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As
school bells ring in towns and cities across the state, Texans are
voicing their displeasure.
A
recent Texas Poll shows a majority of parents want school to start
within a week of Labor Day.
Clearly,
the recent trend toward an early or mid-August return to school
has not won many fans – and rightly so.
Starting school in August provides no educational benefit
whatsoever, kids have no additional class time.
Instead,
we have bloated school calendars that have created shorter summers
and numerous breaks during the school year itself.
For students, this means summer job opportunities are often
thwarted. It means working families have t dig deeper into their
budgets for extra child care during off times of the year. For teachers, it often means less time to pursue professional
development.
Little
more than a decade ago, back-to-school meant it was early
September. Importantly,
it also meant teachers had a full three months to pursue advanced
degrees, continuing education or additional certification.
Today,
many teachers are forced to spend twice as long obtaining a
master’s degree because of the shortened summer the early school
start date produces.
For
all practical purposes, the early start date means many teachers
now have only a single summer semester to advance their skills and
enhance their training. For many of us, this is not only a hardship educationally,
but financially as well. Not
only do we spend twice as many years in school, but we miss out on
the pay increase given once a master’s degree is obtained.
By
shrinking our summer we are asking our teachers to remain
competitive without giving them the time needed to update their
skills. For those
teachers who are not working toward advanced degrees, any early
return to school cuts into time to work a second job or simply
re-energize.
So,
as we debate way to encourage, reward and keep the
best-trained teachers in Texas classrooms, we should not lose
sight of the fact that a return to a traditional school calendar
– one that begins on or after September 1 – would itself help
enhance our profession and the education students receive.
As
someone concerned about the unique problems facing our migrant
school children, I also must note that returning the start of the
school year to early September could help reduce the dropout rate
among these students.
Migrant
students are often forced to miss the first four to six weeks of
class under the current nontraditional school calendar.
Nationally, the dropout rate for migrant school children is
an unconscionable 45 percent.
These kids are already at risk; an early school-start date
contributes to the problem.
Just
as there is no proven educational gain to starting the school year
early, there are several other advantages to starting later.
Students
would have more of the summer to gain on-the-job experience.
Working families who must foot the bill for child care
during the many breaks the longer school year creates would have
one less burden on their household budgets.
School districts would cut down on the need to air
condition classrooms during some of the hottest times of the year
– saving money that could be used elsewhere in education.
Clearly,
we should be focused on providing students with the best
environment to learn, including teachers who have been given the
time needed to advance their skills.
Cultivating this positive learning environment includes
moving the school year back to where it was – early September.
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