AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2008 > June > 18
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
When should school begin?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia schools superintendent Kathy Cox is floating an idea to have a more uniform school calendar statewide for the benefit of using scores from summer retests in AYP calculations.
This is a sensitive issue and not because it deals with No Child Left Behind. The hot-button aspect deals with school calendars.
Many metro school systems start in early to mid-August. For years a group of parents have argued for schools to start post-Labor Day. These parents say a uniform traditional calendar preserves summer vacations and keeps students out of school during hot weather.
(A bill to require a later school start died in the Legislature in 2005.)
School board members and superintendents have long argued school calendars should be set locally. It’s a local decision, they say, based on what a community needs and thinks it important for students to succeed in school.
Who do you think should decide when school starts? Should Georgia schools start later?
NOTE: The AJC is sponsoring a Clayton County School Board candidate forum Sunday. Submit your questions here.
