What about folks who work in retail while their kids are in school and have their schedules taylored so? They aren't going to let you take two - three weeks off every nine weeks with no high schoolers to take those shifts.
If there is a clear and demonstrable benefit to the calendar, the decision should have been made for all schools to go to the calendar, so as to keep logistical issues as a smaller concern, [think TA's driving buses for two schools.] Yet, a driver for PES who would also drive another route to a middle school now has a schedule 'burp'. Parents would not have the concern in their minds as to trying to get their kids into a school whose calendar they support, as opposed to the school they may be attending. Some parents who want this schedule will not have it as an option as their school voted it down. Parents who do not want this calendar but whose children attend a school that wants to adopt it are in a similar boat. Those on the board sought election by convincing the majority of the electorate that they had the vision and the smarts to make far reaching decisions about how our schools operate. It was a fish or cut bait decision that the board refused to make.
Those people would also fall into the category I mentioned above. All of a sudden they are going to need daycare, which will be a hardship on them since they may not have previously had to pay for that. My family will be in that boat if our children go to school on the modified calendar.
I do in fact modify my work schedule over the summers. I have no family here, so no idea what I will do during the breaks.
And I doubt those wages leave much room for daycare, not to mention working like this is in line with a lifestyle choice, one where your children do not attend daycare.
Is this DB or DB's wife? I ask because DB doesn't normally use capital letters. Just wondering. Sherry
Yes, they sought community feedback. YET FORGOT TO TELL US WHEN THE MEETINGS WERE. And when I did find out, it was at a time in which neither my wife, nor I could attend. They could have held the meetings at 7:30 pm, which makes some sense. Let's say you or your spouse works in Raleigh. You get off at 5:00. Providing there aren't any accidents (and how infrequent are those) along your route, you get home roughly by 6:10. Leaving you 20 minutes to change, eat dinner, and then drive the 10 minutes to your school, just to attend a meeting that you weren't informed about properly. My child was sent nothing home till the survey, and I only found out about this yr round thing from 40/42. I picked her up from school one day and saw the sign in the hall that said the meeting was such date at 6:30. I think the schools should have given us a 2 weeks notice that these meetings were gonna happen.....given us time to get a babysitter. Heck, you typically give your employer 2 weeks notice!! As many of you know, I am against this proposed calendar, as well as the way they handled it. Not enough information (they could have MAILED something to the households), not enough time, not enough votes. If a school votes 50.1% then the school is going to the board to recommend they adopt the new calendar. That's not an overwhelming majority. I feel it should have been a 75% approval, because the figures I see sway too much from one side to the other....And as an earlier poster noted, kindergarten families were not informed or allowed to vote, when this affects them as well. Yeah yeah yeah, they have the same number of days off as they do now, but the fluidity of those days off and the interrupting manner in which they are now proposed to take place, only allows for less teaching and less learning. Think about it, when you were about to have a break (be it a holiday or summer vacation) what did your teacher likely do? I know all of mine, every year, would let it be a relaxing day with either a movie, or game, or study hall type setting. In Elem. School, it was a party. So now what? the kids are gonna have more lazy days!!! They have enough time off school as it is! I don't ever remember getting half these holidays these kids have now. IMO, This was just done too quick, with too little information. *end rant*:evil:
:hurray: Benson Elementary voted "NO"...55% to 45%. I was already opposed to the change but when I got the question of "Would I send my child who needs remediation to school when everyone else is out?" Not NO, but HE** NO!! He already has a bad attitude about school, do you really think you're gonna get any cooperation out of him if he has to go to school while his sisters are sitting at home? Oh, well...'til next year...'cause you know it's gonna come up again!
According to what we were told earlier, if staff votes no, it stops. If staff votes 51% or more to adopt, the vote goes to parents. If parents vote 51% to adopt, principal presents the request to the Central Office and asks for approval to adopt. Central Office/School Board make final determination.
That's not correct Hat. If the results of the SURVEY (it was not, is not, and never was a "vote") shows that more than 51% of parents are in favor, the principal goes before the school board to discuss the impact the change would have on the school and whether or not it would be beneficial to the school's population. The principal presents the concerns over the change and the positive impact for the change. It is NOT a request to change and asking for permission to adopt. The school board then looks at the demographics, details about the school (are they adding on next year/undergoing major renovations/etc.), and results of the survey questions to determine if the school will change to the new calendar.
I just wanted to point out that the school board itself is calling it a "vote" on their website. Not that it really changes things either way. http://johnston.k12.nc.us/education...ctiondetailid=112506&viewType=detail&id=15692
It's a matter of semantics and salesmanship/gamesmanship. If you call it a vote, people are divided into for or against columns. If you disguise it as a survey, make the questions leading, and somewhat nebulous, the survey designer can achieve support of the position he wishes. If vote levels are insurmountable at 75%, one has only to reduce the standard to something that can be achieved and call it a successful elicitation of what voters can be lead to support. And, since no one wants to be held responsible for a position that is untenable to all, it's a matter of assigning publication, developing support, selling the position desired, and still being able to blame subordinate levels of leadership for the outcomes of votes or dissension among parents. Were it not so lamentable and transparent, had it not been a major concern for parents seeking the best for their child's education as they see it, it'd have been a humorous living example of bad leadership.
Schools might not be able to impliment either way Apparently there is a vote going on but there would be a discreptency in the dates. The schools MIGHT not be able to formulate the start dates acccording to the state laws. Looks like this might be a moot point...agrivated about all the paper this could have waste...and knowing it would not matter makes me wonder...how could the schools and the board members NOT realize this was an issue?
I have to agree with this statement because the survey really was misleading. It pretty much was stated in favor of year round schools so the person taking the survey could achieve their agenda.
To all those concerned about te change in calendar based on your day care siutations - Is the purpose of the school to educate your child or to provide tax-subsidized day care? Just asking...... Schools have to change as "life" changes. If you haven't already read the book, "Who Moved My Cheese?", you might want to read it now. Summers off were for agricultural purpose in the south. We don't have that any longer. Many times we have to change even if it is for something we don't want. If your kids hear you complain about the change...they will complain also. If they see you take it in stride and work through the issues, they will too. Just saying.....something to think about.
