Next year, Norwalk students might have to go to school on Veteran’s Day and the second day of Rosh Hashanah, and have a shortened February break. Their reward, though, would be getting out of school earlier in June.
This scenario was one of three Superintendent Susan Marks presented in draft calendars for 2011-12 to the Board of Education for discussion on Tuesday night. The school year begins on August 31 in all three options. Also, they all have 181 days of school for students and 185 days for teachers, as pre-negotiated by their contracts.
Option 1: A “status quo” calendar with the same holidays and vacations as this year. The last day of school, barring snow days, is June 18. (Feb. break may be used to make up snow days)
Option 2: Proposes one day off for Rosh Hashanah, not two and no day off for Veteran’s Day. February break remains. The last day is June 14. (Feb. break might be used to make up snow day)
Option 3: Same as Option 2, but shortens February break so that Feb 17, 20 and 21 are off. The last day of school, barring snow days, would be June 12.
Marks assembled a calendar committee comprised of parents, teachers, administrators and union representatives. She explained that the committee's mandate was to create a calendar that had more instruction time for students, was family friendly, employee friendly, and similar to local districts.
“No calendar is going to please everyone and we weren’t able to come to consensus as a group about the calendar,” said Marks explaining why three options were presented.
Marks noted that Norwalk is the only area school district that takes the second day of Rosh Hashanah off, aside from Stamford. She also said that in many districts, schools are open on Veteran’s Day. “They use it as a learning day about veterans. It is more meaningful this way.”
Marks said she supports Option 3. "It has more dates in the early part of the school year, before the testing." Parents also preferred Option 3, as measured by a parent survey that was posted on the district’s website. Several board members, including Sue Haynie, Jack Chiaramonte, Jodi Bishop-Pullan, Susan Hamilton and Glenn Iannacone, also indicated a preference for Option 3.
"This calendar has maximum instruction time and has a early end date on June 12," said Hamilton.
"I like that make-up days will be at the end of the year. Making up days during February break was not optimum for learrning," said Haynie of Option 3.
School board member Steve Colarossi, however, expressed concern about possible teacher absences on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.
During public comments, teachers’ union president Bruce Mellion said in a teacher survey he conducted, 57 percent voted for Option 1, 15 percent for Option 2 and 28 percent voted for Option 3. Next year's calendar will be voted on at the next Board of Education meeting.
Below are the draft calendars:
draft calendars(3)-1
This scenario was one of three Superintendent Susan Marks presented in draft calendars for 2011-12 to the Board of Education for discussion on Tuesday night. The school year begins on August 31 in all three options. Also, they all have 181 days of school for students and 185 days for teachers, as pre-negotiated by their contracts.
Option 1: A “status quo” calendar with the same holidays and vacations as this year. The last day of school, barring snow days, is June 18. (Feb. break may be used to make up snow days)
Option 2: Proposes one day off for Rosh Hashanah, not two and no day off for Veteran’s Day. February break remains. The last day is June 14. (Feb. break might be used to make up snow day)
Option 3: Same as Option 2, but shortens February break so that Feb 17, 20 and 21 are off. The last day of school, barring snow days, would be June 12.
Marks assembled a calendar committee comprised of parents, teachers, administrators and union representatives. She explained that the committee's mandate was to create a calendar that had more instruction time for students, was family friendly, employee friendly, and similar to local districts.
“No calendar is going to please everyone and we weren’t able to come to consensus as a group about the calendar,” said Marks explaining why three options were presented.
Marks noted that Norwalk is the only area school district that takes the second day of Rosh Hashanah off, aside from Stamford. She also said that in many districts, schools are open on Veteran’s Day. “They use it as a learning day about veterans. It is more meaningful this way.”
Marks said she supports Option 3. "It has more dates in the early part of the school year, before the testing." Parents also preferred Option 3, as measured by a parent survey that was posted on the district’s website. Several board members, including Sue Haynie, Jack Chiaramonte, Jodi Bishop-Pullan, Susan Hamilton and Glenn Iannacone, also indicated a preference for Option 3.
"This calendar has maximum instruction time and has a early end date on June 12," said Hamilton.
"I like that make-up days will be at the end of the year. Making up days during February break was not optimum for learrning," said Haynie of Option 3.
School board member Steve Colarossi, however, expressed concern about possible teacher absences on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.
During public comments, teachers’ union president Bruce Mellion said in a teacher survey he conducted, 57 percent voted for Option 1, 15 percent for Option 2 and 28 percent voted for Option 3. Next year's calendar will be voted on at the next Board of Education meeting.
Below are the draft calendars:
Posts
Option 3 makes the most sense! It's no different than what the other local districts are doing.
ReplyDeleteAgreed
ReplyDeleteSteve, how worried, really, are you about teachers missing the second day of rosh hashanah??? Worry about something serious.
ReplyDeleteGreat thinking, Dr. Marks. I agree w/ 9:44. Option 3 makes the most sense. The year is not dragged on w/ students doing nothing, but filling time.
ReplyDeleteI just wonder how the Jewish community feels. I am not Jewish, but I appreciate the sensitivity for not taking away both days and I wonder how our veterans feel, particarly when many put their lives on the line and often receive no real benefits or recognition for doing so, though I think/hope that is slowly changing. If we take away Veterans Day perhaps we can be sure to honor our veterans in school as part of the curriculum. Those of us who travel or read books about other places know how blessed we are w/ rights and freedom. Our children need to sincerely understand and appreciate the place they call home. No we are not a perfect country by any stretch of the imagination, but if they learn to appreciate the liberties offered in our country, they can also learn how to strive to make it better.
