While we debated Cobb’s new school calendar, we overlooked Fulton’s changes
My co-workers on other blogs here at the AJC often comment on how sane and literate the commenters to Get Schooled are and how they ask piercing questions. Here is an example of that on the issue of balanced calendars.
This Fulton parent/teacher brings up many good points that we have not considered.
Let’s discuss after your read the comment:
Perhaps you could juxtapose the feelings of parents in Cobb vs those of (especially high school) teachers and parents in Fulton. Unlike the complaints of the Cobb parents that only teachers were polled (which I believe is not accurate), educators in Fulton were ignored by our school board. If you watch the Board segments related to the calendar issue on the FCSS website, you’ll see that Fulton’s superintendent repeatedly informed the Board that the committee the Board formed (17 members – parents, school employees and county office folks) AND then administrators (principals and county office) did NOT recommend the unbalanced calendar with the 8/23 start date. In spite of that, the Board bowed to the braying of parents and approved that start date. (Although only for one year, over Widener’s objections.)
It is interesting (and I would question the balance here) that the AJC has covered the Cobb calendar issue much more than Fulton. The red herring of the 177-day change pulled attention away from the impact of the calendar change itself. Realistically, our students should spend more time in school now (outside the extra 10 minutes) – we already only had 177.5 days with the five early release days, and when you consider the time wasted with class changes and making sure they had lunch on ERDs, they really weren’t getting 177 days the past couple of years anyway.
Our board members did hear from concerned parents and educators about the impact of the calendar they eventually approved BEFORE their vote was taken. I suggest that you might ask them some of the questions below, which they heard from parents and educators, based on their decision to approve a calendar starting two (or three) weeks later than others in Georgia, with first semester 83 days long and second semester 94 days in length…
- How will high school teachers be expected to compact the curriculum for single-semester courses into eleven fewer days first semester next year? For example, economics (a course, required for graduation by the state of Georgia, which has a standard end-of-course test that must be weighted at 15% of the final grade) is a one-semester course.
- How will students in school-based joint enrollment classes to attend their first week of class? The colleges and universities which provide joint enrollment classes to our students have begun class the third Monday in August recently. What arrangements will be made so those students may receive that instruction for the week prior to the date you’ve set for our school to begin?
- Much like the one-semester courses, what direction will be given to middle schools regarding their Connections classes, as those periods will be disrupted by this new calendar?
- What additional support will be provided to teachers to prioritize instruction so they may compact ten days of curriculum into the shorter time-frame prior to administration of CRCT, GHSGT and AP exams? How will that support be funded? How will you explain to schools that have failed (or struggled to make) AYP that you will be giving those teachers 10 fewer days (or fifteen compared now to Cobb, Cherokee and Rockdale) to teach their students the material over which they will be tested?
- Do you not feel it is the Board’s responsibility to educate constituents on the relative impact of their preferences? Elementary students are, for example, not impacted by semester designations, so citing more test dates during spring semester as the justification for the variation in semester lengths is quite disingenuous. High school students are impacted more by testing in the fall, when 9th-11th graders all take the PSAT in Fulton County schools, than by the GHSGTs (fall and spring) which impacts only juniors. They are greatly affected by having courses which have 11 fewer days one semester than another!
Honestly, everyone I personally know in Cherokee and Rockdale on the balanced calendar LOVES it. I can only imagine how disgruntled Fulton parents will be next year when our neighbors in Cobb and Cherokee have all the time off and our kids are SICK of school, then get an abbreviated winter break. My prognosticator calls for more absenteeism (students and staff) and lower test scores in Fulton in 2010-11.
Unfortunately, since I am a school system employee as well as a parent of a student in FCSS, I am not comfortable being identified here. Times are strange here on the FCSS range, and I really don’t need more grief in this environment, but I would appreciate increased coverage of the Fulton situation as Cobb parents scream.
Thanks!
