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As
school bells ring earlier this year in Texas, what once
were quiet rumblings about the early return to class have
turned into loud calls for change. According to
the recent Texas Poll, Texans dislike the early
school start date. Statewide,
a majority of parents favor starting school within a week
of Labor Day. In
North Texas, the poll shows 56 percent support such a
move.
Parents,
teachers and communities have watched children return to
class earlier and earlier -- as early as August 2 in Plano
and early or mid-August in most other Metroplex
communities.
We now know this is a classroom experiment worth
dropping.
When
the school year is allowed to start in early August, it
inhibits teachers’ abilities to continue their
education.
It minimizes students’ opportunities to gain
valuable workplace experience.
And it fails to provide any educational benefit.
By law, students go to school 180 days regardless
of the school calendar.
Impact
on Teachers
Our
children’s education is linked to the continuing
education of our teachers.
In this high-paced world of technology, we must
ensure our teachers have ample time to stay abreast of
current trends and technological advancements.
For this, we must ensure our teachers have enough
time during the summer.
Without the three-month summer break, teachers are
forced to take additional classes during the school year,
taking time away from their classrooms and their own
families.
In
most cities across Texas, the early school start date
inhibits professional development.
A shorter summer for teachers means most can only
attend one of the two summer school sessions, so it often
takes twice as long to earn advanced degrees.
School
districts offer greater pay for teachers with advanced
degrees; if masters degrees are beneficial enough to merit
pay increases, shouldn’t we ensure teachers have time to
achieve them?
Impact
on Students
Besides
the obvious heat-related concerns, worries over small
children being burned on playground equipment and the
scare of football players and band members practicing in
100-degree plus temperatures, there are academic concerns
as well.
Many
high school teachers rightly stress the importance of work
experience for young adults.
Summer employment teaches our kids responsibility,
the importance of staying in school and provides real life
applications to lessons learned in the classroom.
The
shorter summer eliminates many on-the-job experiences. A
full summer provides many students with the direction and
insight needed in choosing the right career path.
It also enables students to save money for college
without working long hours during the school year.
For
the sake of argument, assume a Plano high school student
works 40 hours a week during the summer and 20 hours a
week during the school year.
By returning to the traditional September to June 1st
calendar, this student could eliminate eight weeks of work
during the school year and earn the same amount of money
-- giving her more time for academics and extracurricular
activities.
When
debating the school calendar, the issue of when to give
exams is often discussed.
Proponents of an early school start date often say
it is better for a student to have mid-term exams before
the holiday break.
After
reviewing this argument with educators and after
researching test scores in
districts across Texas as well as in the top
districts nationally, it is clear that when you administer
exams does not impact what the student has learned.
In
fact, teachers are often offended by this flawed line of
thinking.
Their common rebuttal is, “We teach for
understanding, not regurgitation.”
We
also have looked at this argument from the common sense
approach.
The week before Christmas is the most hectic of the
year for most of us.
Among children, attention spans are the shortest
and concentration the lowest.
Yet this is when we find it best to test our
students?
Wouldn’t
it be wiser to let our children return from the holidays
-- rested and relaxed -- settled into the groove of
studying and school before throwing a mid-term exam their
way?
Impact
on Families
Last,
but not least are the difficulties the bloated school
calendar places on Texas families.
The numerous breaks during the school year make it
difficult for many Texas families to find child care,
leaving some students home alone -- unsupervised.
This is not the case during the summer months.
Pools, camps, YMCA programs, and church groups all
provide supervised activities for kids.
Starting
school in August creates headaches, heartaches and
hardships.
Texans want a change.
It’s time to return to the more traditional
September through June 1st calendar.
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