HCPS Announces Last Day of School

Duck Farmer February 25, 2013 at 05:08 pm

Last year all counties with the exception of Harford County requested forgiveness for the days missed during the hurricane and they were granted. Since Harford County didn't ask - we were the only county that had to make them up. Someone correct me if I am wrong - but that is what the news stated.

Jill Marinich February 25, 2013 at 05:22 pm

HarCo claims they build the days in, but in reality they add them to the end of the year first. Then they start taking days away from spring break etc . We would get out a lot sooner if we didn't have so many in service days and random days off here and there. NJ goes to school after Labor Day, have a week off in Feb for Winter Break, time off at Easter and finish the same time we do this year

Annie February 25, 2013 at 06:12 pm

All southern schools get out by Memorial day? Why do we not file wit the state for the hurricane days like everyone else? Is it too much paperwork? The Hurricane was a Md. State of Emergency this year and last year. We should not have to make them up. All they do is watch movies and clean the last 3 weeks of school. It is ridiculous! If you take AP classes you are done in MAY! Then you do nothing but busy work for the last month!

edna February 25, 2013 at 06:47 pm

I wish these people who are running the School system would get their heads on straight for once. This is happening every year it seems. They need to make better choices of when to cancel or call delay.. there have been to many falsities this year and again the kids have to make the payment with the summer delay.. Unfair all around, to many in service days for teachers, in the time I was in School Teachers could be found in classroom after school was over for the day preparing for the next day.. and grading was done while class was going on... to many things depend on making school better for the staff and not for the kids... Don't get me wrong I think Teachers are the hand between the home and the real world and think they do a great job most times but the paper pushers have muddied up the waters of what education was to what it is.. extend the School year for the mistakes of bad weather calls UNFAIR...

Harfordlifetimer February 25, 2013 at 07:02 pm

I think school should go year round and then maybe it will keep kids from getting into so much trouble over the summer and maybe kids these days will start learning something.

Michelle February 25, 2013 at 07:22 pm

In the South, kids go back to school in early-mid August. I would rather get more time at the end of the summer than the beginning.

Brent February 25, 2013 at 08:51 pm

I hope you're aware year-round school program would involve multiple breaks during the year, and probably still a month off mid summer, they wouldn't be CONSTANTLY in school. So you would get to spend time with them throughout the year, not just on some overly long break in the summer. That same massive summer break that seems to contribute to so many problems with retention in kids and this whole snow day make up BS that seems to go on every year now.

dmh February 25, 2013 at 11:00 pm

I agree with Jill M. We have too many service days...or mini vacations I should say. And who ever did not file the paperwork for hurricane sandy should lose 3 days vacation themself

dmw February 25, 2013 at 11:16 pm

DNH, its up to the superintendent of schools to file the paper work. Hmmm who would that might be...oh yeah, rightr! The guy who is quitting...Tombach.

CB9678 February 26, 2013 at 03:16 am

MSDE is still not entertaining waivers for Sandy!!!

Harford Parent February 26, 2013 at 01:00 pm

There is a misunderstanding on how school days are built into the calendar. For this year from August 27 to June 17, there are 188 potential days for scheduled classes. If no days are used our last day would have been June 17. The calendar on the website lists in what order days become in session when schools close. The first three are June 12 13 14, then April 30. If we have any more closures expect April 29 to be added then next is April 3 then April 2 and finally day number 8 is June 17. If we go beyond that then you can expect a waiver to be awarded. If we don't go over that it's clear to msde we have the ability in the calendar to attend school for the 180 days.

Harford Parent February 26, 2013 at 01:01 pm

Correction if no.days were used our last day would have been June 11

HC parent February 26, 2013 at 01:59 pm

So I guess a state of emergency emergency means nothing in this county. Coming from a house with a teacher in it, take away the planning days first. I mean aren't they'd cushion? Makes me mad..

Shelley Sampson DeFries February 26, 2013 at 02:29 pm

Really, start learning something? I dont know what school area your affiliated, but my son and his friends at C. Milton Wright are in AP courses, volunteer and interact with the community and are involved in extra curricular activities- marching band, pep band, jazz band, mock trial and so much more... not enough time in the day for them to add much more to their schedules. *Now, back to the extended school schedule... the days off caused by the hurricane should be excused since it was during a state of emergency.

OldHarfordCounty February 26, 2013 at 02:54 pm

I read this and realize why I can't hire most of the kids I interview. They get their whinny, justified, self-centeredness from their parents. And since no one wants them to be in school they can't do simple math without their cell phone. Welcome to America, have a nice day.

Barbara February 26, 2013 at 04:46 pm

OldHarfordCounty...I completely agree with you... however it is not from their parents (not all parents), I am not like that and my 16 yr old thinks she should get things because she wants them not because she earns them...all the other kids don't have chores or have to get jobs because their parents give them everything...I was told that is what a mom is supposed to do...needless to say if my daughter wants soemthing she has to work for it and earn it. It is society that has done this to our kids... and the parents need to make their kids work for what they want, as well as be responsible for thier actions

Harford Parent February 26, 2013 at 04:55 pm

HC Parent - a state of emergency is declared mainly to get Federal Aid for damages, to the best of my knowledge. It also provides information to the residents to the severity of the damage or conditions the state is under. In regards to schools, it can be seen as directing the counties to cancel school to allow the roads and conditions to be returned to a safe travel and occupancy situation. Just as in the real world, those of us who did not travel to work during the state of emergency still had to make up the work that we needed to get done to accomplish our assigned tasks by our employer. Schools are directed to be in session for 180 days (their assigned task). There is a cushion. The county has planned for that, the two days at the end of April are planning days and they are the 4th and 5th days earmarked as inclement weather make up days. I guess the county puts more value on teacher planning/grading time vs. starting summer break a few days earlier. The school system and the MSDE are justified in not applying for and/or granting a waiver when the county clearly has a plan to accomodate up to 8 days for school closings related to weather or other emergencies. I don't know why anyone is mad or surprised it's in the calendar and spelled out. Maybe a little refresher course on comprehension so you can understand the school calendar and the inclement weather planning.
It is dishearting to see so many gripes before taking the time to learn how the calendar works.