FCSS high school parent and educator
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49 comments Add your comment
Singing to the Choir
November 13th, 2009
8:41 am
The point to be made is that neither Fulton nor Cobb listened to all that they should. Both seemed to stack things in order to get their desired outcome. Cobb could have met the needs of more (parents and teachers) by putting together a calendar with some thought. It amazed me at the lack of effort put into the calendars. Start date of August 16, Sept 6th off for Labor Day, give a 3 day weekend in October, take off 3 days for Thanksgiving, have winter break, return in January, take a week off in Feb, go all of March, take Spring Break the first week of April, go until Memorial weekend. That option would have allowed breaks and given the later start date. Both sides would have given slightly, a nice compromise.
When I was in school we only received a long weekend for spring break. The rationale was that students and teachers needed a break as the weather warmed up. I have friends that always take the week of Thanksgiving and now, because so many people do that, they take the following Monday/Tuesday to travel and rest before sending kids to school. The argument I hear for starting so early in August is so students don’t have to study while on Winter Break. Well, what type of break do you really think that week in September is going to be? While my child was in public she always had a project assigned prior to spring break. She spent a significant amount of time on this project over the break each year. This started in 5th grade. If the balanced calendar of Cobb is truly to give a well needed break, then will sports be on hold for those weeks, will their be a ban on assignments that would require time over the break? How do you think struggling students will catch up or receive tutoring if the teachers are vacationing and the parents cannot afford tutoring? If they could affored tutoring they would have already done so.
This was just another example of the Cobb Board exerting their power and not truly thinking of the children. The real story here is abuse of position.
Northview (Ex) Teacher
November 13th, 2009
8:54 am
Honestly, it’s just another example, in a long line of examples, why Ashley Widener has earned the title “loathsome and despicable.” I mean, here is a woman without a clue about education trying to make decisions (I suppose her role model was The Decider). If you will take a moment to google Widener Associates, her husband’s company, you will quickly see that she is a parasite, living well off lobbying efforts on the behalf of right-wing special interests that hurt most people who live in this state.
Ashley manages to combine the worst features of right-wingers who attack and want to destroy public schools with an impressive lack of awareness and an inability to think things through. She is an ideologue as a member of the school board and almost completely worthless as a human being.
But don’t say that teachers were not warned. Again, if you will do a little research, you will see that Ashley made anti-teacher statements from the beginning of her tenure on the school board. Not only is she almost completely ignorant about education, but she is always biased in favor of right-wing ideas that hurt schools. Ashley represents all that is wrong with the current approach to education. Ashley seems completely dedicated to destroying public education, and that seems to be about the only thing she can do right.
If you ever have a chance, take a minute to speak with Ashley. You will find a person who lacks any sort of higher-level thinking skills and who only seems to be able to repeat mindlessly slogans someone else placed in the empty space between her ears. We should avoid any “idea” Ashley proposes like the plague. She is over her head and incompetent, which is bad enough, but her malevolence is hurting our students.
Please go away, Ashley. You have already done enormous damage. Personally, I wish you would focus on doing wifely things for your husband’s right-wing clients; you can still do a lot of damage to people without completely destroying the pubic school system. You are worse than an idiot, Ashley. With an outright fool like you on the school board, it’s a wonder that the lights come on in the morning.
Alpharetta Parent
November 13th, 2009
8:56 am
It’s good to know that I’m not the only one scratching my head at the opposition from some Cobb parents over the balanced calendar. Fulton went to the opposite extreme with a calendar that my high school son complains isn’t going to give him enough time to really “learn everything.” Honestly, I would take Cobb’s school board over Fulton’s any day given how our school board were taken over by a few special interest groups.
North Fulton Mom
November 13th, 2009
9:01 am
I agree – Fulton’s calendar is insane (there’s ELEVEN LESS days of school first semester). I just don’t think that the curriculum material scales like that and unfortunately, the school board went against both parental AND teacher opposition to ram through a “cost-saving” calendar without any consideration of the impact on academic achievement. Cobb’s school board might not have handled the calendar as well as they should have, but at least they never considered anything as ridiculous as we have on this side of the border. Give me the balanced calendar any-day over our out of the blue, illogical calendar.
