Mandating the school calender

A group called Save Our Summers-Florida has won their fight to push back start dates for schools in Florida.

A measure to keep schools in Florida from starting more than two weeks before Labor Day is now part of an education package that is on its way to Jeb for his signature. The measure provides no exceptions to the rule mandating school districts' starting date and would go into effect in 2007.

According to Andrea "Pip" Sanders of Weston, a parent happy with the new measure

It'll make planning easier for the entire family. It'll be good for the kids to have a real summer.

The state mandated date for all schools to give students the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) will not be moved back to reflect the new law.

The Save Our Summers-Florida people should have looked at the reasons for the districts starting school the second week in August. It wasn't done to take their summers away.

There are several reasons for the districts moving the start date ahead.

One involves getting ready for the FCAT. I don't care what politicians think, many students are over school once the FCAT has been given. They spent 3/4ths of the year battling hard to get ready for this stupid test and once it's done they want some time to have some fun. They don't want to worry about getting ready to take the test the next year. In elementary school you always start the year reviewing what was learned the year before. This is vital when you have students who come from homes where there are few if any books and where running around outside or playing violent video games is the rule. This need for review eats into the time that schools have to get ready for this stupid test.

Yes, schools spend a great deal of time getting ready for a stupid test. In order for that to change than the nature of "high-stakes" testing needs to eliminated. As long as funding is tied to test scores schools across the US will spend a large chunk of time getting students ready to take a test. That, however, is another post.

Another reason for moving the start dates up was to allow secondary students to actually have a winter break. As things were this year, secondary students took their semester exams in December right before the break. This allowed them to enjoy their break without worrying about having to return to school and take a test.

Pushing the date back will force secondary students to have to study over their break so that they will be prepared for exams when they return from their break.

I remember having to study for exams over my break when I was in middle and high school. I hated it. When I went to college and semesters ended in December I thought it was wonderful.

Some districts have started padding their calenders with extra days that are available to use as make-up days for days lost to hurricanes. Instead of adding the days to the end of the year, they add the extra days to the beginning of the year and then plan days into the calender as holidays if the hurricane or bad weather days aren't needed/used. For example, Orange County gives the Wednesday before Thanksgiving off if it hasn't been needed to make up days lost to bad weather. We haven't had that day off for two years now.

The Save Our Summers-Florida people may not remember having to make up more than 10 days of school due to hurricanes in 2004 but I do. At that time Orange County only had one Bad Weather day. For that reason we ended up losing days in our winter break and losing days in October traditionally given as a break between quins. Days were added to the end of the year and time was added to the Wednesday schedule. That was just to make up the student contact days. Don't ask what Orange County made teachers do to make up teacher work days. It makes my blood boil.

You've probably figured out that I think the measure is silly. I do. Part of me wants to know how these people "lost" their summers by starting a week or two earlier than their subjective, mandated date. We live in Florida, after all. It's summer for 10 to 11 months out of the year. Spring and fall are both about a day long and winter only lasts for a couple of weeks. None of those days occur in consecutive order, either.

I also wonder if they realize that they aren't really saving anyone's summer?

This measure does not shorten the school year. Students will still need to be in school for 180 days. Starting one to two weeks later in August will force the school year to end in mid June. Most districts in Florida will be out by June 1st this year.

School will still only be out for 2 months (not the mythical 3) in the summer. Instead of being out for June and July, schools will be out for half of June, July, and half of August.

It will still be too damn hot to do anything outside and schools will still risk losing days to hurricanes. Students taking courses over the summer will still take courses over the summer.

So what exactly have the Save Our Summers-Florida people gained? Bragging rights. Really, that's about it. They can say that they got the politicians of Florida to once again decide what is best for the schools in Florida.

Once again, no one has bothered to look at all sides of the issue. Nor have they bothered to ask the opinion of educators.