“Balanced Calendar” vs. “Traditional Calendar”
A change in the school calendar is under consideration. Perry Township is exploring the option of moving to a schedule referred to as a “Balanced Calendar.” This type of calendar provides for a two week intersession between grading periods (fall, winter and spring) and conducts a summer break for approximately seven weeks. The MSDPT Board of Education is seeking your input.
The “Traditional Calendar,” which the District currently follows, has instruction beginning in August and ending in May with two days off for fall break, two weeks off for winter break, one week off for spring break. It has a longer (55 day) summer vacation.
The “Balanced Calendar” option calls for instruction to begin in late July and end in May with two-week breaks in the fall, winter and spring. This calendar has a shorter (45 day) summer vacation.
Both calendars feature 180 days of instruction and include single days off for Labor Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents’ Day and Thursday/Friday off at Thanksgiving. The cost of both calendars is essentially the same.
What is best for students?
Advantages include:
- Better vacation opportunities for families and flexible time to schedule doctor and dentist visits without loss of instructional time.
- EL students receive more consistent English language instruction.
- Students and staff benefit from the breaks, utilizing this time for physical rest, relaxation, and renewal; this is especially true for immature and academically at-risk students.
- Learning is balanced throughout the year. Summer learning loss is shortened. Time required to review concepts and skills (especially in August) should be reduced. There is a belief that new academic concepts can be introduced more quickly.
- Student attendance and discipline is shown to improve.
- Intersessions may be used for remediation and enrichment activities.
Concerns include:
- There is less time in the summer for vacation periods (July start date for school).
- Child care opportunities may be limited during two week breaks.
- This may interrupt family schedules.
MSDPT School Board President, Ken Mertz, commented, “I encourage your attendance at the public forums so you fully understand the similarities and differences between the two calendars. In looking at the “Balanced Calendar” option, we want input from the public on how it will impact their child’s educational experience and the overall family dynamic. We encourage people to attend so we may hear from our parents and community on this proposed change.”
Below are drafts of the “Traditional” and “Balanced” calendar options:
2012-13 Traditional Calendar Option
2012-13 Balanced Calendar Option
Calendar Comparision Pie Charts
Questions and Concerns Regarding the Balanced Calendar
Public Forum Questions and Comments PMHS 9 19 2011
Public Forum Questions and Comments SHS 10 3 2011
The calendar options for 2012-2013 were discussed at the Public Work Session on October 24, 2011. A vote on the calendar by the School Board is expected at the November 14th Board meeting.
At the November 14th meeting of the MSDPT Board of Education, the Balanced Calendar was approved for the 2012-2013 school year.
2012-2013 Perry Township Adopted Calendar
I love this new balanced calender, but the only sad part is that school starts on my birthday!!!!!!
Some of you people just don’t understand the concept of the balanced scheduled. I for one, would have enjoyed it when I was in high school. Yeah, it messes up the camp schedules but the camps will work it out. Who cares about if summer is shorter, it’s only 10 days shorter and heck that is only 1 week and 3 days. I know most students would rather have more breaks through out the school year. We get drained out over time and having a break refreshes us. This has nothing to do with the referendum, the referendum was for budget purposes only. If it didn’t pass, teachers would have lost their jobs and class sizes would have increased…get with it people.
YES! I am happy that we are switching to a “balanced year”… that is because both my mom and step-dad work everyday all summer. I will get more education and not only that but, I will also get more breaks in between!!
I am a student at Muncie Southside High School and I think that it would be a good idea to switch to a balanced calendar. We have a summer marching band, which I am apart of, that would be affected by this. We go to State Fair that same week that the school calendar would start so basically we all would have to take a field trip to go to State Fair which is the last competition for the season. Other than that I personally think that the year-round calendar is great
you people are fogetting the biggest factor. WHAT DO HE KIDS WANT. they are the ones who spend 7 hours a day sitting down listening toa teacher rant on about what they probably already know. They would be the ones effected by this not you. so get your heads outof the clouds and ask them. if the kids are forced to go to school when they dont want to, they will do poorly, thus resaulting in them failing agrade and repeating, and thus resaulting in more money out of your pocket. you guys are all looking at the positives, well everyactionhas a reaction. in this case the ballanced callender, while having some advantages, has more downsides.what are middleschool and high schoolers going todo with an extra week of fall and spring break, all their friends fromout of the school district will be inschool. this means more crime on the street. you need to think of the downsides more than the upsides because we have to live with themonce it happens.