Cobb Parent
November 13th, 2009
9:34 am
The issue is not only the change in the calendar but the continued outrageous behavior of these elected officials: no input from the community, no understanding of the financial implications and or hardships on the school budget and individuals, and the continued unhanded approach of the CCSB to get what they want regardless of the cost. I personally am disgusted with the continued attacks painting East Cobb as a bunch of spoiled parents. This is from a school board that repeatedly tells us to foot the bill when they run out of cash. How should we deal with these random breaks? CCSB says we should take vacations from our jobs. How should we handle kids who fall behind? We should all hire private tutors. How much will this new calendar cost? CCSB says they have no idea but you can bet they’ll have their hand out asking for the most basic of supplies because they squandered our money. Read the transcripts of the meeting. You can’t make this stuff up.
Concerned in Roswell
November 13th, 2009
9:58 am
I can’t speak for the Cobb board, but what Fulton’s board did was 10 times worse in my opinion. I’m surprised our calendar didn’t get as much media attention because as a parent with three children in the public schools here, I am 100% positive that our calendar WILL have an impact on academic achievement and it’s not going to be in positive direction. It’s not just the disparity between the semesters either. With AP exams and other testing, the last few weeks are more a less nonproductive for students and now they have a later start to compensate??
At least the Cobb school board allowed parents to email them – I didn’t get any information on this vote by my board member in Fulton (all info I got was word-of mouth). Where’s the justice in this? Not much of a consolation to those Cobb parents opposed to the new calendar, but I’d much rather have a calendar with a debatable impact on academic achievement than one that for sure will harm our students.
Johns Creek Mommy
November 13th, 2009
10:05 am
Thank you Maureen for publicizing the Fulton calendar issue. It was only adopted for this year and I have been lobbying ever since to try to get it changed into something either more traditional or balanced (honestly, either would be a HUGE improvement over what we have). My emails have gone unreturned and I am on the verge of running for school board myself to try to force attention on this issue. If we need a longer summer, I think school should end earlier (after the AP exams, testing, etc, productivity plummets) rather than by starting later.
But did the board listen?? Of course, this is coming from the same board that is all too willing to chop school days off the calendar to save a few dollars while spending millions on buildings and sports facilities.
carol
November 13th, 2009
10:07 am
How do Cobb parents function during the summer with their kids, they are so dismayed over these “random breaks” that will just turn life upside down? Churches, YMCA, private gyms, arts groups, theater ensembles, childcare centers– they will ALL come up with camp options for the kids on these breaks, believe me. It happened in Cherokee very quickly, and the schools help promote them. High school students can market their babysitting services during the breaks as well. Some of the schools offer remediation during the breaks so kids don’t fall behind, and a few teachers who want to pick up an extra stipend can sign up to teach. My two kids have never had a single project assigned over a school break in the last 8 years– it has truly been a break. The Fulton teacher’s points about calendar structure are very valid, and exactly the kind of information that school board candidates have no clue about when they make campaign promises.
Gail
November 13th, 2009
10:25 am
In Cherokee County, where we do have breaks in September and February, IF you have a child that is in any type of sports, they continue, so you really cannot go on a vacation. My son played football and we never could leave and then my daughter cheers and we cannot leave. They have practice and games, because remember not all schools are out so the schedule continues for sports.
Northview Mom
November 13th, 2009
10:27 am
The Fulton calendar is a disgrace; given the reaction by Cobb parents to something that has about a fourth of the impact our new calendar has for students, I imagine there would be all out war if they were under our calendar.
In addition to the points raised by the Fulton teacher, I also want to point out that the calendar leaves no preparation time for final exams (not just for state mandated tests) since students are learning no material up to the day of the exam. So basically, teachers are now feeding students information with no time for them to digest and integrate everything they have learned. Of course, this will impact student grades, learning, test scores, etc. The school board’s reply – make tests easier!
