#15: Drop the issue - Look at Tax Revenue in Sept and Feb

The so called "balanced calendar" is a disaster for students who have difficulty with focus or are trying to improve grade deficits. The choppiness of the calendar is not conducive to steady cumulative learning.  It is nice when families have second homes or the ability to spend large amounts of money to take off for a vacation during the break.....of course that is fun for the kids and the parents...but does that help learning?  What about the families where both parents work or particularly in the case of single parents?  Children not able to go on extra vacations are at home with no activities while parents are working.  How anyone can see this as a positive environment for learning is beyond comprehension.

As for keeping August as part of the summer should there be any problem with that. Of course it is not all about 6 flags!  It is about students who have jobs or have special academic or sports activities which take place on a normal summer schedule. Camps are valuable for a child's overall education.  Summer should be long enough for these experiences. Some students need the income during the summer.  Internships and the work experience can enhance learning. The so-called balanced calendars prevents students from participating in programs and work that other students from other counties and states can freely be involved with.

Rather than turn the academic year into a series of choppy weeks rarely having a 5 day full day week of study....lets keep a reasonable calendar that promotes education.

This years calendar has had a much better flow than last years, however, the holiday break should begin earlier and end at the beginning of January rather than yet another week where our students are the only ones out and the wealthier families can take a vacation while single moms go back to work with their students sitting around that first week of the new year.

Single mom in Cobb, M.Ed. School Psychology

#15: Drop the issue - Look at Tax Revenue in Sept and Feb

First and foremost, the majority of Cobb students are not Boy Scouts, or baseball players or Six Flags attendees.   The calendar needs to address what is academically best for ALL of its students, not just the ones who need time off in August to participate in a Boy Scout Jamboree, baseball tourney or hit a struggling theme park.   If that is a priority for you, then by all means, take your kids out of school the time they need.   Additionally, not every resident of Cobb County went to FL or skiing during the breaks.   Where is your actual data to prove that those 2 weeks of break during this economy were the cause of a loss of tax revenue?   We support the balanced calendar for more than the timing of vacations.  The more frequent breaks allows students and teachers to rest and regroup during the year.  School is considerably more stressful and rigorous than back in the days when most of us went to school.  Students are stressed out.  Teachers, who are in the classrooms EVERYDAY with our kids tell us that students performed better during the year of the balanced calendar.  Why is this being ignored?  Shouldn't we be trying to provide the best possible environment for them to learn and excel?  Bring back the balanced calendar.

#15: Drop the issue - Look at Tax Revenue in Sept and Feb

Should it be about the National Boy Scout Jamboree or should it be about what is best for your child's EDUCATION?  Give me a break--it's not about summer activites--it's about EDUCATION!!!!

#15: Drop the issue - Look at Tax Revenue in Sept and Feb 

 Other states still have the orginal agraian calendar (Sept. thru June)because for some of them it is still a huge part of daily life. Those states also have enormous amounts of snow on the ground that they combat each year, so they have to make up missed time in June.  Last year was a freak occurance for Georgia, will that happen again this year, no probably not.  I personally enjoyed the new calendar after I experienced it, and what is most important it really helped my children through the school year. Their stress was lowered their performance improved, overall health and well being was at an all time high. As a parent that is my greatest concern as it should be for all parents. Test scores were up absences were down. I am afraid for this year the long stretch to spring break has always been bad except for last year.

Boy Scout Jamboree is not my greatest concern unless it is apart of the CRCT, then I will care.  Summer enrichment does start in May here in Georgia, and if you are going out of state for it than you are technically the minority.  Lucky East Cobb Families who get to travel on beautiful vacations, but here  in North Cobb lots of us were home.  Does one week of not being at the grocery store or gas station make that much of a difference? Do we not make it up in August when we are home? Money is money after all, in the hands of our board always poorly spent.  This past holiday break was horrible, that schedule is horrendous.