLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAD TO START AFTER LABOR DAY AND END BY JUNE 15TH. THAT ORDER TOOK EFFECT FOR THE 2017 2018 SCHOOL YEAR. PRIOR TO THAT, AS FAR BACK AS I COULD FIND OLD CALENDARS, WHICH IS 2004 EIGHT CPS STARTED BETWEEN AUGUST 25TH AND AUGUST 30TH. EACH YEAR. THAT CORRESPONDED WITH BETWEEN 7 AND 11 DAYS BEFORE LABOR DAY. SO WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW WE USED TO DO THINGS, WE USED TO START THE SCHOOL YEAR BY AUGUST 30TH BY THAT, BY THE STANDARD OF HOW WE USED TO DO THINGS. THIS YEAR WE STARTED LATE. SO WHAT HAPPENED? THE CALENDAR GOT POLITICIZED. OUR PREVIOUS GOVERNOR STARTED THAT. THEN WHEN THE STATE LEGISLATURE OVERRODE THAT ORDER AS WAS NECESSARY, IT WAS WRONGLY INTERPRETED AS A PARTIZAN POLITICAL ACTION. LATER, OUR CURRENT COUNTY EXECUTIVES AND SOME OTHERS CONTINUED MAKING A PARTIZAN POLITICAL ISSUE OVER WHAT SHOULD BE A BUREAUCRATIC FUNCTION NEXT YEAR. LABOR DAY IS ON SEPTEMBER 6TH, SO THE SCHOOL YEAR SHOULD START NO LATER THAN AUGUST 30TH. NEXT, I'D LIKE TO CLARIFY SOMETHING ABOUT THE IMPACT OF HAVING MORE SCHOOL TIME PRIOR TO TESTING IN THE SPRING. WHETHER A P, I, B, M CAP OR OTHER. BECAUSE THIS ISN'T JUST A MATTER OF TEST SCORES. IF YOU'RE TAKING AN AP CLASS, THE QUESTION IS NOT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF TOPICS THE CLASS GETS THROUGH BEFORE THE EXAM.
THE QUESTION IS HOW FAST THE CLASS NEEDS TO RUSH THROUGH EVERYTHING IN ORDER TO GET ALL THE TOPICS COVERED IN TIME FOR THOSE CLASSES. WAITING AND STARTING THE SCHOOL YEAR LATER CAN DIRECTLY NEGATIVELY IMPACT INSTRUCTIONAL QUALITY AND STUDENT STRESS. NEXT YEAR.
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S ARE ON SATURDAYS, WHICH SHOULD BE HELPFUL TO MAKING THE CALENDAR WORK BETTER. PLEASE HAVE THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING OFF. IT'S THE BIGGEST TRAVEL DAY OF THE YEAR, NOT JUST IN EARLY DISMISSAL. JUNETEENTH WILL BE A MONDAY, AND THE SCHOOL YEAR REALLY SHOULD NOT EVEN BE AT RISK OF REACHING JUNETEENTH. THANK YOU ALL. GOOD EVENING, VICE PRESIDENT SEWALL, DOCTOR MACK, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS CHRISTINA GRAY. THIS IS MY 26TH YEAR AS AN EDUCATOR IN HARFORD COUNTY AND AS AN EDUCATOR AND PARENT OF HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS. I BELIEVE A PRE-LABOR DAY START TO THE SCHOOL YEAR PROVIDES GREATER FLEXIBILITY FOR OUR ACADEMIC YEAR. WE CAN BETTER BALANCE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND BREAKS, WHILE ALSO MINIMIZING DISRUPTIONS TO TEACHING AND LEARNING. AND EARLIER START DATE WOULD PROVIDE SEVERAL IMPORTANT BENEFITS FOR BOTH STUDENTS AS WELL AS STAFF. IT WILL ALLOW FOR MORE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME BEFORE AP PLACEMENT EXAMS, AS WELL AS STATE ASSESSMENTS THAT ARE TAKEN AT MANY GRADE LEVELS.