As despised as the Cobb school board may be among some in Cobb, I would still take them over our inept board members. At least their answer to a lack of instruction time isn’t “make tests easier!”…
Jennifer
November 13th, 2009
10:40 am
Hint. Your Superintendent was trained in Gwinnett County Public Schools where school administration and parents dare not be out of lockstep with the vision of the Superintendent. You bring up excellent points, and ones that deserved answers from your educational leader. Your path for open communication in Fulton does not look good.
flipper
November 13th, 2009
10:41 am
I moving to Fulton County!
flipper
November 13th, 2009
10:42 am
I’m moving to Fulton County!
flipper
November 13th, 2009
10:43 am
Oops… mistake with that first post. I’m just too excited about my move to Fulton.
Milton Eagles
November 13th, 2009
10:54 am
Agree with the other Fulton parents. I’m struck by how this snuck up on us (there were no emails/press releases, etc. informing us of this issue or I would have been at the board meeting protesting). My daughter is falling behind in her classes because of the quick pace (and not enough time to review and actually LEARN the material).
And flipper, with the way things are going, you can buy my house. I’d rather have my daughter go to school in Cobb, Cherokee or Forsyth where enough parents are concerned enough and actually have the information necessary to challenge the school board over stupid decisions.
Tony
November 13th, 2009
11:05 am
It is too easy for us to be short-sighted during these tough economic times and make decisions that will rob kids of a good education. Shortening the school year will do more harm than good, especially in terms of the economy.
As politicians are making decisions about school calendars they should be guided more by the importance of getting a good, high quality education and less by the short-term costs of providing it.
Parents have been very selfish in their demands for long summer vacations. This attitude devalues the importance of school and places a higher value on becoming more self-absorbed in fun activities. Baloney! These are the very same parents who demand that their children be at the top of the class, the top of state rankings in test scores, and the top of the list for HOPE scholarships.
The bottom line for student learning is that we must begin thinking about more school days, not less. We must begin thinking more about long-term solutions to funding, not just short-term crises. We must demonstrate a commitment to learning at all levels-parent, community, boards of education, legislature, and governor. We must put our money where our mouth is and fully fund the kind of education we are demanding.
The issues that need to be addressed go much deeper than “balanced” versus “traditional” calendars. Community values, discipline standards, and commitment to learning are all suffering if we focus on things like having more time for fun.
Jack D.
November 13th, 2009
11:31 am
They say the grass always appears greener from the other side, but personally, as a Alpharetta resident and parent, the difference between the Cobb and Fulton calendars, even with the change in Cobb, is night and day. I actually envy some of my friends in Cobb because their new balanced calendar just makes so much more sense to me than our strategy, which completely ignores the purpose of having semesters in the first place.
Believe it or not, our 3 day cut to our calendar was billed as a compromise by our Fulton board. The actual idea of adding 10 minutes to each school day to compensate for lost school days is so illogical that it bears asking: why not replace lost school days with actual school days (i.e. like in a balanced calendar). Fulton’s school board is nothing more than a mini-chamber of commerce that would embrace lower academic achievement if that added to the bottom line.
KAW
November 13th, 2009
12:02 pm
I wish the Cobb parents would get their facts straight before posting comments on the board. I am a parent in Cobb County and I do not support the new balanced calendar. However, the school system did ask for input from both parents and teachers. I received a phone call from the school, information from my local PTA and information was posted on the school district web site. All the above encouraged parents to view the proposed calendars and to contact their school board members with their opinion.
I did just that and received a note back from both school board members I sent to. And, I know at least one of them actually read my comments because of her reply back was not a ‘form letter.’ Cobb parents have a right to be upset if they feel that their elected Board member did not listen to their opinion or even flip flopped on their campaign promises. But, it is FALSE to say that they did not have an opportunity for input.
