#304: jason h - Show results of factual research backing the decision to withdraw the balanced calendar.

Needs of a few?  Isn't that the argument Fred Sanderson used for needing to align the calendar with the college calendar?  We have students who are on dual enrollment.  An how many of those students are there?  The colleges start mid-August.  The colleges are not off in September and they are not off this week.  They also are not off during our Spring Break, but have their own spring break.

Football and marching band (last I checked, every high school has a football team and a marching band) start a minimum of two weeks (and often three weeks) before teachers report.  And they practiced during the September break.  We had to cut our "summer" vacation short (yes, we had our "summer" vacation in September because there was no time left in the summer to take it) to get our daughter back for her practices.  And college kids can't go on vacation with their families in September and February.  But with more time in the summer, they could go with them then.  While teachers have "all summer" (not really because we are planning for the upcoming year, taking classes, etc.), other family members have time constraints on their ability to take a vacation at a particular time.  Less weeks for vacation time for all the employees to schedule their vacations.

#306: Guest - Re: Show results of factual research backing the decision to withdraw the balanced calendar.

Football and marching band (last I checked, every high school has a football team and a marching band) start a minimum of two weeks (and often three weeks) before teachers report.  And they practiced during the September break.  We had to cut our "summer" vacation short (yes, we had our "summer" vacation in September because there was no time left in the summer to take it) to get our daughter back for her practices.  And college kids can't go on vacation with their families in September and February.  But with more time in the summer, they could go with them then.  While teachers have "all summer" (not really because we are planning for the upcoming year, taking classes, etc.), other family members have time constraints on their ability to take a vacation at a particular time.

I want to agree with the Guest above - and to Jason h - the lack of evidence for academic acheivement (with the balanced calendar) is exactly what many parents were concerned with when the last board went against the wishes of their constituents. There is strong evidence that a more traditional year, later start, less breaks is better for academic success. 

#306: Guest - Re: Show results of factual research backing the decision to withdraw the balanced calendar. 

 interesting points