I WITNESSED THIS WITH MY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT LAST YEAR, WHEN WE HAD A POST LABOR DAY START AND SNOW DAYS, WHICH THEN LIMITED VALUABLE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME. BEFORE THOSE ASSESSMENTS, IT MEANT THAT HE WAS SPENDING MORE NIGHTS STUDYING AND TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH THAT CONTENT.
WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL TIME BEFORE THESE ASSESSMENTS ALLOWS STUDENTS TO ENGAGE MORE MEANINGFULLY WITH THE CONTENT AND BETTER PREPARE THEM FOR SUCCESS. BEGINNING THE SCHOOL YEAR BEFORE LABOR DAY WOULD ALLOW THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR TO CONCLUDE EARLIER IN JUNE, AS THE SCHOOL YEAR EXTENDS LATER INTO THE MONTH, MAINTAINING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND FOCUS BECOMES INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT, AND I WITNESS THIS, ESPECIALLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL. IN PREVIOUS YEARS, I'VE HEARD THE BOARD TALK ABOUT MAKING SURE TO BALANCE FAMILIES THAT WANT TO GO ON VACATION, AND I DON'T SEE THIS AS AN ALL OR NOTHING DEAL.
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IF WE TRULY WERE TO COMPROMISE, WE COULD HAVE A PRE-LABOR DAY START. BUT CLOSE SCHOOLS THAT FRIDAY AND MONDAY OF LABOR DAY WEEKEND TO PROVIDE FOR A FOUR DAY WEEKEND. ADDITIONALLY, AS AN ELEMENTARY TEACHER, WE NEED THOSE MONTHLY EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS DEVOTED PURELY TO TEACHER PLANNING, NOT SCHOOL WIDE PD OR SYSTEM WIDE PD. ESPECIALLY IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, WE CAN PLAN FOR OUR STUDENTS ALL WE WANT BEFORE THEY COME TO SCHOOL, BUT TO BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE LEARNERS, WE DON'T KNOW THEM UNTIL THE VERY FIRST DAY. WE HAVE INCREASING REQUIREMENTS ON ELEMENTARY TEACHERS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO ACCOMPLISH IN A 45 MINUTE PLANNING BLOCK, WE PLAN FOR READING WHOLE GROUP AND SMALL GROUP, DAILY WRITING WHOLE GROUP AND SMALL GROUP, DAILY MATH, WHOLE GROUP AND SMALL GROUP DAILY AS WELL AS WORD WORK, SCIENCE OR SOCIAL STUDIES. READ ALOUD AND OUR WIND BLOCK. ALONG WITH PLANNING THOSE LESSONS, WE PREPARE FOR OUR STUDENTS BY REVIEWING THEIR WORK, TALKING WITH FAMILIES, CREATING NEWSLETTERS AND VARIOUS OTHER MEETINGS TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS. PLEASE CONSIDER PUTTING THOSE TEACHER DEVOTED PLANNING TIMES, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS, BACK INTO THE CALENDAR FOR THIS YEAR. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTY CRAWFORD SMITH, FOLLOWED BY TINA GRAF. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CHRISTY CRAWFORD SMITH AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF CEA. I HAVE SERVED ON THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE FOR MANY YEARS AND EACH YEAR IN PREPARATION FOR THAT, I TALKED TO OUR MEMBERS AND I TALKED TO EDUCATORS. WE COLLECT INFORMAL DATA AND VARIETY OF WAYS, ASKING FOLKS WHAT THEY WHAT WOULD BEST SERVE THEM AS THEY'RE THE PEOPLE IN THE CLASSROOM EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND WHILE IT'S NEVER UNANIMOUS, THERE ARE CLEAR THEMES. AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY. START DATE IS IMPORTANT. THE MAJORITY OF EDUCATORS SAY THAT THEY WOULD PREFER A PRE-LABOR DAY START.AS A MATTER OF FACT, EVERY SINGLE DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND THIS YEAR STARTED BEFORE LABOR DAY SCHOOL STARTED AS EARLY AS AUGUST 19TH, AND AS LATE AS THERE WERE ONLY TWO DISTRICTS THAT STARTED AFTER US, OR ONE ACTUALLY STARTED AFTER US, AND THAT WAS NINE ONE A WHOLE DAY LATER THAN US. SO EVERY OTHER DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND STARTED BEFORE LABOR