2020–2021

School Year Calendar

Montgomery County Board of Education

October 8, 2019

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Timeline

• July 12, 2019: Initial Policy Management Committee review

• August 2019: Internal MCPS staff work group

• September 12, 2019: Second Policy Management Committee

review

• September–October 2019: Continued work with MCPS staff and

initial feedback from external stakeholders

• October 8, 2019: Board of Education initial review

• October–November 2019: Public comment and feedback

• November–December 2019: Board of Education finalizes calendars

for traditional and innovative schools

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Engagement

Initial stages of development and engagement

• Preliminary discussions with and feedback from:

o Employee associations and representatives

o Innovative School Year Implementation Group

o Advocacy groups

o MCCPTA

o Student Advisory Council

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Engagement

Following today’s Board review, staff will launch broad

and widespread public engagement

• Website with calendar graphics and feedback option

• Email and Connect-Ed distribution inviting comment

• Web survey

• Social Media

• Internal and external stakeholder discussions

• Outreach to students

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Parameters

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Monday, September 7, 2020 Labor Day

Tuesday, November 3, 2020 Election Day

Thursday, November 26, 2020 Thanksgiving

Friday, November 27, 2020 Day after Thanksgiving

Thursday, December 24, 2020 Christmas Eve

Friday, December 25, 2020 Christmas Day

Monday, December 28-

Thursday, December 31, 2020Winter Break

Friday, January 1, 2021 New Year’s Day

Monday, January 18, 2021 Martin Luther King Jr., Day

Wednesday, January 20, 2021 Inauguration Day(Board Policy only, not State requirement)

Monday, February 15, 2021 Presidents’ Day

Friday, April 2, 2021 Friday before Easter

Monday, April 5, 2021 Monday after Easter

Monday, May 31, 2021 Memorial Day

Key Considerations

• No start and end date requirements for the traditional calendar

o Labor Day is September 7, 2020

o Scenarios reflect start dates both before and after

• Spring Break

o All scenarios return to a full Spring Break

o Consists of 6 non-instructional days encompasses two weekends

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Key Considerations

• Professional Development

o Return to previous practice of full planning and grading days at ends of quarters

o Significant feedback from staff in recent years advocating for increased professional development time within the school year

• Inauguration Day

o Falling on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, after Martin Luther King Jr., Day holiday on Monday, January 18, 2021, raises issues of school attendance on Tuesday, January 19, 2021

o Policy Management Committee requested an option for discussion with school in session on Inauguration Day

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Key Considerations

• Innovative School Year Calendar

o Scenarios reflect 210 instructional days

o Options for start and end of extended year period align

with options for traditional calendar

o Continue practice of aligning the two calendars for

instructional and non-instructional days during the

traditional school year

o Other educational and instructional priorities may differ in

the innovative school year (i.e., quarters, conferences,

professional development)

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Inauguration Day• On September 12, 2019, the Policy Management Committee

recommended that the Board of Education consider changing the language in Policy IDA, School Year Calendar

• Current: “When the day of a Presidential Inauguration falls on a school day, that day shall be designated as an MCPS system holiday.”

• Proposed: ”When the day of a Presidential Inauguration falls on a school day, that day may be designated as an MCPS system holiday upon consideration of other factors impacting the school calendar during the year of an Inauguration such as the first and last day of school, the day of the week for the Inauguration, and other mandated holidays during the school year.”

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Next Steps

• Staff will launch broad public engagement efforts around

calendar scenarios

• Convene further feedback discussions with internal and

external stakeholders

• Staff will continue to work with the Innovative School Year

Implementation Group regarding options

• If Board approves tentative action to amend Policy IDA, staff

will initiate public comment period on policy change

• Report out public comments and feedback to the Board for

final action before the end of the year

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Discussion

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