People suggesting multiple weeks long breaks throughout the year are delusional. How much in a bubble are you that you think everyone else has the time and money to travel during those times? Talk about inequitable. The kids whose parents can’t afford to travel need childcare and there is no one to staff it when college students are not available. Not to mention many teachers would hate this schedule. It would push even more of them out of the profession. Who wants to deal with re-acclimating a classroom full of kids after several weeks off multiple times per year? People here think only of their own families and situations. The school board’s biggest mistake was sending out a survey about the calendar. It makes something simple so overly complicated trying to “let everyone’s voice be heard”. Why we can’t just do things like every other school district in this part of the country, I don’t know.

It’s a public school problem. Discipline problems will increase when kids are in school for more time than they need to be. The number of school days after testing is complete is a waste of resources and taxpayer money.

Anonymous wrote:Why do parents like the long summer? After about 6 weeks, my kids lose interest in camps! I find they are expensive and their schedule never really works for me (plus, I have several different kids at different camps so I'm running all over the place half the day!) I can't take that much time off work so I'm working all sorts of crazy hours to compensate.

But when I suggest doing something like the British system (4-6 weeks off a few different times a year), parents say they like the long summer. What is to like about it?

Americans want a traditional American calender.

Start mid to late August.

Fall break around Thanksgiving

Long Winter break around Christmas/New Years

Spring break between 3rd and 4th quarters

Off around Memorial Day.

Traditional June/July/August summer vacation of 9-10 weeks.

I love the extended calendar. 3-4 day weekends throughout the year are more valuable to me than a week of miserably hot summer. I can schedule doctor’s appointments, do quick little getaways, and it’s easier to take off (or work from home) a day here or there vs a week straight.

Anonymous wrote:Why do parents like the long summer? After about 6 weeks, my kids lose interest in camps! I find they are expensive and their schedule never really works for me (plus, I have several different kids at different camps so I'm running all over the place half the day!) I can't take that much time off work so I'm working all sorts of crazy hours to compensate.

But when I suggest doing something like the British system (4-6 weeks off a few different times a year), parents say they like the long summer. What is to like about it?

Personally I would like that, but it wouldn't really reduce the burden of childcare, it just changes it to different times of the year. I would prefer to have time to travel during the less popular seasons. Another thing about summer around here is that many people participate in the 6 week swim team season, and then they still want time to go on their summer vacation.

The closer to year-round schooling we get, the closer to equity we get.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slowly working toward year round schooling with no weeks where children go all 5 days.

You mean year round schooling where children go 3-4 full days a week.

DP
Well, we wouldn’t have to hear people whine about summer slide.

If there could be a schedule where we get the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's off I would be happy to do school year-round.

Anonymous wrote:Slowly working toward year round schooling with no weeks where children go all 5 days.

You mean year round schooling where children go 3-4 full days a week.

Anonymous wrote:Why do parents like the long summer? After about 6 weeks, my kids lose interest in camps! I find they are expensive and their schedule never really works for me (plus, I have several different kids at different camps so I'm running all over the place half the day!) I can't take that much time off work so I'm working all sorts of crazy hours to compensate.

But when I suggest doing something like the British system (4-6 weeks off a few different times a year), parents say they like the long summer. What is to like about it?

We use the swim club that we belong to a lot in the summer. We swim, take lunch or dinner, the kids play, and there are social activities. Why would people join for only 6 weeks?

Anonymous wrote:Can we please, please push for the 9 weeks on, 2 weeks off schedule that gives us a 7 week summer break?

Start in August and go through 9 weeks for Q1, and then have 2 weeks off in October. Back in school for 9 weeks for Q2 (with 3 days off at Thanksgiving), and then 2.5 weeks off in Dec/Jan. Back in school for 9 weeks for Q3, and then 2 weeks off in the spring. One last 9 week session for Q4 with a 7 week summer.

That has an extra 10 days built in for random holidays, like 4-day Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends, Election Day, MLK Day, religious holidays, and so on.

Pretty please?

No

Anonymous wrote:They also released 26-27 school year calendar quietly and it also is a mess.

It’s actually similar to this past school year, but shifted a week. Start date is the 24th of August instead of the 17th.

I prefer a 3-month summer with a generic winter break and no religious holidays.

I prefer a 6-8 week summer and two weeks between quarters.

Can we please, please push for the 9 weeks on, 2 weeks off schedule that gives us a 7 week summer break?

Start in August and go through 9 weeks for Q1, and then have 2 weeks off in October. Back in school for 9 weeks for Q2 (with 3 days off at Thanksgiving), and then 2.5 weeks off in Dec/Jan. Back in school for 9 weeks for Q3, and then 2 weeks off in the spring. One last 9 week session for Q4 with a 7 week summer.

That has an extra 10 days built in for random holidays, like 4-day Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends, Election Day, MLK Day, religious holidays, and so on.

Pretty please?