Great! thanks for the share!
I am for a balance calendar. Everyone is complaining about childcare – I honestly do not see how that would make a big difference. My daughter goes to Rosa-Parks but my son’s daycare is in Wayne township – Wayne is going to a balanced calendar too, the daycare he goes to is offering next year to cover all breaks for balanced and non-balance students and the Y in Wayne township is also offering to cover too. If the children are off the same number of days that would be the out of pocket expense should be the same. My daughter is having trouble with reading I spend a lot of time to help her keep up with her class it would be nice to have the breaks to allow time for her to have extra practice. When I went to school we always started the first week of August and got out the middle of June (we had more snow days since I lived farther north then I do now) the summer break is just to long. I would like to see where they got out in June not May to help with graduation and other celebrations not happening on Memorial Weekend. I would love to take vacations in the fall since traveling tends to be cheaper in October and the beginning of November.
The calendar should be adjusted to have August as part of summer vacation. Those are the hottest days of the year. I would like to see the school year extending through late June and have summer break July and August.
The summer is only cut by 10 days…some of the posts are making it sound as if there will be no summer. I think it is a great idea and a lot of the townships/schools around us are doing it so it must be happening for a good reason!
Summer break under the so-called “Balanced Calendar” is only 10 days shorter. I highly doubt that would make much difference in educational retainage. There are no facts here to back up the benefits of changing the calendar. Where’s the information to show that this has had a significant benefit in schools that have had the balanced calendar for a while? They’ve listed six benefits, and only three concerns. How about balancing those out?
In an earlier comment someone said that the “Vote yes for Perry schools” was to retain teachers and keep class sizes low? That’s odd, because my kid’s class sizes in elementary have always been in the low 20′s, and this year for 5th grade it is 29, and that’s because 2 or 3 students have moved. At the beginning of this school year there were over 30 kids in her class.
The calendar options for 2012-2013 were discussed at the Public Work Session on October 24, 2011. A vote on the calendar by the School Board is expected at the November 14th Board meeting.
Did they vote for the balanced calendar? Will that start next year ?
The most important thing to consider is how it will benefit the children. It is great and wondering IF parents are working with their children over the summer. But, as test scores show, many parents are not working with their children over the summer to retain information. Schools cannot control what parents do with their children over the summer, but schools can make decisions that will ultimately benefit the students.
The balanced calendar has nothing to do with “Vote Yes for Perry Schools.” That vote was to make sure teachers could be retained to keep class size from expanding, keep athletics as they are in high school, and update buildings that serverely need updating–to name a few VERY imporant reasons the referendum needed to pass.
If you go to http://www.summeradvantage.org, there is information concerning the amount of learning that is lost over summer vacation. I think you will find it interesting. Some, not all, students can lose up to the equivalent of 3 months of instruction during the summer months when families are not practicing the skills with their children over the summer. Schools cannot control what parents do at home with their child, but schools can make decisions that will benefit children’s education.
The purpose for attending school after Labor Day is severely outdated. Students no longer need to stay home to help with farming duties. I do not mean to sound rude, but just because school didn’t start until after Labor Day when you were in school, doesn’t mean that there aren’t other alternatives that will benefit the students of today.
Change is hard for everyone in general. If the balance calendar passes, it will be something that everyone in Perry Township will have to deal with. It may take time, but I believe childcare opportunites will become available to the community if the township decides to follow the balanced calendar.
I vote NO for the balanced calendar. We should wait a couple of years to see the “real” results from other schools before we take this change on. I definitely know that it will have to cost more money to make all these promises of benefits happen, if they even do. We should wait until the imposed busing in of students stops before we take this on. I agree with the previous statement about a rise in teen problems as a result of the two week breaks with teens being left at home unsupervised and altering sleep schedules. The longer summer breaks give high school teens more opportunities for work, internships, volunteering, etc. to build resumes for college. School board should not vote yes to a balanced calendar based on current survey results. Margin is to close. Do another vote next year after more results data is available from balanced calendar schools.
