Shorter summer could be outcome of Cobb vote Wednesday
As in most districts, proposed changes to the school calendar in Cobb County have riled some parents who fear the system is drifting to “year-round” school.
Some Cobb parents worry that the system is drifting toward year-round schools where summer fun will be far more fleeting.
The board leaning seems to be toward the balanced calendar in which school starts the first week of August and ends right before Memorial Day. In exchange for the shortened summer break, school is out for a week in September and in February. (My own system has adopted this calendar for next year. )
What has contributed to parental unhappiness is that some board members have changed their position on the school calendar since they were elected.
The system maintains that its survey of employees showed 51.1 percent in favor of the balanced calendar.
Here’s what Cobb board members will consider at their 8:30 a.m. meeting, according to the posted agenda.
1. Current Calendar: Most closely resembles the 2009-2010 school year calendar; first day of school is second week of August; last day of school one week before Memorial Day.
2. Mid-August Start Date Calendar: First day of school begins one week later in August; three-day Thanksgiving; Winter Break shortened three days; last day of school one week before Memorial Day in 2010-2011; 2011-2012.
3. Current Calendar Plus February Vacation: Resembles current calendar but adds week off in February; last day of school is Friday before Memorial Day.
4. Balanced Calendar: First day of school is first week of August; one-week vacation breaks at mid-term in September and February; last day of school is Friday before Memorial Day.
For parents who like the current calendar or prefer an even later starting date, the trend in metro Atlanta seems to be going in the opposite direction.
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104 comments Add your comment
Singing to the Choir
November 10th, 2009
6:07 pm
45% of the teachers did not vote and they did not actively seek parental input. While the trend here may be balanced calendar it is not the trend in Texas and other states. Several states have laws on the books that do not allow school to start so early in the summer. Once again, Cobb County is working on that Corn Cobb reputation.
ScienceTeacher671
November 10th, 2009
7:19 pm
You mean there are school boards in Georgia which actually care what parents and staff think about the school calendar?
Reality Mom
November 10th, 2009
7:26 pm
I LOVE the balanced idea….where can we sign up?
Donald Hoffman
November 10th, 2009
7:37 pm
I think school should start after labor day and end the first week of June. Two of the reasons are the cost of air conditioning and Georgia is having kids go to school almost all year long. If the kids were getting a better education, it would be okay, but we are still near the bottom of the pile when in comes to educated kids in this country
Jennifer
November 10th, 2009
7:39 pm
I teach in Cherokee, where we have this type of calendar. I LOVE IT! Remember that it is not a longer school year. It’s still the same number of days. The shorter summer break means that kids get back in the groove a little easier. Many of our parents love having a week off in September. If you’re looking for a vacation to a popular travel spot, September weather is still good, and the crowds have gone home. Yes, coordinating with family out of state means that August is out of the question, but our family up north knows this and we work things out. As a teacher, I really do think my students benefit from this. They get regular breaks, but none too long that we spend too much time playing “catch up.” The area day care centers and camps offer their services during the break weeks. Child care costs are spread out more through the year. But the bottom line? I do believe that it benefits student achievement, and THAT is the most important consideration…not a summer schedule that based on an antiquated agrarian calendar.
Impressed
November 10th, 2009
7:46 pm
Good for the Cobb school board for doing what is right for academic achievement rather than bending over backwards to raucous parents that never seem to have long enough vacations.
high school parent
November 10th, 2009
7:48 pm
I know a lot of people like the balanced calendar but my family would not like it at all. If we had a week off in February, we’d be sitting at home with no where to go. We don’t ski and with money tight there is no vacation $$ anyway. For those who have kids that go to summer camp such as Boy Scout camp, it will hamper their efforts to provide space for all the kids with fewer weeks to choose from. I can’t how it would be cost effective running all that A/C the entire month of August. As far as “catching up”, wouldn’t the same be true of you having all these breaks throughout the school year? You would be catching up over and over. We may not farm around here but we do love our summers! Fulton Co. is actually going in the opposite direction and will not be starting until August 23rd next year.
Babysitter
November 10th, 2009
7:48 pm
Parental opponents of this schedule are just upset because they will have to pay for childcare during the weeks off in September and February instead of getting the free childcare that they have now when they send their children to school. Don’t they realize that it is still the same number of weeks out of school, so they will still be paying for the same amount of time for childcare? Wake up people and realize that the free education in this country is something to be treasured. Research shows that students and teachers perform better with more frequent breaks. Who cares if you have to farm out your kids for a week in the fall?
