Texas Lawmakers Approve Shorter School Year

[Nbadan]

DALLAS (AP) - The Texas Legislature has approved a measure requiring public schools to begin the school year right after Labor Day and wrap up by June 7 - a move supporters say will save millions of dollars.

Nationwide, few states require schools to start on a certain date, according to the Education Commission of the States, a Denver-based nonprofit group that works to improve public education.

But some states have considered legislation similar to the Texas measure, which was approved by the Senate on May 11 after first being approved by the House. Georgia lawmakers have tried to push the school start date back to late August, but the measure died. In Texas, State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said $790 million per year is lost because the school year has gotten longer over the past 50 years.

Strayhorn said that estimate includes $117 million in lost wages for teachers and teenage students who could be working two more weeks in the summer and $392 million in lost income for tourist destinations.

Since teacher pay is accured through the whole year about the only money we would be saving is unfixed costs like air conditioning, cafeteria staff, food, security...yada...yada...yada..

but the costs to working parents is tremendous. Another week or two of day care or time off from work.

[desflood]

Got a link, Dan? I'd like to read the whole thing.

[Nbadan]

Yes, sorry heres the link

Fresno Bee (http://www.fresnobee.com/24hour/nation/story/2418128p-10705454c.html)

[Clandestino]

Since teacher pay is accured through the whole year about the only money we would be saving is unfixed costs like air conditioning, cafeteria staff, food, security...yada...yada...yada..

but the costs to working parents is tremendous. Another week or two of day care or time off from work.

they would still have to pay for daycare... when the school year is longer they still go to school the same amount of days they just don't get as many breaks.

[Experiment2100]

God it must suck to be a teacher

[spurster]

Basically, they would have to cut out vacation days, such as Mon-Wed Thanksgiving week. Cut XMas vacation down to Christmas Eve thru New Years. No spring break. No Good Friday or Easter Monday.

There are certainly enough vacation days to keep the same number of school days, though it would be bit tight for a late Labor Day.

[Clandestino]

Basically, they would have to cut out vacation days, such as Mon-Wed Thanksgiving week. Cut XMas vacation down to Christmas Eve thru New Years. No spring break. No Good Friday or Easter Monday.

There are certainly enough vacation days to keep the same number of school days, though it would be bit tight for a late Labor Day.

not really. they have too many breaks as it is. just shorten all of them.

[MannyIsGod]

Since teacher pay is accured through the whole year about the only money we would be saving is unfixed costs like air conditioning, cafeteria staff, food, security...yada...yada...yada..

but the costs to working parents is tremendous. Another week or two of day care or time off from work.
School is not meant to be day care. The sooner it stops being so, the sooner it can get back to educating.

I don't know much about the effects of this law, positive or negative, but I do think your attitude disputing it based simply on parental cost is flawed.

[Extra Stout]

but the costs to working parents is tremendous. Another week or two of day care or time off from work.How? It's the same number of school days. This just means there won't be a weeklong break for Thanksgiving or Easter, or a monthlong break for Christmas and the New Year.

I don't see any additional cost to "working parents."

[Nbadan]

not really. they have too many breaks as it is. just shorten all of them.

First of all, the state mandates how many days or kids go to school not the districts.

It's alot easier for working parents to juggle in vacation days like Easter and Christmas than it is to have the kids home till after Labor day.

Also, teachers must have a mandated number of weeks before required testing and grading, as the system is now teachers can squeeze this in before the kids go on Christmas break, but changing the start date would mean that the kids would have to retain what they have learned for two idle weeks before testing.

[The Ressurrected One]

First of all, the state mandates how many days or kids go to school not the districts.

It's alot easier for working parents to juggle in vacation days like Easter and Christmas than it is to have the kids home till after Labor day.
Once again, Einstein, it's about education not childcare.


Also, teachers must have a mandated number of weeks before required testing and grading, as the system is now teachers can squeeze this in before the kids go on Christmas break, but changing the start date would mean that the kids would have to retain what they have learned for two idle weeks before testing.
Wow! How long did take to conjure up that feeble reasoning?

