Will Cobb board revisit longer summer and its calendar switch?
Last month’s surprising vote by the Cobb Board of Education to dump the balanced calendar after less than a year and return to a traditional calendar may not be the last word in the county’s calendar wars. The school calendar may be discussed at today’s school board work session.
Will Cobb students have a longer or shorter summer this year? (AP Images)
A balanced calendar is a shorter summer with more breaks during the year. My system is also on a balanced calendar, and we go back this year on Aug. 1. Like Cobb, we had week-long breaks in the early fall and last month. Cobb was in the first of three-year trial with its balanced calendar when the school board abandoned the model.
Not all board members were in agreement. And there are some unhappy parents as well.
Board member David Banks has asked for the balanced calendar to be reconsidered. “I asked for a ‘Discussion to rescind the Calendar vote made at the Feb. 17th Board meeting’ be put on the March 9 Board Work Session agenda and it has been placed on the agenda,” he writes in his newsletter to parents.
He also wrote:
With the Board’s vote to change the school calendar to a later August start date, I and other Board members have received over 2,000 emails with over 72 percent of those emails in favor of the “Balanced Calendar.” As most of you know there is a tremendous amount of research information supporting the Balanced calendar or a calendar resembling a Balanced calendar.
A parent also shared a letter with me that she wrote to SACS about the conduct of four Cobb board members in moving so quickly to change the calendar.
She wrote:
The recent school calendar discussions took place from February 9, 2011 to February 17, 2011. In the past, the opportunity for public notice and input was lengthy and took place over many, many months. The community appears to be very distressed at the rush to judgment in changing the school calendar and the lack of substantiated data to make a calendar change at this time.
The Cobb Board of Education did not make a concerted effort to involve “hard to reach” stakeholders with the school calendar survey conducted from February 11-17, 2011, as it was delivered solely by email and internet access. Also, the survey was only available in English. With more than 40,000 students in the district qualifying for free and reduced lunch, and more than 8,000 students qualifying for ESOL services, it stands to reason a significant number of stakeholders were meaningfully excluded from access to the survey.
Of the stakeholders who responded to the survey, the results were overwhelmingly in favor of maintaining the 3-year commitment to the Balanced Calendar. Members of the Caucus of Four disregarded the survey results, failing to discuss the survey at the February 17, 2011, prior to voting.
Finally, the disregard of the public’s voice on the calendar issue has resulted in significant concern and press that casts a negative light on the district. Of special concern are comments made by the members of the Caucus of Four that misrepresent the utility costs involved and offend the public.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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110 comments Add your comment
jarvis
March 10th, 2011
7:11 am
So tired of the “the vote was made in November for the traditional calendar”. That’s not the way it worked for my area.
I live in Sweeney’s area. I had one other choice on election day, Jim Snell, he was also a proponent of the tradional calender.
I had no voice at the poll on the matter in November. I spoke my voice in February, and it was ignored.
Good Mom
March 10th, 2011
4:39 pm
to East Cobb mom, No !!!! You didn’t even pay attention to what I said at all ,,,, as usual,,, You think you are right there,,,, for it is right ,,,, in your opinion.
What I said was STOP TRYING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL COMING UP WITH UNFOUNDED IDEAS, MIRROR WHAT DOES WORK IN TOP PERFORMING STATES.
Dates don’t really matter, I get that! But what I did say was,,,,
It cost more , no question ,,, to run busses in extreme heat, and to air condition buildings in the hottest month of the year, bottom line it is financially irresponsible to start school then,,, I wish we could flip the worst states teachers with the best, but I know that isn’t going to happen,
It is like the POT HOLE PATROL,,, they come to reported pot holes, and fill with gravel, (an known un-supportave base, to only top cote with tar to make it appear to be fixed, but ultimately a waste of materials, and time , the problem runs deeper fix the pot holes properly and do it once instead of repeatedly doing it wrong because that is the usual way to do things here…. think of it in dental ways ,, the dentist takes a cavity and removes the decay, and gets down to a firm foundation and then fills it with a solid material that will stand the test of time and repeated use…. Just as the school system need to look at a real fix for the test scores, and poor performance lets stop trying to come up with new unfounded ways that make no since , lets mirror what is a successful model to follow.
this is applicable to many facets in business & educational role models. Stop being stupid making up new ideas and ,,, JUST DO WHAT WORKS!!!!!! It has absolutely nothing to do with your convinces, or excuses, Just do what works,& get over the EGO’s , it is the kids future , not a power trip. Do what works and make a commitment to make change fort the better, instead of pin the tail on the donkey.
Now tell me what I said that was incorrect,,,,, please,,, which dentist would you choose , the one that does the job right or one that allows for more decay?
Cobb Teacher and Parent
March 10th, 2011
6:13 pm
People are failing to realize the real issue. These 4 board members are on a major power trip, they refuse to provide accurate data, they have NO compassion for their constituents, they are colluding to hire the next Supt., and they don’t even understand most of the policies they are dealing with on the school board.
