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Lawmakers Consider Sending Kids Back To School Earlier This Fall
March 7, 2015
Florida lawmakers are considering proposals that would allow most school districts to start classes earlier in August. Under current law, most districts can start school as many as 14 days before the Labor Day holiday, though districts classified as “academically high performing” can start earlier. For the upcoming 2015-16 academic year, the 14-day restriction would mean most districts could not start before August 24.
The House Education Committee on Monday is scheduled to take up a wide-ranging bill that includes allowing districts to start as early as August 10.
“The bill provides district flexibility to implement school calendars and assessment schedules based on the district’s needs by deleting the link between the school start date and Labor Day and allowing districts to start school as early as August 10,” said an analysis of the measure.
Also, the Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee this week approved a bill filed by Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, that would allow schools to start 21 days before Labor Day. That would be an August 17 start date for the 2015-16 academic year.
by The News Service of Florida
Comments
14 Responses to “Lawmakers Consider Sending Kids Back To School Earlier This Fall”
Just remember this, if school starts August 10, that means in many school districts teachers will have to return a week before that for preplanning and meetings. Too early when you consider most of Florida’s teachers previous school year ended the first or second week in June.
Teachers and students need more than a two month break from one school year to the next. Parents, we don’t need a 10 months school year. Our kids have way too much too much time off during a 10 month school year.
Every time I turn around our kids/teachers have a day off for something. Kids K-12 don’t need a week off for Thanksgiving or Easter break. Ridiculous. Our 180 day school year needs to go back to a nine month calender.
So what if the semester ends after Christmas. Boomers had that schedule every year. We did just fine thank you very much. Our kids today need to toughen up, get off the couch, exercise, and quit being wussies who think they are entitled to special treatment no matter if they behave or get good grades in school.
Let’s try a nine month school year. Our kids will still go 180 days like they do now.
The school schedule having three months off for summer was originally developed so children would be available to assist their family on the farm. We didn’t always live on a farm when I was growing , but the time off afforded me the opportunity to work and earn money for things I wanted. One year it was a Marlin Glenfield bolt action rifle. Then a couple of years later I earned enough to purchase a Honda CB175 motorcycle. But back to the school schedule. todays society is looking for year round schools so they want have to spend a fortune on day care for their young children. Day care these days is like a dad-gum mortgage note. I personally don’t see how some folks do it.
Actually, this would put fall break back in the school year, giving teachers & students a midterm break both semesters. Also, no problem ending first semester before Christmas.
………Poor Kids!! I know I enjoyed my time off. Went horse back riding, in between baling hay, gardening, milking cows, swimming, ECT…. The law makers need to step back and smell the flower’s. Let kids be kids.
Uhhhhhhh, no…it’s nice having a break from school every once in a while, I mean..don’t you adults enjoy vacation time off work ? Well we enjoy our break out of school..end of story
~ A HighSchool Student~
Maybe I read it wrong (I did have a public school education), but earlier start may not mean longer school year. Would they be getting out earlier, or perhaps having more breaks during the school year?
It is essential for good mental health that there be a balance between academics and play. More creative/ free play time would improve a child’s ability to learn in school.
I’m wondering how in the world all the baby boomers managed to get through school, and actually learn to read, write, and do a higher math than a touch screen cash register at a fast food joint. They also learned to write using mostly correct grammar, and use the proper tense when talking or writing a composition. When they got their (not there, as some say) diploma, most entered the work force prepared to be productive citizens. It’s amazing that all this could be accomplished while this generation went to the river, camping, fishing, or whatever they did for a whole three months during the summer break. Maybe the legislature should consider shortening the school year, and the kids now would have less exposure to this common core baloney that the schools are preaching and teaching today. The kids could benefit from spending more time with parents and grandparents.
CHILDREN …… need summer vacations and the memories they make..
” oh annie, dreamboat annie ….. ship of dreams ……..”
i would love to see an earlier start & go back to modified year around schedule that Santa Rosa once had when we started in early Aug, went 9 weeks-had Fall Break & a planning day, went another 9 weeks-Had Christmas vacation & a planning day, went another 9 weeks-Had spring break (when it was actually spring time) & a planning day, ended with the final 9 weeks & summer vacation. It kept everyone on even keel, less teacher & student burn out, everyone got along better, & grades were better.
Let them have a little fun, while they are little..
To run barefoot in the sun again. Think I’m gonna dump my Crocs.
A good example of the bias within the State Legislature is solidly stated in the article above, ” …districts classified as “academically high performing” can start earlier.”
Since all school districts must, by state requirement, administer certain state testing within a same date period the earlier start for high performing districts allows them a longer time for preparation than it does for the districts not in that high performing group.
The Legislature funds schools for 180 instructional days with exceptions such as for the Dept of Juvenile Justice schools.
Start Date can have a strong impact on preparation and the entire educational process for our students. Moving it up for an earlier start is a good thing.
Kids and teachers already get burn out, so no let us make them go longer!! Not to even mention the cost for tax payers this would create. More for salaries, utilities, etc. I love how people that have never sat in a classroom with 22 kids make the rules and laws.
I feel with as many children who struggle thru school and loose so much over the summer break that that a rounded school year calendar should be considered. Just an idea that may help improve students all around