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Stafford School Board to consider an earlier start date for students Date published: 1/18/2010
BY JEFF BRANSCOME
Stafford High School junior Julian Khalili doesn't mind that his summer break ends after Labor Day--a couple of weeks later than in some area school divisions. "We've been starting in September for a long time, and there haven't really been any problems," said Julian, 17. However, a calendar committee of Stafford County parents, teachers, administrators and staff sees things differently. It has recommended to the School Board that opening day be Aug. 30 next academic year. For years, Stafford's school year has kicked off the day after Labor Day. The earlier start date would give students more instructional time to prepare for standardized tests and other exams, officials say. "It's really all about opportunities for learning, and the additional time that this presents," said Executive Director of Human Resources Rick Fitzgerald, who is on the calendar committee. A public hearing on the revisions will be held at the School Board's Jan. 26 meeting. The board is scheduled to vote on the new calendar at its first meeting in February. The committee also is recommending that spring break be earlier in 2011--April 18-22, the week before Easter. Fitzgerald said teachers and principals supported the August start date during roundtables late last year with the School Board. Still, in surveys distributed in February 2009, about 60 percent of respondents--parents, students and teachers--opposed an earlier start, Fitzgerald said. Students in the city of Fredericksburg and in King George and Caroline counties also returned to school Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day, this year. Schools in Spotsylvania and Culpeper counties opened Aug. 24. Stafford School Board Chairwoman Dana Reinboldt said reaction to the proposed new calendar is "running pretty much half and half so far for me." She said some people like to take vacations at the end of August because they receive discounts. "At this point, I'm not sure how I'm going to vote," Reinboldt said. "I really want to see what we get in terms of feedback from the public." School Board member Doreen Phillips said she plans to support the changes. One upside is that the school year would end a week earlier, she said. Some teachers have said not much happens in the classroom after spring Standards of Learning tests. "By starting a week earlier at the end of the school year you do your SOLs, school's over, go enjoy your summer," Phillips said. Stafford High School Parent Teacher Student Association President Judy Jobrack said last week she hadn't heard about the proposal but is fine with it. "I think by then, what I see is, kids are ready to go back," she said. "They are bored, they miss their friends." She was not speaking on behalf of the PTSA. Julian called the first week of class "get-ready" days. He said opening school a week earlier "probably won't make much of a difference." "The serious stuff doesn't start for a while," he said. Jeff Branscome: 540/374-5402
Read more stories about Stafford Date published: 1/18/2010
I have a teacher friend in CA who teaches year round. He concedes it is more expensive for the state.
if the amt of sch days are the same. Instead of a 10-11 wk summer "break", those wks would be spread out throughout the entire year. An example of a year round schedule might be: 1st Term July 7 - Sept 4
2nd term Oct 1-Nov 25
3rd term Jan 4-Mar 5
4th term Mar 29- Jun 8
VA Dept of Ed is still stuck in the 60s and 70s. We need to educate our kids for their future not our past. The world is globally compettive. China and India have more honor role students than there are students in the US. Hopefully the new Gov will clean house at Dept of Ed.
in the first place. the kids would do better on the tests if the teachers taught like teachers who want to share their subject instead of drill sargeants for trivail pursuit. it's not so much the nclb law that's the problem, it's how states--especially va--have chosen to implement it that's wrong.
Your students are being taught to a minimum SOL passing level. Is that good enough for your kids and their future?
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