DAY. AS YOU HEARD FROM BOTH THE SPEAKERS PREVIOUSLY, THIS INSTRUCTIONAL TIME BEFORE THE TESTING WINDOW IS CRITICAL. AP TESTS AND STATE ASSESSMENTS, ALL OF IT IMPACTS STUDENTS IN EVERY SINGLE GRADE LEVEL. AND THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS OF HOW OUR SCHOOLS ARE RATED. SO WHEN YOU HAVE FREDERICK COUNTY STARTING ON THE 19TH, THEY ARE A COUPLE WEEKS AHEAD OF US, AND THE AP TESTS ARE ALL TAKEN AT THE SAME TIME. END DATE. I KNOW THE STATE HAS A MANDATE THAT THE THAT SCHOOLS MUST END PRIOR TO THE JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN A FEW YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THE CLASSROOM, EVERY DAY, KIDS ARE OUT OF STEAM BY EARLY JUNE. AND SO OUR EDUCATORS, THEY. THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT ENDS UP BEING WASTED, JUST TRYING TO GET KIDS ENGAGED AND CONSTANTLY REDIRECTING STUDENTS. AND ALSO ATTENDANCE KIND OF TAKES A DIP AROUND THAT TIME. IT MAKES SENSE TO START SOONER AND ALSO END SOONER. SPRING BREAK. I KNOW THAT THIS BOARD IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT A LONG SPRING BREAK. A MAJORITY OF EDUCATORS THINK THAT THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND MONDAY ARE SUFFICIENT DATES. THAT GIVES THREE ADDITIONAL DAYS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE SHAVED OFF THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. ALSO, TEACHERS NEED TIME.
THERE'S SO MUCH ON THEIR PLATE AND NOTHING EVER COMES OFF. IT JUST GETS PILED HIGHER AND HIGHER. AND REDUCING THOSE EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS HAS HAD AN IMPACT, ESPECIALLY ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EDUCATORS. THEIR PLANNING TIME IS CONSISTENTLY SHRINKING, YET WHAT THEY ARE BEING ASKED TO DO CONTINUES TO GROW. THOSE MONTHLY DAYS ARE CRITICAL.
THOSE THREE HOURS OF PLANNING REALLY IS A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE, BUT ALSO PROVIDES BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR PROVIDING AND PLANNING HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION. ALSO, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT HOW WE PLACE THE MAKE UP DAYS, ATTACHING THEM TO BREAKS POTENTIALLY, AND THEN ONE AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WOULD BE IDEAL. I KNOW THERE NEED TO BE THREE. ALL RIGHT, I'M OUT OF TIME. THANKS. MY NAME IS TINA AND I'M CURRENTLY THE SCHOOL SAFETY LIAISON AT FALLSTON HIGH SCHOOL. I'M ADVOCATING FOR AN EARLIER END DATE AND LESS LONG BREAKS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. MY PERSPECTIVE IS COMING FROM MY JOB IN SAFETY AND HOW THE CALENDAR RELATES TO STUDENT DISCIPLINE AND MOTIVATION. AND ALTHOUGH I REALLY DON'T CARE WHEN WE START, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO BE CONSISTENT FOR PLANNING PURPOSES FOR STAFF AND OUR FAMILIES. FOR ME PERSONALLY, I'M OUT OF THE COUNTRY ALL SUMMER AND HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL
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AT LEAST MID DECEMBER OR LATER TO BOOK MY FLIGHT HOME. I'M SURE PARENTS ARE IN THE SAME BOAT WANTING TO BOOK TRIPS, BUT NOT KNOWING WHEN SCHOOL WILL BEGIN. EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IS KNOWING A LOT OF OUR STAFF HAVE TO WORK SUMMER JOBS, AND THEY NEED TO KNOW THEIR SCHEDULE.THIS ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE YET. WE SPEND AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME EVERY YEAR GAUGING EVERYONE'S OPINIONS ABOUT OUR CALENDARS, KNOWING FULL WELL THE BOARD WILL ULTIMATELY DECIDE WHAT THEY THINK IS BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS. SO I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE MY POINTS INTO CONSIDERATION. STUDENTS ARE MOTIVATED NOW. I'VE WALKED A MARATHON IN THE LAST WEEK.
