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NewslettersTraditional or year round school? Shouldn't this be our choice?
I have recently heard several people discussing our lovely BCSD and their decision to put all schools back on a traditional calendar.I am not sure about the rest of you,but the year round has been wonderful.My children get a nice break when needed and when it's time to return they have not been out of school for so long(3mo) they've forgotten the many things they learned. After contacting the district to find if there was truth to this matter...Dr.Wall was not in and the only explination from the person on the phone was it's a financial matter? I'm sorry a WHAT? The children would still attend the same amt of days and have the same holidays so I wasn't quite sure how money matters had anything to do with this.I believe that we as tax payers,parents..etc should have some say in this.I am NOT for the traditional calendar.My children love the year round as I am sure many other families do.Shouldn't the people who will be affected by this have some say in the matter? Something has to be done!
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Year around school can mean several different things and in certain forms can help save money through the better untilization of facilities and staff. However, to simply say that it always saves money is not very accurate and you need to ask for the details including calender, number of students to be serviced in a particular facility, etc. The real story is in the details.
Ultimately the taxpayers and not just the parents should have the final say if the new proposal is aimed at saving money. Parents often forget that a lot of folks without children in the schools pay taxes just like the parents do.
If you read my blog it includes parents AND taxpayers :)
Why not the Year Round Calendar?
Putting everyone on the traditional calendar can save money. Even with the majority of schools on intercession, there are still buses runnig for the few traditional students. Cooling costs would be cut, since no one would be in class in the middle of July. There are good things about the year-round schedule too. The spaced out intercessions are nice. The Board just needs to decide one way or the other and get all the schools on the same schedule.
We can debate the "financial" side of who wins with the pro's and con's of either schedule, but who really wins?
The harsh truth behind Bft County Education is NEITHER is working. OUR children- YOUR CHILDREN are not receiving the BASIC education they deserve. Ask your kids- what do they do in class? The majority of time is spent in NON PRODUCTIVE, waste of time, discussions. Most teachers are "NOT IN THE CLASSROOM" because they are out learning the "NEW" system of education. How many times has YOUR CHILD, had a sub? Who are those PEOPLE in the classroom?
I ask each of you to talk to your children- HOW much time does the "teacher" "TEACH"? I know there are a few GOOD teachers out there, and I am not addressing them- but I "KNOW" "alot" of parents would agree, there are ALOT more of them out there who are "NOT" teaching, but collecting a paycheck.
Yearround or traditional? Money "saved" or "education" learned?
Only YOU can answer that question! Ask the kids!
We can debate the "financial" side of who wins with the pro's and con's of either schedule, but who really wins?
The harsh truth behind Bft County Education is NEITHER is working. OUR children- YOUR CHILDREN are not receiving the BASIC education they deserve. Ask your kids- what do they do in class? The majority of time is spent in NON PRODUCTIVE, waste of time, discussions. Most teachers are "NOT IN THE CLASSROOM" because they are out learning the "NEW" system of education. How many times has YOUR CHILD, had a sub? Who are those PEOPLE in the classroom?
I ask each of you to talk to your children- HOW much time does the "teacher" "TEACH"? I know there are a few GOOD teachers out there, and I am not addressing them- but I "KNOW" "alot" of parents would agree, there are ALOT more of them out there who are "NOT" teaching, but collecting a paycheck.
Yearround or traditional? Money "saved" or "education" learned?
Only YOU can answer that question! Ask the kids!
I'm not going to concur with or refute what you're saying. The truth is that when we go into our rooms to teach, we don't know what our colleagues are doing. I would also caution about asking kids cold turkey which teachers "teach" or how often they "teach." Kids have to understand what it means to "teach". Their comprehension may depend upon their age and maturity. Obviously, the older the child gets, the more he understands that reading and answering questions is not "teaching".
Now, a personal story if you'll stay with me a minute. Last fall when my son's 5th grade PACT scores came in, he was BB in social studies and his other scores weren't anything to write home about. This fall when his scores came in, he came up in every category 5-8 points EXCEPT in social studies he came up 23! Yes, from BB in 5th grade to Proficient in 6th! What do I attribute that to? In elementary schools the 5th grade PACT scores are dismal in science and social studies (at least from our feeder schools). Perhaps elementary schools should become departmentalized. It is clear not enough time is spent on science and social studies. I also have a problem with elementary schools being worksheet crazy. It would take forever sometimes to go through all the worksheets he brought home and I questioned why most were done. I also have a beef with "centers" in 5th grade. I don't think that helped his PACT scores either. I don't think they are a result of direct instruction.
Recently, when posed the question, " Does BCSD place any value on the benefits the children receive with a year-round education or is this decision made purely on a financial basis ? " Mr. Wall answered,
" No, there is NO value placed on the children's benefits; yes, it is strictly financial ". I appreciate the honesty of Mr. Wall's answer. While not popular , I believe it was honest. What a sad commentary on the school district.
My family enjoys the year round schedule, and would hate to see it go for many reasons. However, I am grateful for any effort made toward financial accountability within BCSD. My concern is the decision to enforce financial responsibilty at the classroom level.Teachers may soon be required to punch a time card. As salaried employees,when the 40 hour work week is met, they will be required to leave the campus. Surely, we all recognize that most teachers spend more than 40 hours a week at school and countless more hours at home. Thank God ! What kind of education would our children receive if teachers only taught for their pay ? Who will suffer for this restriction on the teachers ? Our children !
Is there No "fat" that can be trimmed downtown on King Street ? How about in the Operations and Maintenance departments? Custodial ? Food services ? Transportation ? Are so many "superintendents" REALLY necessary ? Why are administrative salaries double and triple the salaries of the teachers who are one the "front lines" daily trying to achieve AYP (adequate yearly progress...don't get me started on that)?
YES...there needs to be some SERIOUS "belt-tightening" at BCSD, but I do not feel that the children, teachers and classrooms should be the starting point.
Thank you for your insightful comments and questions. I wholeheartedly agree with you. There is a lot of "fat" with the BCSD, but it's not on the front line - the classrooms. And the issue of the calendar - I believe the traditional one (if we do indeed go to one calendar) will be chosen because of the high schools and their schedules of academics, testing, colleges, scholarships, sports, work schedules, etc.