The committee was appointed by the school board to research the possibility of switching to an alternative schedule. After their research is completed, the committee will take their findings to the school board and the board will have the final say if they keep the current calendar or instate a new one.
Committee Chairman Craig Callen was quick to point out in Thursday's meeting that an alternative calendar does not mean year-round school. In fact, he said, Middlesboro schools were already operating on what might be considered an alternative schedule.
Callen said there are two types of school calendars - a traditional and an alternative. A traditional calendar has schools starting back after Labor Day and out of class by Memorial Day. An alternative calendar is anything that is not traditional.
He stressed that none of the alternative calendars would have kids going to school in June or July - a misconception that a lot of parents may have.
The committee came up with two different draft calendars and they were presented to a room of about 50 parents, teachers, and students.
Committee member Cindy Porter explained the two draft calendars consisted of those that other Kentucky school districts had found to be a success. She said school starts back so early now because of the mandate to test students ( Commonwealth Accountability Testing System or CATS testing) in April and the schools are allowed a two week testing window.
“We try to get as many days of teaching in as possible prior to that testing window,” said Porter. “That is the reason school starts so much earlier than it used to.”
The first proposed calendar had the staff and faculty returning August 1st for the 2006-07 school year, following with students coming back to class August 2nd.
Porter said school started back August 4th this year and it was only a two day difference. The first two weeks of October would be the fall break. The first week of fall break could be used as a remediation time to help students who might be in danger of failing. Teachers would not be required to work that first week unless they wanted to help those kids in remediation.
Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation days would remain the same and a two week spring two-week break would be at the end of March. The first week of this break, said Porter, could be used as snow days. Instead of the days missed getting tacked on to the end of the year - that first week could be used as make-up days, making sure the second week would be guaranteed for spring break. Students would dismiss toward the last of May.
The second calendar had the staff and faculty returning August 2nd for the 2006-07 school year, following with students coming back to class August 3rd. The fall break is the same as the first proposed calendar, with Election Day being an off day as well.
Thanksgiving break would be the same while Christmas break would be on a half week-full week-half week schedule. The spring break would be at the same time as the first calendar and students would be dismissed May 29.
Callen said one thing that might hamper the idea of an alternative calendar is a new bill that is going through state legislature to find out if it's profitable enough to continue having schools open early. If passed, the bill would make it mandatory for schools to start August 15th or later.
Callen stated the Kentucky Tourism Committee and Chambers of Commerce have also discovered that $8.9 billion dollars is lost from Aug. 1 to Aug. 15 through tourism. About $942 million goes to education.
“What they would like is to solve two things at once,” said Callen. “They would like to have the schools start later than Aug. 15 so the money will continue to roll and then everybody will be happy.”
West End Primary teacher Patti Beckett said she noticed children who come back from a lengthy break often have a hard time re-adjusting. She said students already have to re-adjust three times with the current schedule and it's hard to get them back into the swing of things.
“I know our test scores have been going up steadily, why do we have to change something that is working?,” asked Beckett.
Calendar committee member Bill Powell said he believes that the school board asked them to look into an alternative calendar because so many other schools have found them successful in the state.
One parent was concerned about the kids who do have a problem getting back into the swing of things. She said by the time those students do get back into the routine, school would be out again and those kids may fall behind.
Callen said as educators, they were there to help and make sure no child slips through the cracks, adding that the alternative schedule might give more opportunities to help those students out rather then waiting to the end of the year or semester when they may be too far behind to catch up.
“There is the possibility we could save more students, it might turn out we would save less, if we save less than obviously we would change back,” he said.
Another individual said she believed a new alternative schedule would benefit the students, saying attendance would go up and discipline problems would go down due to the fact when kids get tired of each other, fighting increases and breaks like the ones purposed would be a good reliever.
Callen said they will be sending a survey for all staff and faculty members to fill out Monday to gain their thoughts and input. The Board of Education is expected to review all this information at the February meeting.
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