REALLY. I WALKED 34 MILES LAST MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. INSIDE MY SCHOOL. I CAN SEE THE EXCITEMENT IN OUR STAFF AND STUDENT ABSENCES AND TARDIES ARE FEW ZERO REFERRALS. KIDS ARE NOT WANDERING THE HALLS. TEACHERS ARE IN FRONT OF THEIR CLASSES AND STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED. THE LAST FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL ARE DIABOLICALLY DIFFERENT. I THINK SUPPORT FOR MY ARGUMENT WOULD BE TO CHECK ATTENDANCE AND DISCIPLINE, AND COMPARE THE FIRST MONTH TO THE LAST. KIDS ARE VERY SMART. THEY KNOW IF THEY GET, I THINK, AN A THE FIRST QUARTER, THEY ESSENTIALLY DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING THE REST OF THE YEAR TO PASS THE CLASS. SO FOR SOME KIDS, THEY EITHER JUST STOP COMING AFTER A CERTAIN TIME OR WILL COME TO SCHOOL ONLY TO SOCIALIZE AND WANDER AGAIN. INCREASING DISCIPLINE SPORTS BEGIN IN MID-AUGUST, AND MANY STUDENT ATHLETES ARE ALREADY LIMITED TO WHEN THEY CAN TAKE THEIR VACATION. ENDING LATE IN THE YEAR GIVES THEM LIMITED TIME OFF. AS MUCH AS I LOVE A LONG SPRING BREAK, GO BACK TO JUST HAVING GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER MONDAY OFF. IT'S DETRIMENTAL TO OUR STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY STRIVE AND SPECIAL NEEDS. NOT ONLY IS THEIR LEARNING LOSS, BUT I SEE AN INCREASE IN DISCIPLINE WHEN WE RETURN. THERE ARE CERTAIN DATES THAT YOU ALSO NEED TO CONSIDER.
AP TESTING, GRADUATION, THE END OF SPRING SPORTS, AND SENIOR WEEK. THESE DATES SEEM TO MAKE STUDENTS THINK THE YEAR IS OVER AS WELL. WHEN WE KNOW WE TYPICALLY HAVE AT LEAST A MONTH LEFT, AND FOR AP TESTING, STARTING EARLIER WOULD ALLOW TEACHERS TO GET IMPORTANT MATERIAL TAUGHT BEFORE THE TEST. FIGURE OUT PD DAYS BY ASKING YOUR TEACHERS. I KNOW SOME IN THE COMMUNITY DON'T LIKE HALF DAYS, BUT THEY DO COUNT AS FULL DAYS, SO UTILIZE THEM. AS IT STANDS NOW, WE ARE OFF ON JUNE 1ST. UNLESS WE NEED TO USE IT FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER. FIGURE OUT A WAY TO END THE YEAR EARLY INSTEAD OF HAVING A DAY OFF IN JUNE. A DAY OFF SO CLOSE TO THE END OF THE YEAR IS NOT SMART PLANNING. OUR FAMILIES WILL TAKE OFF REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE CALENDAR SAYS. ANYTIME SOMEONE POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT TAKING THEIR KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL, THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS JUST TAKE THEM OUT ANYWAY. TO SUMMARIZE, IN A PERFECT WORLD, YOU'D FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD START AFTER LABOR DAY AND END SOON AFTER MEMORIAL DAY. I THINK THIS WOULD ULTIMATELY DECREASE DISCIPLINE AND REFERRALS, INCREASE ATTENDANCE, IMPROVE GRADES AND PRODUCTIVITY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, APPEASE OUR FAMILY AND STAFF. THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS COLLEEN BIANCO. GOOD EVENING, I'M COLLEEN BIANCO. THANK YOU, BOARD FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. AS IT'S BEEN SAID, I NEVER KNOWN THIS TO HAPPEN, SO THANK YOU. I AM A BORN AND RAISED HARFORD COUNTY CITIZEN. I'VE ATTENDED HARFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS AND WHENEVER I ATTENDED SCHOOLS BACK IN THE DAY, WE ALWAYS STARTED AFTER LABOR DAY. HOWEVER, WHEN I STARTED TEACHING 25 YEARS AGO, WE ALWAYS STARTED AFTER. I'M SORRY WE STARTED. LET ME MAKE SURE I SAID THIS RIGHT WHEN I WENT TO SCHOOL. WE STARTED SCHOOL AFTER LABOR DAY. SINCE I TAUGHT YEAR 25, WE ALWAYS WENT TO SCHOOL BEFORE LABOR DAY. IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS IT'S BEEN INCONSISTENT. I THINK WE NEED TO BRING THE CONSISTENCY BACK.