I would like to see the October “Fall Break” shortened to 1 week, and then have the entire week of Thanksgiving off to allow for travel time. With out-of-town family, Thurday and Friday do not allow a Thanlgiving spent together.
Just some thoughts…The use of intersessions for remediation and enrichment is listed as a benefit of the Balanced Calendar option. Also, listed as a benefit is that intersessions will provide renewal, physical rest, and relaxation for teachers and students, especially those students who are immature or academically at-risk. Are these the same students (those academically at-risk) that would selected for remediation activities during the intersessions, thus spending their much needed break (meant for renewal and R & R) involved in classroom remediation activities? Will these at-risk students be spending more time in the classroom than their peers? Would students willingly participate or will students resent being in school during these times when their peers are on break? It seems that these are the very students that could benefit from “getting away” from the stress created from struggling with their academics. At the same time, I do realize these intersessions may be the only times available to provide students with the extra help that they need.
I will only support the balanced calendar if there is “proof”!!! So far I have only heard that it is a positive..there is nothing (that I have seen) from other districts that have proven it is a step in the positive direction. I have heard, that it is by many people but NO one has shown me that the children have benifited from this calendar change. I will suck up the fact that I can not work during these breaks (since my husband and I both work retail and are unable to take off during these extened breaks) and will deal with the financial burden if someone would show me that it actually benifits the children.
If the kids are actually retaining the information, then what is another 10 days in the summer?? Everyone is worried about the kids getting out of routine of school and trying to remember everything they learned….If the kids are actually retaining the information (or learning) why are we worried about 10 days???
I am currently a mother of two young elementary school children…..and I belive that this situation involves me more than any other. I have always believed that school functioned activities are important. I was involved in sports (great character builder), my husband in band ( great involvement in school spirit), and neither of us approve of the “balaced calandar.”
Again, there is no proof except here say. People have told me its better but there is no proof that the students actually excell in the new calandar.
My sister-in-law stuggles day to day with a child that is in a “balaced calandar” and one who isn’t. Now how would you deal with family vacation? (this seems to be the greatest burrend of all) If you are really concered about the children, then please take them in consideration.
Does this actually help them, the studenst? Or you, as a parent?
Or no one? Is this a selfish move on your part?
Having thought about the calendar a little bit more, I want to toss out one thing that I haven’t heard about yet. If the intent of the 2 week breaks is for relaxation and rejuvenation, then teachers should not be permitted to assign large projects which are to be done during this time. My daughter got a rather time-intensive project Friday and it is due in about 10 days – Monday after break. It made me realize that she’s going to have to do work on her time of rest, even though she started working on it the day it was assigned.
Also, my first post mentioned that I thought that the semester’s weeks should be divided 9/2/9 instead of the proposed 10/2/8. Once I’ve observed my kids in the past week, I realized that for them (4th grade and 7th grade) the end of the 9 week grading period doesn’t mean any huge break or change in material. I had college as my frame of reference, where the end of the “grading period” signaled midterms or finals – both big deals. It’s been more than 25 years since I’ve been in high school, so I’m totally open to what ever the truth of their scheduling now is, but I don’t know that even in high school the 9-week mark really meant anything to us, except that maybe we had a big test sometime that week. Maybe the 10/2/8 issue isn’t as big as I had originally thought it was…
I am a teacher for IPS. I am currently teaching during this intersession, as are many of my colleagues. Actually, it is going quite smoothly. We have plenty of teachers at my building to staff the remediation and enrichment programs. We have had a great attendance rate for the students, too. I support the balanced calendar. If it does pass in Perry Township, I am hopeful that both districts’ calendars will be the same. I think it’s a great idea to have all schools in Marion County on the same schedule.
