Every year Frederick County Public School students look forward to summer break, two months of warm weather to relax and have fun in the sun. But this summer, the beginning of the new school year will sneak up on FCPS students and staff much sooner than usual.
Recently, the FCPS Calendar for the 2013-2014 school year was released. And students, parents and teachers found out school would be starting a week earlier than previous years. Students will return to school on Aug. 19 after just 62 days off for summer vacation, compared to last summer when students had 73 days off.
“It’s awful. I don’t want to come back to school earlier,” said Middletown High School junior Erin Doherty.
This year the Frederick County Board of Education developed the calendar in a new way.
“We had a committee this time, instead of having a calendar presented to us that we discussed and talked about,” said Katie Groth, a member of the FCPS Board of Education. “We had two options presented to us because the committee thought that the best thing to do would be to present two options and have the board make their decision.”
With the change in the way the calendar was developed also came major alterations in the calendar for the 2013-2014 school year.
One change made by the board was the start date of the school year.
The other change voted on and passed by the board was the decision to get rid of high school parent-teacher conferences. Although this change is significant, the decision has stirred up very few students and parents in Frederick County.
“It doesn’t really matter,” said Doherty. “Parent’s don’t go to them anyways.”
Some teachers are slightly concerned by the fact that conferences were removed completely from high school.
“I think one day of conferences would be better than no days,” said MHS English teacher Jenn Clark. “I don’t think we need two days in high school. I end up having a lot of spare time because not all of the parents come, but I think it depends on the classes you have. Right now I have all seniors, but when I have 10th-graders or ninth-graders, a lot of parents show up and I’m busy the whole time.”
As soon as the calendar was released, an outcry was heard from FCPS students, parents and teachers concerning the one week early start date.
MHS freshman Kevin Swann was upset when he heard news of the decision.
When Swann received an email about a petition that was made on www.change.com, he immediately signed it and began to advertise it to his friends and Twitter followers.
Swann is glad that people in Frederick County are able to voice their opinions and that the board could “take what the people want into consideration.”
Groth, though, was not aware of the petition on www.change.com.
After seeing the effect of a vote sent out to parents and staff earlier this school year, MHS English teacher Daria Balodvin-Jahrling has little faith in the school board listening to any outside opinions.
“They (the Board) sent us this email that they had this vote and that only 146 people out of 716 voted for this early calendar,” said Baldovin-Jahrling. “Only 146 of 716 people wanted the early calendar, but the board decided on it anyway. Why did they even bother with the vote?”
Groth explained that the reason for the early start of the school is so that teachers “have enough time to get used to what has to be covered before testing starts.”
Next year FCPS is implementing the new Common Core Curriculum.
“With a brand new set of curriculum requirements this year, it’s really important that we keep instructional time the number one priority. While I’m very sympathetic of people’s vacation schedules, that would be a secondary importance to me,” said Groth.
Although the reason for starting school earlier is for the benefit of the students and teachers, most still just don’t like the idea of losing a week of summer vacation.
“I like having August off,” said Baldovin-Jahrling. “August is much hotter than June; even though, of course, we’re hoping for nice weather in June, August is just hotter. In the summer, when it’s lovely, I’d rather be out and not here.”
Teachers and students go hand-in-hand with their opinions.
“I think it’s important to have a more relaxing time in the summer because kids are so stressed with school,” said Swann.
The 2013-2014 FCPS Calendar was appealed to the Maryland State Board of Education earlier this year. But many believe the State Board won’t interfere with the decision of the local government.
“I don’t have a lot of confidence that it’s going to be changed,” said Baldovin-Jahrling.