AND AS YOU'VE HEARD REPEATEDLY FROM IN HERE, WE NEED TO CONSISTENTLY START THE WEEK BEFORE LABOR DAY. IT HELPS FAMILIES TO PLAN SO THAT THEY KNOW, OH, IT'S THE WEEK BEFORE YOUR SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE STARTING BACK. SAME WITH THE EDUCATORS. WE CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY KNOWING. AND IT'S NOT A CONSTANT, WELL, WHEN DOES IT FALL OR IS IT GOING TO BE, LET'S JUST BE CONSISTENT. LET'S MAKE IT CONSISTENT. I ALSO WANT TO ECHO WHAT HAS ALSO BEEN SAID ABOUT BRINGING BACK EARLY DISMISSAL PLANNING DAYS FOR ELEMENTARY. I AM A FIRST GRADE TEACHER AND YES, WE ARE. WE ARE DROWNING. THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THE DAYS WAS TO MAKE IT SLIGHTLY EQUITABLE FOR US FOR PLANNING TIME, BECAUSE OF ALL THAT WE HAVE. SO JUST SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER AND THINK ABOUT AND THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. SUPERINTENDENT MAC.
THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS WE HAVE REGISTERED. THANK YOU. SO AS WE BRING THIS MEETING TO A CLOSE, I JUST WANT TO THANK THOSE OF YOU THAT SPOKE TONIGHT. AS I MENTIONED, THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAVE HELD SUCH A SUCH A SESSION, REALLY WANTED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM YOU BECAUSE YOUR VOICE DOES MATTER. AND IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY FOR US TO HEAR IT, BUT TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO HEAR IT AS WELL. OUR NEXT STEPS AS WE MOVE FORWARD WILL BE A BOARD OF ED WORK SESSION, WHICH WILL BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER THE 14TH. AGAIN, ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES THAT WE WILL ENGAGE IN THIS PROCESS, AND THAT WILL GIVE OUR BOARD
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MEMBERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE US SOME GUIDANCE AND NEXT STEPS AS WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO ESTABLISH THE CALENDAR. AND THEN ON SEPTEMBER THE 28TH, AS YOU KNOW, THERE IS A POLICY THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED THAT POLICY WILL GO FOR A VOTE, AND THAT POLICY WILL FOCUS ON SHIFTS TO THE CURRENT POLICY, WHICH HAS THE SUPERINTENDENT CREATING THE CALENDAR. I PROMISE YOU THAT REGARDLESS OF THAT VOTE, YOUR INPUT MATTERS. AND I ALSO PROMISE YOU THAT REGARDLESS OF THAT VOTE, THERE WILL BE A LEVEL OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE BOARD. AND SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND. THIS IS NOT THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE INPUT ON THE CALENDAR. YOU CAN ALWAYS UTILIZE THOSE CHANNELS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO GET IN CONTACT WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS, TO GET IN CONTACT WITH MYSELF AND JUST PROVIDE THAT INPUT AND THAT FEEDBACK. WE'LL ALSO LOOK FOR IN THE COMING MONTHS TO HAVE THAT PROPOSED CALENDAR OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THAT WILL ALSO GIVE YOU ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE THAT INPUT, THAT INPUT. AND THEN THE FINAL DECISION FOR THE CALENDAR FOR THE 2728 SCHOOL YEAR WILL BE MADE AROUND DECEMBER OR JANUARY. AND SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES CONCLUDES THIS MEETING. THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND SPEAKING. AND THANK YOU ALL IN THE AUDIENCE FOR COMING* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.