[Nbadan]

Once again, Einstein, it's about education not childcare.

:rolleyes

Yeah, and we've seen how well unfunded and under-funded mandates have worked at the State and Federal level with No Child Left Behind - the military draft. Hey, I have an idea, lets get our State Representatives to find a way to fund TX schools adequately and quit debating the sexiness of cheerleading and banning gay marriage.

[scott]

If education is the goal, let's make school year round with 10 holidays a year.

Better yet, let's privatize the bitch and allow the free market to decide the length of school year and most effective means of teaching our kids.

[Nbadan]

If education is the goal, let's make school year round with 10 holidays a year.

Better yet, let's privatize the bitch and allow the free market to decide the length of school year and most effective means of teaching our kids.

There have been strong pro and anti school year-round debates, but to do so Texas would have to come up with even more funding that it doesn't have now. The Express-News did a great article on Education in yesterday’s fish--wrap. It found that States that do more to fund school districts and schools in economically disadvantaged or predominately minority areas do remarkable turnarounds in the achieving higher education standards for the State as a whole. I concur.

[Experiment2100]

:rolleyes

Hey, I have an idea, lets get our State Representatives to find a way to fund TX schools adequately and quit debating the sexiness of cheerleading and banning gay marriage.

Well if people stopped wasting their time fighting banned gay marriage and sexy cheerleader dancing that could start to get it looked at. Democracy is not fast or right all the time, but it's American (with a mediteranean influence)

[MannyIsGod]

There have been strong pro and anti school year-round debates, but to do so Texas would have to come up with even more funding that it doesn't have now. The Express-News did a great article on Education in yesterday’s fish--wrap. It found that States that do more to fund school districts and schools in economically disadvantaged or predominately minority areas do remarkable turnarounds in the achieving higher education standards for the State as a whole. I concur.
Because you break the damn cycle and turn otherwise unproductive citizens into far more productive ones. It saves you more money down the line.

I've never argued that before though, never.

[MannyIsGod]

Well if people stopped wasting their time fighting banned gay marriage and sexy cheerleader dancing that could start to get it looked at. Democracy is not fast or right all the time, but it's American (with a mediteranean influence)
:lmao

[1369]

When I attended school in the NEISD we always started after Labor Day and ended in early June. I don't see what all the fuss is about.

[Clandestino]

the school days would be the same, the breaks would not... it is nbadan and his "sky is falling" attitude again.

and i agree with manny, "SCHOOL IS NOT DAYCARE!"

[Hook Dem]

When I attended school in the NEISD we always started after Labor Day and ended in early June. I don't see what all the fuss is about.
Agreed! Those holidays are not really for the kids. They are for the teachers and administrators. Enough already!

[travis2]

My primary concern is the where the Christmas/New Year vacation and the end-of-semester tests fall. It just makes more sense to get the semester over before the long break. All the other stuff is secondary.

[SPARKY]

What a shame! Our children have been learning so much...

[Shelly]

When I attended school in the NEISD we always started after Labor Day and ended in early June. I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Exactly- As a parent, this doesn't bother me one bit. I'd like to get out of Texas during August for once.

Personally, I'd love to have an all year school. The elementary school my kids went/go to used to be one of them.

[SWC Bonfire]

There is a reason the Tx legislature is debating cheezy crap instead of school finance... nobody wants to pay for it. Funding schools is so expensive as is, they have to go on the defensive and start controlling the money that is spent. There is nothing wrong about making sure that at least some of the taxpayer's money is used in a more responsible fashion. Now back to re-naming the Willie Nelson Tollway!

As far as making kids go to school week-in and week-out, guess what real life is, kiddos? At least you get summer off! Now, don't burn down the house while your folks are at work.

[desflood]

Too bad we can't just tear down the whole system and rebuild. Although, if we did that, the officials would lose their comfort zone and probably set up the same old crap all over again. Never mind.