IPS is reporting a lot of problems with the balanced calendar. First, only two community partners signed up to provide programs and childcare during the first two week fall break that is rapidly approaching. 2nd, teachers did not sign up to teach the enrichment or remedition classes (despite being offered $3000) because they need a break too. IPS had to hire subs. Are we really sure this would work in Perry? Our schools received a D in the annual report card from the state. That is a concern. Maybe we need to look more at the quality of instruction, courses offered, etc verses changing a calendar? What support services could be put in place to help struggling students so that all students didn’t have to make the change? Could the balanced calendar be piloted with a student population to see if it has any impact?
The assumption that camps and other organizations will rise to the challenge of supporting this calendar is hard to make a reality. These organizations depend on college students to act as the caregivers. Colleges are not changing their schedules and therefore staffing these positions for two weeks in the fall and two weeks in the spring will be terribly difficult.
I am supportive of the balanced calendar. I can see how it would be beneficial to both students and teachers. I would ask that you reconsider and move the intercessions to the end of grading periods. I think that would increase motivation for the students and also allow those that did not do well the previous 9 weeks to get help before new material is introduced and impacts a second 9 weeks.
I like the concept of the balanced calendar. After reading the comments from the forums, I don’t understand the rationale of 10 on/2 off/8 on instead of 9/2/9.
I would anticipate that there will be child care providers who are eager to help with the new schedule – the beauty of supply and demand.
I love the idea of having 2 weeks in the fall and the spring to do family activities. It will work great for our family.
I also believe it will help those who need it most – those kids who won’t travel or go to museums or even have enough food – by keeping them close to the schools.
The sub stats from Warren township are interesting. Let’s hope this would also keep our teachers in the classroom more!
Thanks for taking the time to make sure all of us have the time to learn, think about this process, and give our input.
After doing an on-line search, I learned that “Indiana law requires schools to consider a year-round calendar before embarking on new construction”. Which means that the referenced “consideration” is something of a formality before any new school construction can be implemented. It sounds as though this is NOT a requirement for school renovation, however. I was also able to view which schools, both in Indiana and in other states, had tried/considered and rejected a balanced school calendar and why (see: http://www.summermatters.com/rejects.htm for more information). It is especially interesting to note the reasons for rejection of surrounding districts (Beech Grove & Center Grove) and that in 1996, 87.5% of Perry Township parents voted against a balanced calender.
Overall, I sense that the legal requirement to consider YRS has more to do with financial issues than with academics. From what I gather, in order for academic improvement to occur in a balanced calendar, there would need to be much accomodation on the part of the schools and much cooperation (not to mention, enthusiasm) on the part of families. Even then, I’m not wholly convinced. And, I’m uncertain how a balanced calendar will make scheduling appointments easier: if most kids are scheduled for appointments after school or during breaks anyway, won’t parents adjust appointments to a new calendar in the same way? Our family has always tried to schedule appointments around the school day; sometimes, that is more difficult than other times. I doubt this would change. And, despite the fact that my kids do well academically, we continue to receive mailings if they have a certain number of abscences, even when they are excused abscences (such as for illness). I am inclined to think that a balanced calendar is not the panacea that advocates would like me to believe. It ranks right up there with the school uniform policy, in being more frustrating and a pain in my pocketbook than it’s “proposed” benefits (I would seriously like to know what was so bad about our former dress code). In short, I would like to see data from both sides before considering a change–show me the numbers!
I am a parent of 2 in Perry township schools, and I’m in favor of the balanced calender. I think parents need to put their children first, and think about the benefits this will bring. I don’t see the difference this will bring to parents who pay for childcare, because the amount of days out of school is the same. I’m sure that these child care facilities will adjust to your business. I would actually appreciate the break of cost myself. Maybe my children are a minority but they are bored by the end of summer and can not wait to get back to school.
I think it would be best if there was only 1 balanced schedule used for Marion County, and I’m a little concerned about how athletics would come into play. I dont see the point of having a break from school but not sports, and would hope that we can find that “balance”. I also liked the comment about adusting the calender a week to include Halloween in the Fall break, and starting Spring break in April.