On subject: I would be extremely upset about the Fulton County calendar. It truly is doing a disservice to the students in that county.
McGinnis Commuter
November 13th, 2009
12:55 pm
Maybe the screaming Cobb parents should swap with us Fulton parents that know firsthand how nice a balanced calendar would be after the mess of a calendar our school system has adopted. My son’s school basically lengthened the amount of time between class changes, meaning the 3 lost schooldays were lost, period. And because of our ridiculously longer summers, my son will have a whole block of 3 weeks this summer that’s dead (after filling in his camps, summer classes, etc.).
Cobb parents, be careful what you wish for….
Heather
November 13th, 2009
1:04 pm
I also contacted my elected officials in Cobb but was never contacted back so maybe KAW you were a are occurrence. Cobb asked just enough so as not to be able say they didn’t get input from the public but then talked about the vote behind closed doors, something against state law. And TONY, adding more days to a calendar will jack up costs tremendously. Teachers are contracted for a certain amount of days. They would have to pay more, whick caused your property tax and mine to go up. Then the cost of building and utilities and then we are in a budget shortfall again in Cobb, classrooms are expanded to add more students and then teachers are reduced because not enough classrooms. It sounds good in theory but not on paper. Cobb needs to concentrate on best practices and teach and stop jumping on every educational bandwagon that comes along. Teachers can not get comfortable teaching something without officials coming along and changing it the next year. Research shows it takes 3-5 years of doing something continously to show a difference. I taught many years in Cobb so I know.
BTW: I wouldn’t take Fulton’s calendar either.
These reasons are perhaps why Georgia consistently ranks near the bottom in performance in the United States.
L Boogie
November 13th, 2009
1:16 pm
I’m reading all of the comments and no one makes any valid points about the Fulton Calendar. 177 days reduces student achievement? Where is the research on that? You can’t teach the curriculum with three fewer days? Says who? If you’re teaching from the textbook and not the GPS it may be hard for you to cram all that in. I’m an educator and honestly, educators are spoiled. When are we going to learn to balance our personal needs against the good of the entire system. You can’t appease parents and teachers. Teachers took the short end of the stick this year. Parents have taken it in other years. No one has given a valid point as to how the students will be affected by the shortened calendar. All you’re talking about is how parents and teachers feel. This is a blog and it’s about feelings and opinions. Try mixing a little fact in with your feelings and opinions.
ally
November 13th, 2009
1:26 pm
Carol you asked how do Cobb parents function during the summer – well in my personal situation – my daughter spends her summers with her dad or her grandparents. They do not live in Georgia or within any reasonable driving distance – so sending her to them for the additional breaks is not an option. This will cause a financial hardship for parents because of restricted vacation policies with work as well as the amount of vacation an individual can accrue during the year. Not to mention that day care centers will have a field day with these additional weeks! They already charge exorbitant fees for spring break camp and summer camp….can only imagine what the costs will be for fall break and pre-spring break break!
Just think about all of the teacher work days and early releases the students get….as well as the normal breaks – one week for Thanksgiving, two weeks for Christmas and one week for Spring Break and at the end of May they are released. Can someone tell me why they would need to add a week break in September and February? It appears they get more than enough time off – if anything the argument should have been to increase the number of days our kids are in school! We are already lagging behind the rest of the nation and the world because our educational system is subpar!
sid
November 13th, 2009
1:39 pm
Here is the problem with education:
It is run like an entitlement program but without any management or business practices. The Dictatorial rule of school systems without regards for its consumers (ie, parents, students and employees) will result in two things. First, a gradual eroding in standards and morale (see Gwinnett, Fulton and Cobb). Second, teachers will form teachers unions to get rid of the good ole boy (and girl) mentality that exists in the higher offices in these counties. Any superintendent worth their salt would cut the WASTE in their infrastructure and be a leader to ease the public concerns.
