Editors note:   Norton taught English in the San Antonio Independent School District for 15 years.  She is an advisory board member of Texans for a Traditional School Year, a San Antonio-based nonprofit coalition of teachers, parents, business leaders and school administrators.  This piece was printed in newspaper across the state in August, 1999.

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.