NO NO NO. A balanced year is completely wrong. I am very upset that this may happen to my children. This first thing I am sad about is the shortening of their summer. As a kid, summer is where memories are made. Staying up til dark (in some days does not come until 10pm) to catch lightening bugs. Fun and laughter with friends, swimming, vacations, ice cream man, and just the pure freedom of it. Shortening that so they can have longer breaks during colder weather just makes my heart ache for them. We have people arguing that school starts to early and that we should go back to a Labor Day to Memorial Day school year and now we have this balanced calendar option??? With so many children in the system that play rec sports such as baseball, the season doesnt end until the last week in June then the month of July holds all-star games. My family personally doesnt take a a week of family summer vacation until the first week of August when all sports for the summer are over. I know the main point is because it helps the children retain more and do better in school. Well how do you explain that to kids who are “A” students now? I think regardless of the school calendar you are going to have children struggle and those who do well. I am NOT in favor of this and I think it should be on an election for, for our district.
Ironically, I made the first post back in March supporting the balanced calendar. I support it in theory but not as currently proposed.
Summer has been shortened to the point that it is not long enough to allow for Indiana On Line Academy classes for the summer. Since summer school was discontinued, IOA is the summer school option in Perry Township. Make the fall and spring breaks 7 days instead of 10, adding back 6 days to the summer and it may work.
If the balanced calendar is adpoted, I hope it is adjusted quite a bit to address people’s comments. In addition to making the fall and spring break 7 days, make the grading periods and sessions the same. One week of a new grading period before fall break and spring break sure looks tempting for teachers to assign projects.
After seeing the proposed calendar, I also take back my suggestion of adding snow days during the school year. The proposed summer break is too short for the online classes. If there weren’t many late winter snow days this problem would be solved most years. Avoid the havoc for graduation by planning to have it a week later than it has been traditionally.
As a previous poster pointed out, area schools adopting the balanced calendar need to synchronize breaks. It would make planning dates for camps and classes more manageable for the YMCA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Indiana On Line Academy and other organizations and businesses effected who primarily serve youth. This would also accomodate families with children and parents in different school districts.
Great opportunity for Perry children to keep their “academic heads on” all year. It would be an adjustment for those involved in sports, and family vacations would need to be tweeked. But, after writing a college paper on the “Year round” school option, I have found that the benefits well outweigh the disadvantages! The balanced calendar option is a step closer to that opportunity…Change is the good and the catalyst to an amazing education for our children!
If the township is looking to adopt a new school calendar, why are the Edison school calendars being re-instated first. As an Edison school parent, I appreciated quarterly parent teacher conferences and the shorter summers. I was unable to attend either informational meetings, so I have not heard what/if any financial benefits there are to the township in the balanced calendar. The school choice program has worked well in the township. Since every family is as different as every child, why not offer a balanced calendar as a choice option? Please continue to give parents a choice.
I am definetly in support of a balanced calendar. My husband has to ‘bid’ on vacation time and it is always awarded based on seniority. We have problems getting vacation time during the summer as everyone wants those weeks. Therefore, we are never able to take a family vacation. Also, I have a child in the 6th grade academy and an elementary student and both have expressed the desire for a more balanced calendar. They need a break to regroup and reenergize between quarters. Two days just isn’t enough. From the students I have talked with, they seem more in favor.
The balanced calendar will cost the district more money by having to pay for air conditioning in July. Hopefully it will run full-blast even after school hours because it’s a proven fact that when people (children included) are hot, their tempers flair. With all the bullying taking place, I’d be afraid to send my child to school. I’m almost to that point now anyway.
I do not support the balanced calendar option. I have one child in Kindergarden and one in preschool and a baby not yet in school. It would be difficult to find child care for the two week periods in the winter and spring. Vacations could not be scheduled as the preschool does not follow the Southport school district. Having more time off in the summer is beneficial to all as families will be off at the same time and can schedule vacations or getting things done around the house, etc. If parents work with the child over the summer (i.e. going to the library for summer reading programs or otherwise performing school like activities at home – I do not see a benefit in changing the calender. Please keep it the same.
A “balanced schedule” is a “year round disruption” of long standing family scheduling.
A vote “Yes for Perry Schools” was a vote to maintain and continue the schools as we knew them. To keep them free of dramatic change. If the possibility of a balanced schedule was even hinted, the referendums would have failed.
A balanced schedule is sure to have unforeseen costs.
