Last month in Edina, there was a tug of war between the school district and parents.
On one side, administrators want to start the school year one week earlier; on the other side, some parents want to have as many summer vacation days as possible with their children.
Parent Laurel Fishbach, who presented a petition reportedly signed by 385 district residents, said, "We need to know if we're going to give up a week of summer that it's really going to make a difference for getting into college and being a better learner.
"If the teachers need those days, every one of us are willing to give them up at Christmas, Thanksgiving and around President's Day. Please let everyone enjoy the month of August."
The Edina School Board ultimately decided to start the 2013-14 school year after Labor Day and the 2014-15 school year before Labor Day.
KSTP reported that after the board made their decision, parent Johnna Reich said, "It is our family, our memories, they just took that from us without a community vote."
For the 2012-13 school year, the Minneapolis Public Schools moved its start day to the Monday before Labor Day, in order to give teachers more teaching days before high-stakes state exams are given midway through the year. This year, the district is proposing an Aug. 26 start date for the same reason, and the school board could vote on the issue as early as Feb. 12.
In December, Northfield Public Schools discussed starting the school year in mid-August and ending it around Memorial Day. In January, the School Board decided to leave the school calendar as is—with school starting after Labor Day.
KARE 11 reported, "the Association of Metropolitan School Districts has long rallied for an earlier start date to the school year to give students an academic edge in an age of achievement gaps."
"The Minnesota Department of Education has tracked a rising trend of schools starting earlier over the past decade," according to the KARE story. "In the 2013 school year, 59 Minnesota districts started before Labor Day, it's more than double when compared to the 2003 school year, with 21 districts starting early."
A Star Tribune story said tourism leaders also are against an early school start. They say, "the August start will cut into prime resort traffic and State Fair attendance."
Now that you've read both sides of the debate, what do you think? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments.
Heyitsme
2:15 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Doesn't matter the state legislature set the date..after Labor Day because of the State Fair. (unless the district has a major construction project, then a district can ask to start earlier). So, Edina parents arguing with the school board is misplaced...argue with the legislature. Where I grew up, Pennsylvania and Maryland, we start before Labor Day, they still do.
Heyitsme
2:16 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
And it's not just the tourism folks, it's the legislature and the Minnesotans that can't get their heads out of the past.
Heyitsme
2:18 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Some of these folks also like the week to week and half Spring break most of the districts observe. We're not in college anymore.
Jenifer
2:52 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
After Labor Day and elementary students shouldn't need to be on the bus at 6:50, that's absurd. New start times for the younger kids!!!
Lynn Cedergren
3:32 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
I think it should start after Labor Day. I'd be more willing to not have a Spring Break for the kids than to start early. It means the kids don't get to go to the State Fair or go to our annual family reunion Up North. Show me some real strong data that supports starting early.
Terrianne Thiel-Machin
3:37 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
We are trying to save costs...so lets start school in the hottest months of summer, surge that electricity, get them out of vacation mode and into "learning" when they are thinking State Fair, let the families change their plans, buy warm weather school outfits and all the winter clothes...The smell of fall and crisp weather is invigorating and the children are ready to go back. Longer days bring more money in for the districts, but it dosen't improve a childs education.
JEFF
4:48 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
I dont think school should change to start before labor day. Let kids be kids and enjoy the summer
Dean
5:34 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
If they need the days to prepare for testing so bad maybe they should move the MEA convention until after testing. Very very few teachers even go to the convention. School just started a few weeks earlier so they don't need the break. If class time is so important why not hold the MEA convention in the summer and no one will miss school.
Jody Sobczak
12:24 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
I agree with Dean. MEA should be in the summer.....the data is not there in Oct when the kids just started school in Sept. Move it to summer and the kids maybe will get out of school earlier in the Spring
Brad Kadue
7:53 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
I think kids need more school days period. So yes - start before labor day.
Sue Dingmann
10:29 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
I agree. Most kids are ready to go back to school. If we want to be competitive with other countries, we need our kids to be in school longer. We also need to cut our classroom size in half, but that's a whole new can of worms!
Train
9:03 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Kids are in school enough at it is. Labor Day weekend is the last hurrah for most families and starting before labor Day would screw up a lot of traditions within the community.
And Spring Break? Ya, its nice to have a week off but seriously, its still around 30 degrees with snow on the ground at that time. Not really a festive time off for the kids.
Joshua
9:07 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
School has always started before Labor day down in USD 259 where I grew up. It was a huge pain for families (especially that had both parents working) to plan any sort of summer vacation, since many companies didn't celebrate Independence day as an employee holiday.
rob_h78
11:08 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
When should school start?
School should be year round - there can be breaks during the year but there shouldn't be this huge break every year where too many kids fall back in what they have learned.
Jody Sobczak
12:31 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
My son went to a Charter School that operated on a year around schedule and it worked brilliantly. The kids had 2 weeks Fall break in Oct, 4 weeks Winter break at Christmas, 4 weeks at Spring break and a 6 week Summer break. The breaks year round were perfect at being able to have a Winter vacation that was longer, and a Summer vacation that wasnt too long for them to be bored. At six weeks for Summer vacation, my son was more than ready to go back to school.
B. Martin
12:47 am on Sunday, February 10, 2013
Regardless of starting date, school year needs to be lengthened from current 172 days or so to at least 180 days in many other areas.
Drake Anderson
10:59 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
My opinion is to start school right after Labor Day. Next, get rid of ALL the teacher breaks during the official school year. This includes any time off for meetings, seminars, prep-days, association meetings and so on. They can attend these functions during the summer when they are already on break. If we get rid of these extra days off for the teachers we will increase the effective school days to the desired 180 or more. I think the parents should have a vote in the scheduling issues since we pay the bills.