The Talbot County Board of Education held a special meeting this evening to approve changes to the 2017/2018 calendar. As of January 17, 2018, the school system had used all four inclement weather days built into the calendar, as schools were closed on January 4, 5, 8, and 9. “It is extremely rare for TCPS to use all planned inclement weather days in the first semester of the school year, as historically most weather-related closings have occurred in February,” said Dr. Helga Einhorn, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction.
The approved 2017-2018 calendar reflects the final day for students as June 13, the last tenured teacher day on June 18, and the last day for first year teachers on June 21. This includes four snow days built in as required by Section 7-103 of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. With these four days already used, and in an effort to be proactive, the Board approved a conditional waiver request to be submitted to the Maryland State Board of Education which would allow schools to be open on Presidents’ Day, February 19, 2018. The State Board of Education will make the final decision as to whether or not TCPS could use this day for school if needed at their January 30, 2018 meeting. Schools would only open on Presidents’ Day if additional school closings are required prior to February 16.
In a further effort to ensure the ability to meet the requirements of COMAR, the Board approved amending the 2017-2018 approved calendar to change January 26 (Transition Day) from a day off for students and a work day for teachers to an early dismissal day for students. This change will not require State Board of Education approval, so families should plan accordingly. “This would allow for an additional day and still allow teachers the required negotiated agreement time to complete grades,” explained Dr. Einhorn. “We are grateful for the flexibility and support of our students, staff and the community as we work through this challenging situation.”
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