Jen February 26, 2013 at 06:19 pm

I grew up in Western PA where my mother literally dragged me over snow drifts to get to the bus. We always started after labor day and always ended before right after memorial day. We even had the first day of buck season off. So why can't this be done now... because the teacher have in-service days out the wazoo! Why not cut them out during the year and tack them on at the end of the year AFTER kids are out of school. My son started kindergarten this year and I think by Christmas he had been in school for only 1 full 5 day week! It is ridiculous. How are they to adapt to a schedule if there isn't one?

Jen February 26, 2013 at 06:26 pm

While I can appreciate you point of view, as a retired teacher after looking at the HCPS calendar this year. I seriously considered homeschooling my son. There is no need for all the "in-service days" (remember I said I had been a teacher for almost 20 years) Most teachers if honest with you will tell you that planning days are a wasted day, in-service days - I personally would have rather been in my classroom. I WOULD rather go all year long than to have all the mini-vacations. I can't get my kid on a schedule because he rarely goes to school for 5 days in a row.

Wayne Earl Jones February 26, 2013 at 06:26 pm

State of emergency means be safe while the emergency is going on, but do your work when it's safe. Just because the kids got a few days off doesn't mean they should forget the work. Work ethic is a forgotten thing for Americans.

Wayne Earl Jones February 26, 2013 at 06:29 pm

Make your days up and quit whining about it. Quit labeling yourselves as a victim of the system and do your damn work. All you're going to do on summer break is sit on your obese rear ends and crank the A/C up so high that the power goes out in the whole damn trailer park again.

shari b February 26, 2013 at 11:31 pm

jen hit it all right on the money. lets face it. teachers have more planning days then people have vacations in a year. its crazy and uncalled for. my child just bought home a notice for 1/2 day tomorrow. they just had a 1/2 last week! there is no need for this. if it is so neccessary, maybe it should be volunteered and UNPAID. the kids suffer for it and i feel sorry for the parents who work, who have to scramble for childcare and PAY for it on these days. it should be limited to 1 day a month- period. any other planning should be done on saturdays. i am a great grandmother, so my school days go back to the 50's when this was unheard of. we were there everyday, except for holidays. this planning crap is getting out of control and costing the school systems thousands every time and NOBODY is learning- thats why older people are more intelligent than younger ones. we spent more time in the classroom. stop this abused practice NOW! it is getting out of control. and of yeah to wayne jones, i do live in the trailer trash park and i do crank the ac til the power goes out, but i weigh a tiny 119 lbs. we trailer trash ain't all obese.... LOL

1ke February 27, 2013 at 01:47 am

Teachers do not make these decisions. School boards in concert with LEA administrators do. Professional preparation is critical to schools as they try to adjust their programs to ever-changing demands.
You really have no clue about how things work. People do not plan to fail, generally; they fail to plan.

Ruffin February 27, 2013 at 03:43 am

I love the response of Wayne Earl Jones....so out of touch. As a retired teacher, I worked 2 jobs for the majority of the 31 years I taught. Nothing was ever given to me and I knew teaching would never make me rich. However , seeing the progress of my students, turning them on to reading and the thirst for learning was always paramount to me. Sorry, never lived in a trailer park.We could have been neighbors if I had !! Too bad, you seem like a great guy and we would have a lot in common LOL

Penelope Patch February 27, 2013 at 06:06 am

Blame it on the unions

Wayne Earl Jones February 27, 2013 at 12:22 pm

Now Shari B, don't put words in Wayne's mouth. As I recollect and can be seen above I never mentioned trailer and obese in the same post. I do know quite a bit about mobile home communities however and I manage one of the nicest in the area.

Wayne Earl Jones February 27, 2013 at 12:24 pm

Ruffin, as a retired educator who reads Patch regularly you should know never to put the words "teacher" and "touch" in the same post. If you lived in a mobile home community I may have been your community manager, not just your neighbor.

Ruffin February 27, 2013 at 03:06 pm

Wayne, you make me laugh. So right about never putting those 2 words in the same post. I am sure you run a very nice community and have everyone's interest to the max. Salute to you.

shari b February 28, 2013 at 03:30 am

well wayne dear, do tell me about this wonderful mobile home community you manage. i have been living in one for 19 years, and the professional term we have always used is "trailer park". we is trailers and we is parked. mobile meaning- "can move around easily", most here have wheels that have grown into the ground. we is no longer mobile. so we compensate for that loss by placing pink flamingos all around the yard. you ain't true trailer trash til you do that. the only exception to that rule are your ravens fans- they is the ones with purple flamingos......

Sue sue March 26, 2013 at 12:35 pm

Well there is a saying " put your money where your mouth is," so, I did I volunteered to sit on a board to participate for the school calendar. I have lots off school experience as an employee, parent, and grandparent. Harford county never called me back nor acknowledged my application. Sue sue