So when do Janie and Johnny go to school?
The following is from my local school district's handbook for elementary and intermediate students, under the heading of SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR:
August 200624 ~ Staff Development Day - No School for Students
28 ~ First Day of School for Students
31 ~ Early Dismissal for StudentsSeptember 20061 ~ School Closed/Offices Open
4 ~ LABOR DAY – Schools/Offices Closed
5 ~ Schools Re-OpenOctober 20069 ~ Staff Development Day – No School for Students
November 200620 ~ K-9: Parent/Teacher Conferences (evening)
22 ~ Early Dismissal for Students
23-27~ THANKSGIVING RECESS – Schools/Offices Closed
28 ~ Schools Re-Open
29 ~ K-9 Parent/Teacher Conferences (evening)
30 ~ K-12 Early Dismissal; K-9 Parent/Teacher Conferences (day); 10 – 12 Staff DevelopmentDecember 20061 ~ K-12 No School for Students; Parent/Teacher Conferences (day); 10 – 12 Staff Development (Act 80)
22 ~ Early Dismissal for Students
25-31 ~ WINTER RECESS - Schools ClosedJanuary 20071-2 ~ WINTER RECESS – Schools Closed
3 ~ Schools Re-open
15 ~ MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY - Schools Closed / Offices Open
22 ~ Staff Development Day - No School for StudentsFebruary 200719 ~ PRESIDENT’S DAY - Schools Closed / Offices Open
March 200716 ~ Staff Development Day - No school for studentsApril, 20075-9 ~ SPRING RECESS – Schools Closed
10 ~ Schools Re-OpenMay 200728 ~ MEMORIAL DAY - Schools / Offices ClosedJune 20074 ~ Last day for students/teachers (tentative)
8* ~ Commencement
From this I ask the following questions:
- How is it that Thanksgiving recess (which encompasses Monday the 27th, the first day of deer hunting in Pennsylvania) include 3 days of school in part of the same week 1-1/2 days are lost to Parent/Teacher Conferences and Staff Development, effectively leaving the kids in class for 5 full days out of 10?
- Why are these "essential" Staff Development Days always at the beginning or end of a weekend?
- Why do teachers routinely complain about their work schedule, when they are typically scheduled to work just 185 (or so) days per year? And they are paid a full years salary!
- Why is the national holiday of Labor Day recognized, but not the national holiday for Veteran's Day?
- Why did the local newspapers recently run heart-wrenching stories about the numbers of student enrollments dropping in the local school districts, while the cyber-charter schools enrollments continue to climb?
- What are a number of parents I know supposed to do with their kidlets who have so much time off this month, when many of the parents are saving their time off for Christmas and other holidays?
- To paraphrase another person, years ago: Why can't Janie and Johnny read?
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