When should the school year start and end? (county, costs, logic)

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by Ivorytickler

School should start the first week of August and go to the second week of June. A 6 week summer break is plenty long enough. Take the other 4 weeks and spread them throughout the year.

I've said before that I would like to do something like this...a modified calendar. Right now we start the day after Labor Day and end sometime in the third week of June (6/18 for the upcoming school year).

[Prof2000]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

I've said before that I would like to do somThatething like this...a modified calendar. Right now we start the day after Labor Day and end sometime in the third week of June (6/18 for the upcoming school year).

That sounds painful. Do you get lots of breaks during the year?

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by Prof2000

That sounds painful. Do you get lots of breaks during the year?

I'd say we get breaks which are typical of other districts. Columbus Day, 2 days at Thanksgiving, a week or so at Christmas and Easter, and a couple other federal holidays. Students have 183 days, teachers 194. So, I think it's a pretty standard calendar.

[teachbeach]

Most states have a required number of days. I taught in two different states, with two different "schools of thought" about the school year. One district (New Jersey) started after Labor Day and had many breaks throughout the year; Jewish holidays in September, Columbus Day, Statewide Teacher Workshop Days the first weekend in November, Thanksgiving, Christmas, MLK, Winter Recess, Spring Break (1 week plus Good Friday or Easter Monday, usually coordinated with Passover), Memorial Day and then ended anywhere from June 19th up until June 26th.

In PA and the district I taught in started the week before Labor Day (teachers started the week before that!). We had 1 in service day, Thanksgiving Weekend, Christmas Eve until the day after New Year's, MLK, 2 days in February, Good Friday and Memorial Day. We were finished by June 5th or 6th if no extra days had to be added for snow make-ups.

I really think the breaks throughout the year are beneficial to everyone. I prefer a longer year with more time off during the year. The summer of 12 weeks is almost too long~8 to 10 weeks is sufficient for camps, vacations, taking classes etc.

Ideally, restructuring the year and giving the week to 10 day breaks after each marking period would allow for students to take remediation, have their schedules adjusted, or be regrouped into classrooms or sub groups appropriate for their rate of learning or mastering the concept. If a student failed a marking period of Algebra, they should be able to take it over again the following marking period, not wait until the fail the course and have to take it in summer school. In the elementary classrooms, it would allow the teacher to evaluate students and regroup or reassign them to reading and math levels or to provide remediation. Students should be expected to do some work over some of the breaks as well...required readings, internships, shadowing jobs, or taking an educational family trip. I'd rather see a family travel on one of these breaks than to have the student miss a week of school and testing because that's when their time share week is at Disney.

[Pupmom]

I think school should start after Labor Day. In the area we live there is alot of tourism. When kids start before Labor Day, not only is there not enough employees to operate the businesses, but the business owners lose out on the revenue for the Labor Day weekend. The start of school before Labor Day has definitely affected the economy.
Likewise, when we have had severe winters and school ended in late June it also affected the economy as well.
Ideally, start after Labor Day and end before Memorial Day!

[Prof2000]

Teachbeach, I like your school schedule. That one does sound nice. Pupmom, I think you are right that it's good to start after Labor Day but only if you can end before Memorial Day. I am trying to get on the calendar committee next year so this is good everyone giving me ideas. We need to reduce our PD days here. We have at least one a month and it's too much.

Keep the ideas coming!

[nana053]

Originally Posted by Bluff_Dweller

As a former teacher and business person, I think the schools should teach continusly. No summer breaks. Utilize the buildings all year around. Kids attend classes a number of weeks, then a week or two off while advancing to the next level. There is too much waste in shutting down and starting up again. The tax payers deserve more accountability for their tax money, IMHO

Yes, it would mean restructering the whole school system. The summer months was for harvesting, that is no longer utilized or needed.

That is what people on year round schedules do.

Of course, here in Texas, summer schooling would cost a lot more in terms of utilities because we could not get on without air conditioning.

[Prof2000]

I've always wondered what a year round schedule would be like. If my district were to go to one I don't know that I would object.

[Ivorytickler]

Originally Posted by Bluff_Dweller

As a former teacher and business person, I think the schools should teach continusly. No summer breaks. Utilize the buildings all year around. Kids attend classes a number of weeks, then a week or two off while advancing to the next level. There is too much waste in shutting down and starting up again. The tax payers deserve more accountability for their tax money, IMHO

Yes, it would mean restructering the whole school system. The summer months was for harvesting, that is no longer utilized or needed.

The summer months were not for harvesting. Harvesting is done in the fall. The summer off is for vacations and because school buildings were hot in the summer. AC fixes the latter.

http://www.eduskeptic.com/2009/01/ag...t-been-either/

"Back when the population was mostly rural, and farming prevalent, school occurred around planting, harvesting, calving, and lambing. School was out during these times. School was in during the rest of the time. A true agrarian schedule would likely have school during summer and winter, and the school breaks, if any, would be spring and autumn. "

[mimimomx3]

End at Memorial Day, start at Labor Day.
Everyone needs a break.