Snow Day Makeup for schools = NONSENSE

there ya go. problem solved.

 

In years past (over 10 years ago), many school calendars were 182 days in length. That changed over the years for a reason I don't know. However, Marc Basnight and the Save Our Summers campaign led to the following state laws regarding school calendars: Schools must start no earlier than Aug. 25 and must end before June 9. There must be ten holidays built into the calendar (no employees report to work) and these must include Veteran's Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Thanksgiving, Christmas,and New Year's Day are also included. There must be one teacher workday at the end of each grading period. There must be 15 teacher workdays throughout the school year, including the beginning and end of the year.

For some years, the days of the week where specific dates fall will help in creating school calendars. However, when Aug. 25 falls on a Friday (2006) and June 8 falls on a Friday (2007), it makes the planning more difficult. There is no room for extra days built into a calendar so there are designated make-up dates listed at the bottom of the calendar when it is voted upon by the school board. (This is done every year.) Since each grading period is 45 days in length, the change of semester occurred immediately after the MLK Jr holiday this year. Because high schools are on block schedules, and schedules must be adjusted for any student who did not pass the course and/or the EOC test for that course, those schools need 2 workdays to redo schedules and teacher assignments for the new semester based on the needs of the student body. Most people will probably not complain when it rolls together into one long five day weekend next year!

This post is not against nor in support of the April snow make-up day; it's just to let everyone know how the original calendar is created. However, the school board has the final say in the dates used for making up missed days due to weather.

 

Why not the first Sunday? If my religious beliefs are that my Sabbath falls on Saturday, is the absence for my children excused?

 

yes if that was truly your belief.

 

i'm glad i' graduated 2 years ago and now i'm in college. (i.e. we don't have to put up with that BS) if we miss a day, we miss a day. however if i had a kid and had plans..they'd just miss a day. i'm sure it'll happen anyway.

maybe if only 5 kids show up on the make up day, they'll get the picture.

 

Sometimes I think youth makes more sense than most adults! Even though I don’t agree with their decision and if they decide to stay with the makeup day my son will miss that day because he will be out of town. What are they going to do, take away his birthday?

 

and that is a lot of what is wrong with kids today. parents don't care so why should the kids.

 

LOL What is your issue Tang? Don't you EVER presume to think you know anything about me!

 

I don't think it is so much a matter of parents not caring, although there are some that don't, I agree.

While I have no real "issues" with the school system and LOVE my kids' schools, I do believe that they do not put alot of consideration into some of the decisions they make. I think they do it on what is convenient for THEM at times. That being said, I would suggest to any school board members that may read this to ask a few parents around you what their thoughts are. Get a "sensus" on it so to speak. And be versatile. Ask questions, get all sides. Then bring up those opinions at meetings. That's what you're on the school board for, right? If parents are allowed to attend meetings, then they need to speak up as well. If not time is given for parents to speak, then time NEEDS to be made.

The school board is elected by us. They need to HEAR us. We as parents have the responsibility of our children. But so does the school to a degree. they want our help in alot of ways, we get flyers home about it all the time. But I think it is THEIR responsibility to LISTEN to OUR thoughts and concerns and GIVE a little as well.

 

:shock: ...k...

I happen to agree with Tangy here. Parents lead by example. If we are showing our kids we could give a rat's hiney, they'll pick up on it and start displaying the same.

Don't really see that she was shooting arrows at you...

As for us, my daughter may or may not miss some school. She knows the deal, and knows Mommy feels school is extremely important to her brain now and her future...well...later. The trip is going to be educational as well. Some of my fondest memories are from trips my mom and I took that she turned into educational trips for me. I learned a lot and had fun spending time with just my mom.

To each his or her own. Just remember, your kids are watching. When they pop out with something of which you do not approve, look to yourself and see if it's a mirror image or maybe a take on something you do/have done or say/have said. They also pick up on our opinions and biases...

Frogger

 

And make sure that they know this is how the real world works. When they get in the work force after 20+ years of parents' sheltering them, they can fully expect they're employers to always consult them before decisions are made. The boss will never make you change your plans without your approval.

 

That's not what I meant........If you actually THINK about it, what I meant was that parental feedback should count in the equation SOMEWHERE. How the idea of the school board calling people is beyond me....

Anyway...All I'm saying is that if we had more parental feedback, better decisions could be made. I actually thought that SOMEONE might have said, "Good idea, blessed. That's a better idea than saying, OH WELL! and act like parents who don't care like was pointed out earlier." Sometimes we all need to step out of the box just wee little bit, folks!!!

 

See, that falls back to Ken saying that you can't please everyone. It sounds like you would not be satisfied in any case so just keep your child out of school on the make-up day.

 

Will this be a whole day or half day? In the past its been only a half day and they don't end up doing any thing really..... they go just enough hours to count as a day to meet the 180 day requirement. I agree that the day selected doesn't seem to be the best choice, because of people already being away that week.

 

Actually I think it was tangy that made that comment in response to a post I made about why they even bothered closing for the day.



Craig

 

JOCO takes away that Friday almost every year as a make-up day, and every year people complain, and then the next year they do the very same thing. Sometimes you really can't fight City Hall.

 

what's the biggie? I love to send mine to school..........lol

 

I don't have an issue. I've raised my kids and sent them to school when they were supposed to go even if it meant changing other plans because to me, my kid's education comes first.
And I haven't presumed to know anything about you except for what you have posted on here and honestly I don't care to know. :roll:

 

Gee whiz tang… Does this mean I won’t be getting a Christmas card from you this year? I’m so hurt!!!!

 

Well, my kids will be at school but I do know of someone who has already made plans for a trip to Disney and has paid a deposit on the house they're renting, etc. Can't exactly cancel something like that...