When teachers lose 5-10 percent of their pay this year (based on numbers being discussed-and i do have first hand knowldege on this point), when 3 furlough days become twice that number and when steps for years of service aren’t funded, you will see the catalyst for change.
ally
November 13th, 2009
1:49 pm
I, too, contacted the board member responsible for my school via email and was sent a thank you for your comments and that was it. So, while we were able to email our content or discontent with the new calendar who’s to say it didn’t fall on deaf ears? Yes, we in Cobb were informed of the proposed changes but was our input really considered??
To those to say at that ‘at least Cobb had the option to email’ – so did/do you – go to your county’s education page and it lists your board members and their email addresses.
What About Gwinnett?
November 13th, 2009
2:27 pm
We still do not know our calendar in Gwinnett, but as a teacher in this scared to speak up county I am expecting the worst. My child goes to school in Fulton as we live there and I am already panicking about what I will do with him for the two weeks in August that I am sure will not coincide with Fulton’s calendar. I actually took out my GPS and started calculating how far it would be to drive from my N Fulton house to a Cobb or Cherokee school where the schedule is workable-but no matter what I will still have to deal with FC’s schedule.
KAW
November 13th, 2009
2:49 pm
@ally, you are right…we don’t know if they even considered our e-mails or had already made up their minds about how they were going to vote. However, we can make our voices heard by not voting them back on the Board at election time. Or, if we really feel passionate about it, we can always run for a seat on the Board.
Fed Up
November 13th, 2009
3:14 pm
We can debate Cobb’s new calendar decision as much as we want, but it is clear to me that at least the options that their school board considers have some relevance to the curriculum and may (or may not) have academic benefits. If I could say half as much about our school board, I would be the happiest mother alive.
From their decision to cut our school days, to their decision to implement the worst thought out calendar ever with NO consideration for the actual students, to their constant bickering over non education related issues, I am just about ready to move to Cobb from our supposedly high performing North Fulton school district.
Love the idea
November 13th, 2009
6:10 pm
It would be ideal if the entire metro area could share a common calendar. That way everyone would be having breaks at the same time. It would also help teachers whose children do not attend school in the district where they are employed. And for those who are complaining about losing summer, it is only 2 weeks! We are on a balanced calendar and we love it!
Cobb Mom
November 13th, 2009
11:57 pm
I e-mailed my board member in support of the current calendar. I live in East Cobb and have not spoken to anyone other than a few teachers who support the balanced calendar. But I don’t doubt there are some parents who support it as well as teachers. I am keeping an open mind about it and am not upset about the change – it is just two weeks after all. I much prefer the new Cobb calendar over the new Fulton calendar, that’s for sure.
Fed up
November 14th, 2009
1:58 am
Decisions about the calendar were based on how best to save money. Things are going to get much worse if we don’t find some way to fully fund education. CCSD doesn’t fool me. They are going to furlough teachers during those week long breaks. Fulton decided to save on utility costs. If you work in the schools, it is obvious that decisions are rarely what is best for students.
ScienceTeacher671
November 14th, 2009
8:57 am
I hope Fulton County schools aren’t on block schedules.
It doesn’t appear that high school teachers had any input whatsoever into the process of developing this calendar.
Cobb mom of 5
November 14th, 2009
9:06 am
I am very happy with the Cobb calendar. I would be angry if they cut the number of days like they did in Fulton county. On this issue – and this issue alone – I am with the board. There is a petition going around cobb county saying people like the Fulton county calendar. I hope before people sign it, they understand the issues with Fulton’s calendar.
You will never be able to please everyone. This small group of East cobb parents – many who don’t have children in the Cobb County school system – need to give it a rest.
Curious
November 14th, 2009
1:05 pm
Why can’t all HS courses be full-year courses – even if that means it meets only two or three times a week? Why do students (and teachers) need to have the same schedule everyday of the week (or alternating 2 or 3 different schedules)? If we do that, then whether or not the first “semester” and the second “semester” are the same length really does not matter, does it?