I attended Bartlett’s town hall where she said in a public forum that the 8,700 less teacher absences provided NO cost savings for the county because “her accountant friend” told her the county would have to eventually pay for the accrued days. When teachers in the audience tried to correct her – she didn’t allow them to speak and was very condescending. In the board meeting Wed. – HR explained to our uninformed board members that those accrued days don’t cost Cobb Co. 1 penny. If a retiring teacher has accrued days – they can possibly be added in at retirement but that is paid by the TRS – which all teachers pay into every month. Bartlett’s response “Really? It isn’t like that in the business world.”. She doesn’t even bother to get the facts before she spreads misinformation. She also had to have HR clarify for her that paras,lunchroom workers, custodians, and busdrivers aren’t certified employees. It really is so very pathetic.
Kim Eckle
March 10th, 2011
9:48 pm
CTP – since you apparently have all the answers, why didn’t you run for board? Actually, it doesn’t look like you provide any answers. Instead it looks like you just like to throw stones.
Cobb Teacher and Parent
March 11th, 2011
5:11 am
I do have these answers – Cobb teachers can’t serve on the BOE, my post was not up for election this past year, and I am served by a very knowledgable board member – Lynda Crowder-Eagle. Also – I’m not throwing stones – just stating facts that are all able to be validated because everything was stated in public at Bartlett’s town hall and the past board meeting.. Bartlett and the caucus of 4 are the ones that are not providing the answers to the public because they have NO credible facts and/or data to back up their decisions. All they have is arrogance and their own personal agendas.
Normal Dad
March 11th, 2011
9:07 am
Just remember: This is what happens when you buy into the cult of conservatism, They sell fear and anger. They do not care about the truth or facts – only their opinions. They believe in rhetoric instead of reality. It must have felt really good to vote republican last November to *ahem* send a message. This is what we get. Thanks SO much.
momof2
March 11th, 2011
9:56 am
I like what the poster “Common Sense” said about a compromise calender. You should send it to the school board. It definitely is better than the “so called balance” calender which I was glad that they hopefully have gotten rid of!
m. fresh
March 11th, 2011
10:36 am
Normal Dad:
Thanks for your insightful
rhetoric
April
March 12th, 2011
12:39 am
I’ve kept up with this issue since I first heard about them wanting to change back to a traditional calendar. Unlike most, I’ve never knew a time when school didn’t start around the second week of August and end in May. I remember also that for at least the month of August we would be reviewing everything we had learned the previous year because of the summer. Every year. Personally I think longer summers aren’t necessarily good.
Now I’ll say the part which will mean my entire post will probably be ignored on principle.
I am a teacher. Not in the school district, because due to budget they aren’t hiring new teachers, but in a Pre-K classroom that uses a school district calendar. I help to raise 20 4 and 5 year olds, sometimes seeing them more than their parents do. It takes the kids 1 day to get back into the swing of things if that, most are excited to come back to school after a break.
I’ve taught under a traditional calendar, and a balanced calendar. In my class at least I’ve seen a dramatic difference in absences from last year. The kids also spend more time with their families. I’ve not seen a difference in what they learned (and before anyone says anything pre k is *not* glorified babysitting) in fact they’re learning more, several of the kids know how to read simple words and sentences already.
I can’t speak for the whole county or the board members. I can only speak for myself. I do know that attendance will be very low the week before winter break.
For everyone who says teachers should stop whining because they get summers off. Yes I do get summers off, do I get paid for it? No. I save as much as I can and work an extra job. Next year I’ll probably be keeping said extra job due to the Pre-K cuts. I do what I have to to make ends meet. I am not offered any benefits beyond 2 personal days. I don’t have vacation time, or sick time. I don’t make a lot of money.
Find another job you say?
I won’t until I have to because I love teaching and guiding the futures of our nation. If I could be sure my bills were paid and have to work for free I would because teaching is an important and often ridiculed and attacked profession.
I will work under whatever calendar is come up with.
I will work with the furlough days they will be having teachers take and the pay cuts that result from them.
I will work with the pay cut Pre-K is handing out
I will work with the increased class sizes.
I will work with parents who spend more time doing things for themselves than working with their children.
Cobb Students' Parent
March 15th, 2011
12:42 pm
If you are going to back down of a 3 year commitment before 1 year has past, you need to provide some cost/benefit evidence in favor of that decision. The only argument in favor of traditional calendar that I have heard is that it was a campaign promise. However, primary focus in student instruction, fiscal responsibility and school/community concerns were campaign promises also.
It’s my understanding that the balanced calendar: is widely preferred by teachers, students and parents; is saving significant amounts of money to the school system by reducing utility costs and the need for substitute teachers (savings of $650,000 with a potential of over $1,000,000 by end of school year), and has the potential to improve student performance. Student performance seems too early to assess, however, with a shorter summer break (less learning loss) and less teacher/student absenteeism, I would expect positive results in this area.
If anyone has access to any cost/benefit evidence that has supported the board decision to change back to a traditional calendar, please share with Cobb residents. As you might have guess, my main concerns are student performance, fiscal responsibility and student/teacher/parents preference.