Petition for a Balanced Calendar in Cobb Schools

#279: Janet Gill - NO to the balanced School Calendar

Everyone who argues that the traditional calendar is better for students academically has obviously never taught a day in their lives.  I worked for 15+ years as a teacher in the Title I schools.  Do you honestly think that sending our neediest students off for close to three months each year benefits their acheivement?  I can tell you that we typically would spend the first month or two of the school year having to reteach and make up for the regression that always occurs over the summer breaks.  Those of you that are yelling about having your 'summers back' can obviously afford the overnight camps, regular trips to the waterpark/pools/beaches, and any summer tutoring that might be available, but that's not the case for everyone.  If we had any common sense- not just in Georgia but around the country- we'd do away with the extended summer break altogether and opt for a calendar that embraces the 9 weeks on, two weeks off (or something to that effect) schedule. That's much more developmentally appropriate for children, and seeing as how the United States  no longer operates as an agragarian economy and summertime is no longer about helping out on the family farm, it's time to adapt to the times.  Here in Georgia, it's so hot in the summers we spend the majority of our time indoors anyway, so my kids might as well be in school.  I'd rather have off the entire month of October than August, when the weather is perfect and we can enjoy being outside, but that's neither here nor there.