EducationCEO
November 14th, 2009
1:06 pm
As parents we need to start voting on these school board members, as these elections are just as important (if not moreso) than national elections. Too many people take these positions to add to their resumes when they clearly don’t know the first thing about Education. Most of the board members vote with the Superintendent, instead of having a checks and balances system in place to prevent a dictatorship (a la Gwinnett County). Maureen, how about you do a story on the $1.5 million excess Fulton Co. spent on school supplies from Office Depot? It was on CBS Atlanta the other night and none of the board members would comment on it….this is why teachers are forced to take furlough days!
Rob
November 15th, 2009
3:03 pm
So… how do the Cobb parents get this fixed? You find out how to get to the elected officials and pressure them. I for one, will not stand for this type of decision from a board that is supposed to represent all sides, not just the teachers union. When they come out again next year asking for handouts, none will come. They stirred up a hornets nest and will hopefully pay with their jobs… we have a new mission
Rob
November 15th, 2009
3:08 pm
BTW, Cobb Mom of 5, I have two kids in Cobb schools. I highly doubt anyone without kids cares much about the school calendar. The economic impact is HUGE from the perspective of now having to take 2 extra weeks off of work. Some people only get 2 weeks vacation and now the school board is telling them they need to waste these on the new school “holidays”.
Where are school vouchers when we need them… competition will be the only thing that saves education.
fultonparent
November 15th, 2009
7:43 pm
Has anyone noticed the growing number of layers of administration that has appeared on the Fulton Organizational Chart? And how about the 30 MILLION for computer administrative software that all reports are telling us don’t work?! Is it true that one of the board members has a personnel relationship through their daughters with the new superintendent and that got the super the job?! There are LOTS of concerns other than calendars in Fulton County!
FulCoTeach
November 15th, 2009
8:10 pm
Thanks for airing this for public input, Maureen! I’m another who’d be in Cobb (or Cherokee, for that matter) if jobs were available – and I didn’t have a child who’ll be a senior next year (bless his heart).
I HATE the FCSS departmental directory (org chart), in fact. WHO thought it was a good idea to remove the alphabetical directory (where you could actually FIND the department for which you were searching) and replace it with an org chart? Is that to highlight the fact that there are MANY people at the county office who seem to have jobs that would overlap? Or to make it difficult to find a department so you’ll leave them alone?
I agree that there are many other concerns in FCSS, but this calendar threatens to impact every student, lowest- to highest-achieving, in the system for the upcoming school year. Ashley Widener was very upset at the vote that it wasn’t approved for two years. Hopefully we can work our board members to avoid a second year of this.
So who’s interested in running for Ashley’s district? Set up a website and post the link – my guess is you’d have lots of support if you know ANYTHING about education!
Concerned Cobb Parent
November 15th, 2009
10:47 pm
We need to get a new perspective. Students in Cobb will receive the same amount of instruction, and we will not be paying teachers more as they are working the same number of days. Yes, we will have higher cost of infrastructure to cool schools more in summer, but there are 2 weeks as well we won’t be heating in fall/winter. I think the root issue is not budget or even people based – it is the perception of parents concerning our schools. We need to let school boards make decisions to support educators (over 96% in favor of this) to also support our students academic achievement and get past viewing schools as a babysitting service for our kids.
Anonymous
November 15th, 2009
10:55 pm
Rob – what teacher union are you referencing? There are no teacher unions in Cobb or Georgia. Rarely is anyone supporting our teachers responsible for our kids’ education. It’s just refreshing to see someone stand up for our educators.
Kim
November 16th, 2009
3:42 pm
I personally am thrilled with the new calendar, and so are my children. After a month or so they are all over summer and excited to have the additional breaks. I understand there are people unhappy with the new schedule, but they are not the majority of voices in this county. My children are enrolled in Hillgrove High and Kemp Elementary and most of the parents I’ve spoken to over the last several moths support the changes. It seems in any issue the voices of the people unhappy with a decision are the voices most often heard, because they are angry, but that by no means indicates that the majority of parents disagree.