ECM
November 10th, 2009
7:53 pm
The argument about the cost of air conditioning during the summer is weak. For a school of 1,000 students, it is more cost effective to air condition a school than it does 1,000 homes. I would rather have my children in a cooled school learning something than at home being lazy because “it’s too hot to do anything”. And yes, I grew up where school starts after Labor Day. Starting after Labor Day meant that midterm exams were after Winter break, and the last thing kids will do is study during a break. Just because that’s what we grew up with (or what other states do) doesn’t mean it makes sense.
Also, keeping kids’ minds active continually makes them better students. Keep in mind that hte Cobb County students and test scores are among the tops in Georgia and comparable to other good school districts in the nation, so applying the “bottom of the pile” argument is irrelevant because this only applies to Cobb, not the entire state.
Having said that, I have already contacted my Cobb County representative for the “Mid-August Start Date Calendar” option. It seemed to be the best compromise among the available options. Thank you to the county for welcoming our input.
FulCo teach
November 10th, 2009
7:57 pm
ScienceTeacher and Impressed: You mean in contrast with the Fulton Co school board, right? There is NOTHING in the calendar they just approved that supports student achievement – ALL about greasing the squeaky wheels of the JC and Milton parents (in particular). Just wait till CRCT, EOCT and AP scores come back after next year (especially in our struggling schools). See how grouchy their kids are after only two days off from August through Thanksgiving (no early release breaks), then waiting for winter break until 12/23 (a Thursday, not a Monday). And Ashley was whining on and on about not getting two years of this ridiculous schedule approved at once.
HistoryTeacher
November 10th, 2009
7:59 pm
Who cares what other states do with their calender…180 days is 180 days. As far as Corn Cobb goes, I would think Cobb county is going against that trend, their not worried about farming or harvesting crops, their getting kids back into the classroom. Also cost of A/C doesn’t matter, you can run the A/C in August or June, which difference does it make. Lastly I work in a district that has the balanced schedule and it helps with attendance for both students and teachers.
FulCo teach
November 10th, 2009
8:01 pm
Oh, and the FCSS school board did get input from parents and educators (17-member committee) AND principals AND county office personnel – then ignored not only their recommendations but their reasoning for their choice of 8/9 and then 8/16 start dates.
State Rep. Jan Jones is from our district and is strongly pushing joint enrollment options for high school students in Georgia. Our schools in Fulton won’t open for students until the week after colleges start in Georgia. Guess our school board showed her what they think about joint enrollment, eh?
dd
November 10th, 2009
8:28 pm
To be honest, I prefer a later start date. I feel that block scheduling forces us back to school in early August. Having said that, I also realizre that a later start date is not likely in Cobb (they seemed to make the calendar with a mid August start date very undesireable by cutting into just about every vaction period), so we’d might as well go back one week earlier and enjoy the September break.
Gilita
November 10th, 2009
8:38 pm
As a teacher in another metro county that operate using the “balance calendar”, I find that right before the scheduled breaks, the students are in need of a break as well as the teachers. Intially the parents may think this is not a good idea, but after it is implemented they will understand that the balance school calendar is good for everyone.
Gilita
November 10th, 2009
8:42 pm
You’re absolutely right HistoryTeacher! I really wish many of the policy makers would seek input from those who have work directly in the FIELD! We are on the frontline!
jeanette
November 10th, 2009
8:44 pm
The official end of the summer season is September 24th. This means starting school the first week of August is a mid-summer start, during the peak heat of the season.
Summer provides non-classroom learning experiences for our children and helps them develope well rounded personalities. And, it is often through “boredom” that our children learn creativity.
We could trade this valuable time for a week off here and there, but these random weeks are often squandered and not fully utilized. Summer break is an important part of childhood and if we don’t fight for it, it may soon become a relic of the past. Think about how much your summer break meant to you as a child. So, why don’t you support it for your children?
Parents in other states have fought back. Please visit http://www.savescsummers.com and see how.
YEAR ROUND SCHOOL.
