Originally Posted by Mickie612
I want to ask a question. Why is school starting so early? It does not seem fair to students and teachers. Are the kids really learning more? I guess I am getting to the age of not wanting to change.
I will try to explain as it is in our area in central IN....for very many years our statewide testing was in mid-Sept. Testing is so high-stakes that schools went to starting earlier and earlier in Aug. in order to get in that much needed review. Now testing has moved to spring but most schools have not changed.
I heard on the news this morning that one of the larger districts in the Indpls area went back today. They are going on a year-round balanced calendar that is something like 9 weeks in school 2 weeks off and then maybe a month in the summer. Later this week and next week many of the other school districts in central IN are going back. One comment I read over and over is that we are no longer an agricultural based society so our calendars do not need to reflect that.
There has been a push each fall by somebody to get the legislature to mandate an after-Labor Day starting date for all schools. This poses problems as well...for one thing, the date for Labor Day is different each year. On the years that it is late (like the 6th or 7th) it would be well into June when school is scheduled to dismiss for the summer. What happens if there are several snow days to make up in June? It is conceivable that school could last almost the entire month of June.
Another issue that we have to deal with at my school (and I imagine others deal with, as well)...Little League baseball and softball start earlier and earlier each year now that we have gone to Daylight Saving Time in early March! From that point on we are struggling with families who do not understand that school needs to come first and are allowing their children to stay up way too late at night. And, to be very honest with you, the days we are in school past Memorial Day are pretty much wasted days. All the little ones can think about is getting home to play in the pool or ride bikes.
Actually, the real solution would be a late Aug (like about the 25tth-28th) start and shortening up Xmas vacation so that we could still be out by about Memorial Day. But, I am guessing that since most schools in our area are air-conditioned now...we will probably end up on a year-round calendar before too long (I have read where our esteemed state supt of ed wants to add days to the magic 180 we have now). There are both pros and cons to year-round school. Personally, I will retire if that happens. I turned 55 in July and am now eligible for early-retirement. I still like teaching my kdg kids but the day will come....
Sorry my post is so long. Just wanted to explain to those who maybe have always wondered about school calendars!