As families begin to plan ahead for trips, they look at the school calendar for dates of spring break and winter break so they can book flights and hotels. Every year students, teachers and their families get to enjoy their breaks off from school and hope to get away from all the stress that school brings upon them. Unfortunately for vacation lovers, the Board of Education has decided to make a change.
Instead of getting a full week plus two weekends for spring break, the MCPS BOE has decided to change the dates of spring break for 2018 to April 17 to April 22.
The deduction of spring break and vacation time is not the only change to the calendar for the 2018-2019 school year. The adopted MCPS instructional calendar was approved by the Montgomery County Board of Education on November 14.
The length of spring break was cut short by four days from previous years and is a total of six days long. April 17 and 18 are considered spring recess days and allow for families to have a longer spring break than just four days.
The shortened spring break is already an unpopular decision in MOCO but the two days off for spring recess make the decision less unpopular. Although spring break is still six days long, it seems much shorter than the previous spring break that was 10 days long. Current seniors such as Simon Bloch are not affected by this change though. “I’m happy that I’ll be done with high school by the time the new calendar is in effect but if I was still in high school for this change, the MCPS Board of Education would never hear the end of it from me,” Bloch said.
There are two days off for professional days scheduled on Jan. 28 and June 5, compared to previous years in which there was a day off each quarter for professional days. Also in previous years, there were half days to give teachers time for interims and conferences but there is no longer a half day schedule on those days.
Teachers such as Jennifer Bauer are already planning for the change in the 2018 schedule. “We all need to adjust our schedules to make sure we have enough time to get our grades in the computers,” Bauer said.
As ordered by Governor Larry Hogan, students begin school the Tuesday after Labor Day on Sept. 4, 2018. It is also mandated that the year is concluded by June 15, 2019. In addition to state-mandated holidays, there will be no school on two additional holidays: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.. The days off for these Jewish holidays are on Sept. 10 and Sept. 19. Junior Abby Feitel is not in favor of these changes as a whole but is grateful for the days that are still given off of school. “I’m thankful that the MCPS board still gives Yom Kippur off of school because there is no way I’d be able to fast for a whole day while being at school,” Feitel said.
Justin Fishman
Opinion Editor