I am a Jewish parent in Norwalk and personally think the first day of Rosh Hashanah is sufficient, that is the day I attend services with my children, I rarely attend the second day and I felt this year that 2 days was unnecessary. Even if your more religious teachers take the second day off you are talking very low numbers, certainly no where near the number of absent teachers we just saw over February break and even that was manageable. I would never want to see the first day or Yom Kippur taken off the calendar but the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah is negotiable in my view!
ReplyDeleteForgot to say, I think Option 2 is the best option! Many towns have taken Veteran's day and use it to bring Veteran's in for an assembly - that is so much more meaningful than taking my kids bowling or having a tv day which is usually the case! I had to tell my kids what Veteran's Day meant, they had no idea and having the day off takes away the meaning I think instead of honoring them. I would like to keep February Break as well so definitely option 2 in my mind!
ReplyDeleteOption 3 gets us out too soon! Most camps wont have started yet so working parents will need to find placement for their kids - OR camps will start which means more money for additional childcare/weeks of camp or more time for kids to have nothing to do for those parents that can't afford camp or childcare.
The calendar shouldn't be about babysitting, it should be about what is best for the children. Less time off before testing is better. Option 3.
ReplyDelete3:27 if it's all about testing then let's also take back Columbus Day. Why do we have that day off?
ReplyDeleteIt shouldn't be all about testing but unfortunately it is and that is beyond our control. There are plenty of places that have school on Columbus Day too. Wouldn't upset me if we did too.
ReplyDeleteThe school year is the same number of days so either your kids have "nothing to do" in June or in February. But you probably go away in Feb. which is why you want to keep the vacation...too bad you aren't thinking of the students and what is best for their education and not is what is best for your vacation/camp plans
ReplyDeleteI agree - I would love to see Veterans Day as a day of education about our service men and women and what they have sacrificed for our country. I know a few of the parents at our school are serving or have served, perhaps they could come in and speak about their experiences and what serving meant to them.
ReplyDeleteIs Veteran's Day a contracted/paid holiday for other unions (ie. custodians)? If so, is the city willing to take the financial hit of having to pay overtime?
ReplyDeleteSo why not change the whole vacation plan, hnestly, if we get out in early June, do we need a mid April break? Takea 3 or 4 day weekend in Feb and make it a week vacation the last week of march or first week of April right after the testing window.......why have a week off is mid April. Surprised no BOE member sees that.
ReplyDeleteI agree--if we are getting rid of Veteran's Day--get rid of Comumbus' Day.
Any thoughts on moving midApril vacation?
Firstly, kudos to Dr. Marks for presenting options to changing the school calendar. Now would the BOE ever consider eliminating both the Feb. & April breaks and replace it with one in March after CMTs since it's smack in the middle between the holiday break and end of school?
ReplyDeleteA number of years ago,that was presented and I can't remember if it actually happened but nobody was happy with that idea. So long ago I can't remember why. Maybe its time to try again. At that time CMTs were in the fall.
ReplyDeleteI think that should be an option.....please BOE, DR Marks--consider the option not represented make one vacationw eek after CMT's/CAP.
ReplyDeleteWould love to hear from BOE members on why this can't happen.......
I'm an NPS employee, I think that a spring break after CMTs and CAPT would be a great idea! February break comes just 7 weeks after the holiday recess - and we always have a few snow days in there, along with MLK day. Grades 1-3 are in the middle of DRA testing, 3,4 and 5 are scrambling with CMT prep, and a break in February just breaks up learning for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI think that the teachers' union leadership will be the major stumbling block here. We have to move beyond that as a district and think about what's right for kids and learning.
I agree 1:41 and 8:12--why do we need 2 vacations like that? Can this be an option?? It is the best senerio for the kids--itis ot about what the teachers' union wants. Can this be brought up? I thought that was the purpose of the survey on line???
ReplyDeleteTake away Columbus, veterans and mlk. Use all three for educating students on their significance. Giving them the day off does just that - a day off from learning!
ReplyDeleteMy concern with taking away the second day of Rosh Hashanah is that it is an important holy day to many who practice in the Conservative and Orthodox traditions and has been offered as a day-off for a significant period of time. I have suggested retaining that as a day-off, but making the February break one-day shorter.
ReplyDeleteThis reasonable compromise achieves three goals: it provides extra days of learning before state-mandated tests, allows a mid-June dismissal (and an ability to make-up days without pushing against July 1st) and maintains a tradition of respect for an important religious tradition.
Steve, I agree with you. Another alternative is to have Columbus Day as a school day instead of the second day of Rosh Hashanah. Why hasn't that been brought up?
ReplyDeleteThis question may not be appropriate for this forum. But why is so much emphasis placed on CMT tests and preparation? And would a few missed days in February really impact the tests results?
ReplyDeleteAgreed, get rid of Columbus Day too. Too many days off and all over the calendar, who can keep up with them all.
ReplyDeleteMost of the Conservative and Orthodox families in Norwalk do not have their children in our public schools anyway, there are 2 local Jewish Day Schools that draw most of those students. I think you will find most of our Jewish Population in NPS is reform. Even if you don't offer the second day of Rosh Hashanah off, those families could have an excused absence, let's face it - the numbers are small here in Norwalk. Passover is valuable to me and often there are school events scheduled right on it, NPS is not generally a welcoming district to Jewish Families aside from those few days off. One day for Yom Kippur and one day for Rosh Hashanah are sufficient IMO. I'm a Jewish NPS parent who is ok with losing the second day and wants to see April Break remain intact, this year it falls on Passover, I'd rather see that happen every year if possible.
ReplyDelete