November 10th, 2009
9:02 pm
My kids go to a year round school and I think it it great. Breaks are interspersed throughout the year and it is easy to plan time off, whether you go on vacation or not. The kids retain more information over the break and don’t get burned out from too many consecutive weeks of school. The cost of summer camps is reduced by over 50% because the Summer break is only 6 weeks instead of 12 weeks. It deserves serious consideration.
Love the idea
November 10th, 2009
9:02 pm
Our district uses the balanced calendar and I love it as a teacher and a parent. The September and February breaks have been great opportunities for my family to travel and have some of the “outside of the classroom” education. It’s so nice beating those summer crowds. For working parents, our local YMCA’s, rec centers, etc. all operate reasonably priced “break” camps. When the calendar was first implemented I think that there was some resistance, but now most everyone seems to really like it!
Veteran Teacher
November 10th, 2009
9:13 pm
If you want to create a situation for the more wealthy students to go on vacations during non-peak times of the year then the balanced calendar is the way to go. If you want to improve education, it is not. The calendar causes so much fragmentation that teachers cannot maintain momentum in their respective courses of study. Anyone who has ever been involved in real education–ie, the classroom–knows that students shut down for several days before a major break–and it takes several days after a break to get them back in the flow. Many, many families will take advantage of the break by leaveing a day or two early and getting back a day or two late. Much instruction time is lost. But this is Georgia, where bass fishing trumps education at every turn. And I am a 36 year veteran.
lawdawg
November 10th, 2009
9:15 pm
I’m a Cobb resident, and although I do not have children, I am outraged. Back when I was in elementary school, I enjoyed a traditional Memorial Day – Labor Day summer. Then the school districts in which I attended kept shortening the summer. I honestly do not think there is a good reason for it. If the kids are forgetting things over the summer, the things they are forgetting are things they are going to forget ultimately regardless. A few weeks are not going to make a lasting difference. They are just shifting the vacation time to places on the calendar where vacations are not as fun, where temporary work is harder to find, where utility expenses are lower, etc. The advantages of a longer summer (summer employment for students (and teachers!), summer camps, better weather for vacations, reduced AC expenses at the schools, easier to arrange child care) far outweigh the disadvantages.
Jennifer
November 10th, 2009
9:16 pm
Jeanette, as a teacher, I see no validity to your reasoning. VERY FEW parents use the summer break as an opportunity for “extended learning.” Nostalgia for a happy childhood is not a reason to perpetuate a calendar whose time has passed. You say it will become a relic of the past…yes, that’s true…and about time. There is nothing that is done in the summer that can’t be done with children during other times of the year. The reason for the long summer break, originally, was so the students were free to help their families on the farms. That hasn’t been in necessity for MANY generations.
Charter Mom
November 10th, 2009
9:39 pm
As a parent of one of the very few charter schools in Cobb, we have been on a balanced calendar from the start of our school, although this year our calendar mirrored the Cobb County calendar more….(due to a school move). I love it! A week off in October, which is great, and following the Cobb calendar for most of the rest of the year was very helpful to parents that have other children in the public schools as well. Our school year goes into the middle of June(our charter requires a longer school year), but I don’t see how that is a bad thing….
DWH
November 10th, 2009
9:50 pm
Start a week later in August (when it’s wicked hot), and end the school year a week later in May, ending the Friday of Memorial Day weekend.
TW
November 10th, 2009
9:56 pm
Do what research says is best for learning. And somebody get that kid out of the pool and onto a soccer team or a treadmill.
JMC
November 10th, 2009
10:02 pm
Good move. Student brain drain occurs during summmer. Cut summer. Cut brain drain.
Sleeping with a Teacher
November 10th, 2009
11:29 pm
The fact that so many oppose the balanced schedule is a testament to the previous failings in GA education. Guess what, I don’t want the same education for my kids that my grandparents had.
Jennifer is on point and one of the well thought out, reasoned comments on here.
The uninitiated, misinformed of the “heads in the sand” crowd can not be reasoned with and will remain on the sidelines of intelligent educational reform.