Warrior Woman
November 17th, 2009
12:11 pm
Cobb parents polled? Not exactly. 100 percent of school employees were polled. A small handful of selected parents at each school were polled. There are statements being made by teachers at some schools that their principals either completed the teachers’ surveys or ordered them how to complete the surveys. A far cry from far and balanced polling. And beyond that, where else do the employees get to tell the employer when they will work? It’s absurd on its face.
The “balanced calendar” does not improve educational outcomes. It interferes with learning experiences outside of school, such as intensive summer studies, camps, and travel. It creates undue hardship on parents and students. It will result in greater cooling costs and more smog. Adopting it was shortsighted and ill-informed.
Cobb school calendar petition - Atlanta - Georgia (GA) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum
November 18th, 2009
7:43 pm
[...] Y'all should take a look at this… While we debated Cobb’s new school calendar, we overlooked Fulton’s changes | Get School… [...]
Dee
November 19th, 2009
8:47 am
Where can I find the cobb county school calender petition? Lots of articles, but no links to the petition. Interesting?
Maureen Downey
November 19th, 2009
9:48 am
Dee, Send me an e-mail to mdowney@ajc,com and I can forward you an e-mail that can get you to the petition. I am on my home computer, but when I get to the office, I will see if I can post a link.
Maureen
Kim
November 19th, 2009
12:47 pm
Let stop the Cobb vs Fulton County wars. Both Boards are the offenders, not the parents. We want what’s best for our kids and we would like an opportunity to be part of the decision making process. There is no transparency. They do not want our input because they cannot support their decisions with data or discussion. The School Round Calendar in Cobb, folks lets call it what it is..is not about academic improvement, you need only go to Google and you can see what an utter failure this initiative has been where it has been tested and failed for over 30 years. It may be, as one of my colleagues who helped start a very successful Charter school in Fulton County suggested, a tool to retain teachers so they don’t have as much time to find a job in another county, I’m not sure. So let’s hear it for lower academic scores, unsupervised children (increase in crime) and or higher daycare, disruptions in learning every two months or more, because we all get so much accomplished at work and school the week before a one week break, more money needed to run the schools and school buses (don’t get me started on the increase in green house gases)…
Maureen Downey
November 19th, 2009
1:24 pm
Dee: Here is the link to the petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/AgainstBalancedCalendar/?e
dave
November 19th, 2009
1:43 pm
For years schools in places like the Northeast and Minnesota have managed well on a labor day to mid-june calendar. Perhap y’all should look at the test scores and the quality of education in these areas versus the south and then decide which calendar is best? BTW – If the post is pointing towards Cherokee and Rockdale Counties as good examples, that shows how low the bar is set. The last thing I would want is my kids coming home saying “Diddy, I’m fixin’ to gradeate from High School and get a labor job or head to community college, Hip Hip!” Not that there is anything wrong with that….I guess the world needs ditch diggers too. Save our summers, it’s good for the economy as well as the kids and families.
FulCo teach
November 19th, 2009
10:28 pm
dave (sic),
Perhaps you should have researched Cherokee County schools a bit before you ranted. They had the third highest SAT scores in the state (2nd in metro area) and also placed 3rd in the state on Georgia HS Graduation tests. They bested national (and state) averages on both ACT and SAT. Their 5th and 8th grade composite ITBS scores were 21 and 14 points above the national averages, respectively. Obviously, they’re not perfect, but your allusion to “gradeate” shows an uneducated bias – or an unwillingness to consider new ideas.
You believe a 3-month summer is going to improve Georgia test scores? (ROFL) Do some more research on the impact of lengthy summers on student achievement – PARTICULARLY for students who already struggle to learn – then consider how many “ditch diggers” we can use if we don’t meet those students needs as well.
(CCSD info from http://www.cherokee.k12.ga.us/Documents/AnnualReport.pdf)