RRRquilter
enthusiast
Posts: 1243
Loc: Allen
Reg: 05-02-05
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12-01-11 10:48 AM - Post#142883
Now is the time to voice your opinion for next years school calendar.
Calendar Survey
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texasjacket
newbie
Posts: 2
Reg: 12-01-11
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12-01-11 02:08 PM - Post#142904
In response to RRRquilter
Not sure what the point of the survey is. (I did put in my vote.) The 3 choices are pretty much 98% identical.
Do you want 5 days or 3 days off for Thanksgiving?
Do you want to start school on Monday or Tuesday?
I think they need to provide real choices.
Start a week later?
End a week earlier?
Vary which week is spring break?
Have some of the random work days on Friday instead of always Monday?
There are lots of possiblities.
It also seems to me that the schools are obsessed with ending the fall semester before Christmas break. That leads to an imbalance in the number of teaching days between the 2 semesters. (they differ by > 20 days often).
When I went to high school, we did finals early in January and I saw no disadvantages to it.
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RRRquilter
enthusiast
Posts: 1243
Loc: Allen
Reg: 05-02-05
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12-01-11 05:07 PM - Post#142917
In response to texasjacket
The state dictates the earliest school can start each year. I assume that the 27th of August is the earliest the districts can start for 2012. I have tried to find the date on the State TEA website, but the only calendars I could find were a couple of years old.
If you want to end school earlier then the district would have to take the days from the holiday breaks. Personally, our family prefers to have the week long break at Thanksgiving so that our family can visit with family out of state. I do agree with you on maybe some more choices for Spring Break, but I think the district sets the dates according to the testing schedule. You can always contact the Team of Eight ([email protected]) to get some of your questions answered and let your voice be heard.
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starrlac
enthusiast
Posts: 643
Loc: Allen, TX
Reg: 11-03-00
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12-01-11 05:56 PM - Post#142919
In response to RRRquilter
I think the earliest schools can start in Texas now is the 4th Monday. I remember something about Aug 21...I think it's something like we can't start until the first Monday after August 21. In any case...we have limited control over that.
I think one of the reasons for finishing the semester before winter break has to do with college schedules for dual credit courses, or even for those seniors who graduate early. I agree about the unequal time in semesters, though. There are around 20 more days in the 2nd semester than the first. That's not trivial.
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optimist
member
Posts: 61
Reg: 08-13-11
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12-01-11 06:24 PM - Post#142920
In response to texasjacket
- texasjacket]
It also seems to me that the schools are obsessed with ending the fall semester before Christmas break. That leads to an imbalance in the number of teaching days between the 2 semesters. (they differ by > 20 days often).
quote Said:
It is my understanding the reason the semester ends prior to the winter break is to accommodate those students taking college courses or graduating early and entering college. Things have changed so much over the years with more and more students taking advantage of college courses earlier and earlier.
I also was concerned about the difference in the number of days per semester. However, when you take into account the number of state required testing days and district simulation testing days in the spring, the difference in actual instructional days is not so great.
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sco
enthusiast
Posts: 2668
Loc: allen,TX USA
Reg: 10-26-02
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12-02-11 10:56 AM - Post#142932
In response to optimist
As the parent of a high school student in advanced level courses I am thanking God that the semester ends before Christmas so that she will actually have a break rather than spend the entire "break" studying and doing projects. Don't even get me started on the amount of work she had to do over Thanksgiving "break"(and my child is not a procrastinator.) The only problem with the disparity in the number of days per semester comes with the courses that are only a semester long but there are very few of those. We like to travel at Thanksgiving so we will be voting for a full week there. Other than that it doesn't make much difference.
Edited by sco on 12-02-11 10:57 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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texasjacket
newbie
Posts: 2
Reg: 12-01-11
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12-02-11 12:56 PM - Post#142934
In response to sco
I think most of you misunderstood my complaint. I actually agree with alot of your preferences.
My main complaint is why bother sending out a survey with 3 choices that differ by something like 2-3% from each other.
When you do that, it makes me think that 'the fix is in' and the survey is just so that they can check off the 'ask for input' requirement. When in reality there is pretty much nothing that our opinion would change anyway.
Reminds me of the PISD school boards recent rezoning their school boundaries. They sent out a survey to the potentially affected households. A, B and C. C came in 3rd, but was the one the school board selected in the end. Why do the survey?
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RRRquilter
enthusiast
Posts: 1243
Loc: Allen
Reg: 05-02-05
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12-12-11 10:49 AM - Post#143307
In response to texasjacket
The District has come out with a new survey based on feedback from the first. Now is the time to let the District know your preferences.
Newest Calendar Survey
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optimist
member
Posts: 61
Reg: 08-13-11
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12-12-11 07:19 PM - Post#143320
In response to RRRquilter
I must say I am definitely not a fan of only three days at Thanksgiving and a shortened winter break! So many families travel for these holidays. My vote is for the second calendar with those breaks as they are this year.
I wish the state would reconsider its mandate on the school start date! Austin continues to make decisions for us that should be made by local citizens!!!
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SB
enthusiast
Posts: 1135
Reg: 09-07-03
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12-12-11 09:38 PM - Post#143322
In response to optimist
"Reminds me of the PISD school boards recent rezoning their school boundaries. They sent out a survey to the potentially affected households. A, B and C. C came in 3rd, but was the one the school board selected in the end. Why do the survey?"
Because the survey is a means to gather and add additional information into the mix used by the Board to make a choice. A survey is not a vote to direct the decision.
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sco
enthusiast
Posts: 2668
Loc: allen,TX USA
Reg: 10-26-02
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12-13-11 08:46 AM - Post#143323
In response to optimist
It appears from the second survey that they had gotten requests to make the year shorter and have a longer summer. I can only surmise that those requests came from parents of elementary school students who don't understand the stress level of secondary students. Those students really need the winter break and they really need it to be between semesters so that they don't spend the entire break doing homework and projects. The 9 days off at Thanksgiving this year turned into 3 days but she at least got those 3 days. My daughter filled out the survey and commented that those breaks are essential to her sanity.
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vm7mm
enthusiast
Posts: 1381
Loc: Allen Tx usa
Reg: 08-12-04
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12-13-11 01:50 PM - Post#143333
In response to RRRquilter
Don't really care, we took our child out of that HIGH school and was put in to a private school.
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chf
enthusiast
Posts: 492
Loc: NW Allen
Reg: 12-22-07
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12-13-11 03:25 PM - Post#143335
In response to vm7mm
Don't really care, we took our child out of that HIGH school and was put in to a private school.
So, your reply serves no purpose to the conversation.
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vm7mm
enthusiast
Posts: 1381
Loc: Allen Tx usa
Reg: 08-12-04
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12-13-11 04:16 PM - Post#143338
In response to chf
And yours does?
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