Gwinnett HIgh School Teacher
November 11th, 2009
12:42 am
As an educator , I think that this balanced calendar is a win-win situation for students and teachers. Ten weeks off in the summer is too long -ask most high school students and they will tell you that they are READY to go back to school by Aug 1.The first month of school consists of massive reviewing because most of the students have hibernated all summer and have forgotten important material. For teachers having the break in fall and winter (like in Cherokee) would be a blessing. Teachers will tell you that teaching with no break from Jan 5 until Spring Break ( in April) is too long-kids feel it, teachers feel it and it results in frustration and apathy for all. I wish that Gwinnett would adopt this policy.
Make Learning Applicable
November 11th, 2009
1:03 am
Regardless of what schedule you follow, kids forget what they learn because they are not taught how to apply what they learn to their day to day lives as adults. We focus all our efforts on test scores. Kids memorize what they need to know to pass the test or get the score, then they forget it. What they do remember, they have no idea how to apply the knowledge. In the corporate world, we are seeing more and more high scoring academic stars that have absolutely no problem solving or trouble shooting skills at all. They can quote what their text book said word for word but have no idea what to do when they are faced with a non-text book situation.
Marietta Mom
November 11th, 2009
6:31 am
We all know that when kids come back from days off that it takes days for things to come back to normal. And now they want to add more weeks off during the school year? What a waste of tax payers money. Why not vote on more security for all schools in GA, for better assistance for students who need extra help; especially those with the new curriculum. Example is with the new Math. Students are told that for extra help they can sign up for after school tutoring. Did you know that after school tutoring it is seniors actually doing the tutoring? Current junior and senior high school students do NOT KNOW the new math; they’ve never seen it before and yet they are supposed to help current grade 9 and 10 students? Yeah leave the current school calendar as it is. There’s nothing wrong with it.
Chris Murphy, Atlanta, GA
November 11th, 2009
6:49 am
The new calendars are to accommodate the wishes of faculty and staff, period. There are no studies that show more retention of subjects. The lesser cost of summer camp is certainly a plus, but the fact of the matter is that working parents have it tough no matter what is done. The cost of camp is less when the older kids are also out of school to staff them. I’d have to think that the “balanced” schedule would raise those costs.
A/C doesn’t cost more in August? Check our own bill. Educated in GA, were you?
There’s more to life than can be learned in a school room.
Karl
November 11th, 2009
7:01 am
Why does the GA DOE and Cobb School Board in particular think it is so much smarter than the rest of the country, who for the most part start school after Labor Day? Why do we, time and time again, ignore what the more successful educational systems are doing?
Dan
November 11th, 2009
7:31 am
Why not just end the whole summer vacation….Put cell phone towers at all the schools, promise lap tops, take them away, not release students from school during a flood, go back on campaign promises. I personally don’t give a darn what the teachers or overpaid central office people think about the calander. They are employees that get too many days off as it is. As far as student burn out goes….the last thing this school board cares about is the students…just ask Dr. Crooks about the cell phone tower 25 feet away from East valley elementary. NO FUN OF ANY KIND
EastCobbMom2
November 11th, 2009
7:40 am
We LOVE the balanced calendar. My kids get so bored during the summer. After the first month or so the “novelty” wears off and they are just not having fun anymore. The shorter summer will help them get back in the swing of things too! Plus I’ll only have to find camps for a couple of weeks (to break up the boredom). A break in September sounds wonderful and although we won’t travel in February a break then sounds nice too! A friend of mine already follows this schedule and her family loves it. I’m crossing my fingers for the Balanced Calendar to be the winner!
Public school mom
November 11th, 2009
7:46 am
I understand the value of a shorter summer break but interspersing long breaks throughout the year wreaks havoc for working parents and employers. We are no longer a society where most mothers do not work outside the home. Workers usually only get 2 weeks a year vacation and it is already a huge strain on working families and especially single moms to cover all the non-summer days when there is no school. There are no camps during most of these time periods.
And I agree with veteran teacher. Long breaks in the middle of the school year are MORE disruptive to the continuity of the classroom learning, than a 3 day weekend.
Pay attention
November 11th, 2009
8:00 am
Cobb County School District did seek input from parents. It’s been on their website for weeks:
http://www.cobbk12.org/generalinfo/calendars/ccsd_Calendars.aspx . Also, I was encouraged from the PTA of our school to share my input with the board. The school district’s web site is a very valuable resource of information. More parents should look there first before they complain about not having heard about something.
