I have gone back and tried to get caught up on this thread....but I have to stop because my blood pressure is reaching unsafe levels. I've been working on plans to build a house this summer in another county and the timing of this sucks because we don't want to move our kid in the middle of a school year. Even if we weren't moving, this is whole idea is crap and just screams bureaucracy.
The educational system has never been parent run. It is only the recent sense of entitlement in this country that has caused parents to continuously discredit the professional opinion of educators. If you continuously do not agree with their opinions then you need to home school. Then all decisions are up to you and you alone.
I think I will step out of this thread before I say something I will seriously regret. Or maybe I wouldn't regret it but it wouldn't be productive.
I'm not for putting parents in charge of the schools but schools need to consider the input of parents. There's a big difference. Please don't pat your back too fast with regard to public education considering it's a nationwide disgrace.
Are you for real? Sense of entitlement? Children spend 6-7 hours a day, at school, away from their parents and we're not to have any say? When it is our tax dollars funding the whole shebang? Speaking of entitlement.....
There is a level of maturity required to attend the AIG center, if you are referring to the Intellectual part of the acronym.
As many of you know, I have requested data to support change. The school board and Central would not do so. So, I began my research. I found a few articles that seemed to suggest that the data did not support such change for all student populations, but did show improvement in some. That was my argument, that we needed to look at all students, not just a favored population, because the school system seems to be oriented to having all students at least receive a passing grade, and is so oriented to fixing that segment of population that needs additional resources, such that resources are taken away from other students, whose needs will then be minimally supported, of at all. Lo and behold, I was given two resources who seem to be independently researched, provided the data stratification I desired, so that we could compare apples to apples, and not apples to oranges. I emboldened a portion of the abstract. http://rer.sagepub.com/content/73/1/1 The Effects of Modified School Calendars on Student Achievement and on School and Community Attitudes Harris Cooper Jeffrey C. Valentine University of Missouri, Columbia Kelly Charlton, University of North Carolina, Pembroke April Melson, University of Missouri, Columbia Abstract This review synthesizes studies of the effects of modifying the academic calendar in Grades K–12 to do away with the long summer break while not increasing the length of the school year. The synthesis indicated that the quality of evidence on modified calendars is poor. Within this weak inferential framework, the average effect size for 39 school districts was quite small, d = .06, favoring modified calendars. Studies that used statistical or matching controls revealed an effect size of d = .11. Modified calendars were associated with higher achievement for economically disadvantaged students. Students, parents, and staffs who participated in modified calendar programs were positive about their experiences. Policymakers can improve acceptance of modified calendars by involving communities in the planning and by providing quality inter-session activities. Article 2.. http://www.jstor.org/pss/27542361 A Statewide Evaluation of Academic Achievement in Year-Round Schools Bradley J. McMillen The Journal of Educational Research Vol. 95, No. 2 (Nov. - Dec., 2001), pp. 67-74 ABSTRACT Existing evidence implies that student achievement in year-round schools is either equal to or superior to that of student achievement in traditional calendar schools and that its positive effects may be particularly strong for disadvantaged students. However, most studies on this topic suffer from serious methodological limitations. The author sought to better examine achievement differences between year-round and traditional calendar students using 2 years of data from over 345,000 North Carolina public school students in Grades 3-8. Results indicated that achievement in year-round schools was no higher than in traditional calendar schools and that differential effects for certain student subgroups, although statistically significant in some cases, were not of practical significance. Key words: academic achievement statewide evaluation, year ........................................................................................................... So, the data that is independent is either equivocal, or says that there is no predictable basis on which to base a change of this significance. Folks, the schools are trying to ram this down parents throats. They are unresponsive to requests for information, unresponsive to requests for discussion. VOTE NO!
I don't know what winter was like at your house the past few months, but it was cold as ^%$#%$ here. It barely got above 40. I enjoy those activites with my children as well, just not when it is 35 and cloudy/windy. And then you have to drive to do those things (gas $$). My pool membership costs money too, but also includes a gym membership so I can use the facilities all year round. Yeah, it is a personal preference and a minor complaint compared to how I really feel about the topic at hand.
I'm still fuming at one of the alleged justifications listed on my son's letter on this subject. The idea that this prevents teacher burnout is the most comical thing I've read in a long time. The fact something so weak is listed near the top of the so called reasons tells me all I need to know about the competency of the "leaders" with joco schools.
We train teacher, we conduct research, we elect school boards, school boards appoint superintendents. At some point we need to let those who have the knowledge and we have entrusted to educate our children do just that. To some that is not enough and therefor they choose to go elsewhere. We have belittled educators with our actions on a number of levels (from the parental level on up to the federal level) to mere employees and not professionals. If we had not done so, the superintendent would not have felt the need to have a "vote". This unproductive situation has been a long time in the making. This could be about nothing more than the brand of milk that is served in the cafeteria. That is the point of my comments.
Your employer decides not only because he/she is your employer, but hopefully because he/she has some education/experience/knowledge that you may not. The President is also employed by the people, but the people don't make his decisions for him, as badly as they might want to. I am not at all saying that the parents shouldn't have a say at all, as some of the other posters are saying. I just think that good leadership and excellent functioning organizations rely on buy-in from ALL stakeholders. It seems to me that the county is trying to involve everyone. If the parents vote Yes and it goes through, people who don't want it will blame them. If the teachers and admins were to decide on their own, they would be to blame. Doing it this way with both giving input holds everyone accountable for the decision. Most of the people who have issues with the process are people who do not want the calendar. I would be interested to see the opposing facts. Those who oppose it seem more concerned with discussing the process rather than the actual calendar. Right now, i would vote no, just because I don't feel that i have enough info to vote yes, and every other parent and teacher has that right.
OK, which is it? To save money or to improve academic success? I'm also curious as to what position you hold with JoCo Schools right now...
Again...this isn't about parents providing input on minor details. Of course those things should be left to the those in charge. However, this is something that justifies parental input since it affects parents as much as the children. If you can't distinguish the two then you need to go work at McDonalds.
Has anyone else seen "will save money" on the reasons listed for doing this change? I haven't. I'm sure they are saving that card as the last resort. Kinda like the state government used "it will help provide money for the schools" when they tried to pass the lottery.
