Montgomery County Councilmembers are raising concerns about a decision by Montgomery County Public Schools to designate Eid al-Fitr as an instructional make-up day following weather-related closures.
Councilmember Evan Glass said using the Muslim holiday as a make-up day is troubling and sends the wrong message about inclusion and equity. In a statement, Glass noted that other major religious and cultural holidays, including Christmas, Rosh Hashanah, and Lunar New Year, are treated as non-instructional days, and said the situation could have been avoided with similar treatment for Eid al-Fitr.
Councilmember Will Jawando also criticized the proposal in a letter to the Board of Education, calling on school leaders to reverse the decision. Jawando said holding classes on Eid al-Fitr places Muslim students and families in a position of choosing between religious observance and school attendance. While acknowledging the challenges created by recent winter storms and state instructional requirements, he urged the district to pursue alternative solutions that do not require holding classes on religious holidays…