Ron
November 11th, 2009
8:05 am
What does it matter how the school calendar is set up? As long as teachers must teach to the CRCT and all the administrators are concerned with is the percentage of students passing the CRCT we are fighting a losing battle.
Each year school starts off with CRCT and ends with CRCT. Teachers spend the year preparing the students for the CRCT. As long as this is so it doesn’t much matter if the kids go year round or 50 days we are in trouble.
Our district has the balanced school year, it is ok but I do miss the kids having summer. The problem I have is, when polled, parents were in favor of late starts 65% to 35% yet the school board implemented the balance school calendar. Several in posts above would say good for the school board for bucking the parents and doing what is right. DOING WHAT IS RIGHT is doing what the ones you work for tell you to do.
If the majority of an elected official’s constituents want a vote for later start dates that is how the elected official should vote. Irreguardless of their feelings. THEY WORK FOR US!
Working Parent
November 11th, 2009
8:07 am
My concern is for the working parents out there and how they will juggle their schedule for the mid-term breaks. No one has considered that there are some parents (probably more than you know) that can not just take a week off without losing pay or have conflict at work. Think about some companies in Cobb where they will have multiple people out that week for the kids break. Don’t think employers will like that too much. It is great for the teachers but lets keep the working parents in mind too.
OneFreeMan
November 11th, 2009
8:09 am
I don’t like the idea of year round or balance. I prefer school star after Labor Day and end by the end of May. Make the days longer if necessary.
The kids need to learn more than whatis taught in scholl. Parents need to spend time during the summer.
THis should not be about what make the teachers happy. The current education model is flawed. You learn English every year and it is the native language. Not all students are college bound, yet the curriculum is designed to prepare for college.
Driver’s EDUCATION should be REQUIRED, and it’s not even taught. EVERY student will ultimately drive and very few will used the other crap they learn.
Cherokee Mom
November 11th, 2009
8:11 am
We’ve been on a “balanced” calendar for several years now and I hate it. Trying to coordinate vacation time with my co-workers is an absolute nightmare when all 5 of us want the same week in September off and the same week in February off. Somebody always gets denied. The bus situation is another nightmare. We live in a rural area and my kids are on the school buses for just about 3 hours every day and in August, when it’s so incredibly hot, it’s cruel to make them ride unairconditioned buses (but of course, teachers and office staff don’t have to ride the buses, so who cares – right?).
Gail
November 11th, 2009
8:56 am
High School Parent—–you are right on……I live in Cherokee and we have this calendar and the RICH people love it BUT the majority of the kids are bored….I do not like it at all. I especially hate going back to school in EARLY August. THEN you turn right around and it is FALL break in September. AGAIN most people here go to DISNEY that week.
I wish it were the OLD way. Start after LABOR DAY.
Gail
November 11th, 2009
8:58 am
Cherokee Mom you are right too……and agree with you too Onefreeman!!!! The buses are unbearable fo the kids. IT is still summer in AUGUST!
Cherokee mom
November 11th, 2009
9:02 am
I HATE the “balanced calendar”, I resent it being forced down my throat and I resent Dr. P’s bulldozing it through pretending to have asked the parents.! Here’s the deal…I love time with my kids. Throughout the school year, it’s non-stop school and homework- 4 to 5 hours a night! There is NO time for play or rest, just go, go, go. I can hardly allow one soccer practice a week for all the homework and projects dumped on the kids. So summer time is our main family time. MY kids grow, rest, relax, READ! My older kids need to work to save money for school. Employers are reluctant to hire someone for only 8 weeks. As a nurse, we have to work our vacation schedules so that only one or 2 nurses are off at a time…getting nearly impossible as the summers get shorter. Daycare centers plan scheduled activities for summer programs…but during those ridiculous “rest breaks for teachers” the daycare centers are absolute free-for-alls! Those ridiculous week breaks for the most part only stress parents as they do not have suitable childcare-so the choice is pay and put them in an unsuitable environment for a week or leave them at home to get into all kinds of trouble…not to mention safety issues. AND- starting school in August during 90 to 100 degree weather is STUPID… the buses are moving ovens, the kids aren’t able to go out and play at all because the air is too bad and mostly because the teachers can’t stand the heat. This is all about what the teachers want and never, ever was about what the parents want or what the kids need! Education has not improved one iota! Of course teachers support this…they don’t have child care issues, can plan their vacations without problems and get a break from the kids they get so tired of…not a legitimate reason for these changes.
Cherokee mom
November 11th, 2009
9:04 am
Sorry-didn’t mean to take someone’s name- make me Cherokee mom2
Cherokee mom2
November 11th, 2009
9:06 am
Well my post got hung up- so when the raving one from Cherokee mom shows up- know that it was me- and I ditto Cherokee mom
Cherokee mom2
November 11th, 2009
9:08 am
Yeah- I know how that “seeking input from the parents” goes…put the questionnaire somewhere where regular, working people can’t find it and only the teachers know about it…been there, got the T-shirt!
Cherokee mom2
November 11th, 2009
9:09 am
Apologize if it duplicats-just want to be heard…
I HATE the “balanced calendar”, I resent it being forced down my throat and I resent Dr. P’s bulldozing it through pretending to have asked the parents.! Here’s the deal…I love time with my kids. Throughout the school year, it’s non-stop school and homework- 4 to 5 hours a night! There is NO time for play or rest, just go, go, go. I can hardly allow one soccer practice a week for all the homework and projects dumped on the kids. So summer time is our main family time. MY kids grow, rest, relax, READ! My older kids need to work to save money for school. Employers are reluctant to hire someone for only 8 weeks. As a nurse, we have to work our vacation schedules so that only one or 2 nurses are off at a time…getting nearly impossible as the summers get shorter. Daycare centers plan scheduled activities for summer programs…but during those ridiculous “rest breaks for teachers” the daycare centers are absolute free-for-alls! Those ridiculous week breaks for the most part only stress parents as they do not have suitable childcare-so the choice is pay and put them in an unsuitable environment for a week or leave them at home to get into all kinds of trouble…not to mention safety issues. AND- starting school in August during 90 to 100 degree weather is STUPID… the buses are moving ovens, the kids aren’t able to go out and play at all because the air is too bad and mostly because the teachers can’t stand the heat. This is all about what the teachers want and never, ever was about what the parents want or what the kids need! Education has not improved one iota! Of course teachers support this…they don’t have child care issues, can plan their vacations without problems and get a break from the kids they get so tired of…not a legitimate reason for these changes.
Nikole
November 11th, 2009
9:15 am
Question for high school parent——Do you all go somewhere every week of the summer? I don’t think there is anything wrong w/ staying home for part of your vacation. You still have the same amount of time, just spread out throughout the year.
chanceman
November 11th, 2009
9:16 am
Don’t you think that we should think about the teachers and staff and their well-being a little bit here. First of all, they just took a 2% paycut and many had to use furlough days this year. They are already underpaid for what they do. State insurance just jumped 40-60 bucks again this year. They have to make sure that many kids that were never taught anything by some of the parents, come up to grade level. Plus, have to put up with non-compliant children (with no help from parents)and have basically no recourse for their actions. How about this…Why don’t we say that public education is not a right, but a privilage. Let’s get those kids out who don’t want to behave and cause major issues and let parents actually take responsibility for their learning or put them on some type of track to do “grunt” jobs. I’m sorry, but a couple of kids in each class should not have the right to take up all of the teacher’s time with behavior, so that the majority of kids can’t learn (especially the Kindergarteners that are throwing chairs across the room…it happens more than you would think). Yes, parents should have a “say-so” in public education, but if the state is giving them a free education, then the state should be able to say how things are going to happen. If parents don’t like it, there’s always private or home school. And by the way, unless you have worked several years as a teacher, don’t give me “They only work part of the year” junk, because you do not have a clue what you are talking about. Ask some of those business people who tried to transition to teaching with a big flop a few years back.
Disillusioned Parent
November 11th, 2009
9:19 am
It is very sad that the major complaints on this site are about work schedules and a balanced calendar not being easy on the parents. If you were not interested in making the necessary sacrifices associated to having a child, then why did you have one? Also, why is it such a bad thing that teachers would like a break mid-term? These are the people educating our children! They are underpaid, underutilized and (as noted by the comments on this site) definitely not appreciated. I think people have become far too self-absorbed and have forgotten that it is the children who should come first.
Shayneman
November 11th, 2009
9:22 am
What if you add a an hour a day mon – thurs and have three day weekends every week. Saves money only opening school and running busses four days a week.