* Will a fleet of buses stand up to the extra use?
* It appears that MORE classroom hours will need to be staffed as acceleration and remediation classes are added.
* Additional transportation costs.
It only makes sense that families will incur higher child care costs. Fewer child care options will be available on the off weeks, a lower quality of care, less enriching for our children. .
Other childcare related unintended consequences of this proposed schedule.
* Parents separately using two week vacations to provide childcare and forgoing a family vacation.
* The YMCA summer camp not being able to attract quality staff for a shorter week summer.
* Attendance at the YMCA drops, prices of the programs go up, quality down.
* Children missing out on Girl Scout and Boy Scout camps, Church Camps.
* Children missing time with grandparents during the summer.
Childhood obesity is a hot topic. Three weeks less summer is not a prescription to reverse that trend.
High school students may not be able to get summer employment as before. Forcing parents to experience more out-of-pocket expenses.
This schedule will displace and disrupt thousands of families and students and all for what? Maybe an increase in test scores? Maybe this, maybe that? All I hear is a lot of maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe. Guaranteed outcomes? Or good intentions? The good intentions and maybes are not enough to offset the very real consequences of this change.
In conclusion, if this passes, I and hundreds of others who voted “yes” for Perry schools, will feel betrayed, as the unintended consequence of that vote has allowed this disruptive change, and it will be our last “yes” vote.
I fully understand and accept that one of the greatest benefits of balanced calendar is to reduce summer learning loss & assist with remediation of students. I was unable to attend either forum, however, but I have not heard or read discussion about the impact to those students who are in GT/HA programming or those who are musically inclined.
My husband and I strive to “feed” our children through enrichment opportunities. Summer is the time that we actively arrange academic & music opportunities for them. Given that block scheduling is no longer available, the number of academic credits that high school students can earn with the current hs scheduling has dropped from 54 (I believe that is the correct number) to just 48 credits. Indiana Online Academy (IOA) is an opportunity that many families have chosen for their GT/HA students — it allows them to take summer classes and earn credits which then frees up their schedules during the school year. This allows them to take higher level classes and/or electives to better position them for college. The proposed balanced calendar interferes with IOA’s current 8 wk summer schedule, as exams are taken in the beginning of August, when our students would be in school.
Additionally, many of the music programs (i.e. summer orchestra, UIndy, Ball State & even Interlochen in MI) are held at the end of July, beginning of August. With a shortened summer as proposed by the balanced calendar, it is likely that the start of band camp would be scheduled earlier. This would will then force a choice for our musically-inclined students — attend a summer music enrichment program or participate in marching band. Neither option is desirable for our family. Additionally, most of the music programs (i.e. ISSMA, All Region/District/State Band) are on a set schedule which complements the current school calendar. If these programs fall during an intersession, it could potentially limit the ability of the student to participate if the family has scheduled time away.
I imagine that those students who are athletically-inclined may also find these same conflicts with competing schedules for summer sports camps and athletic events throughout the year. Additionally, those students who participate in 4H may be limited in participation at the State Fair because of conflicts with the proposed calendar.
For our family, the balanced calendar is counterproductive to our children both academically and musically, and perhaps to other students with similar talents and aptitudes. There will be an impact on GT/HA students and their academic learning also need to be considered.
Every family must weigh the needs of their students with what is bieng proposed. While I do understand the benefits to many students, we do not support the balanced calendar because of the impact on our children.
I fully support the balanced calendar. For those who would have to provide child care for the 3 2-week periods, where do your children go in the summer since they obviously need 12-weeks of summer care? I’d be much happier spreading the cost of camp out across the year instead of having to come up with thousands for summer camp for 4 children all at one time and the children would get to experience varied seasonal activities instead of the same old summer choices. This calendar lends itself to quite a few options for visiting family and other travels at all times of the year.
I know not all will agree but going to school for 9mths on and 3mths off just doesn’t work well for retaining learning. Less time spent reviewing work (since less time to forget it) would be great for those students who tend to retain well too.
I’m all for the balanced calendar. I’ve been hoping Perry Township would adopt this for years. My only complaint is I would prefer to have a six week summer vacation and add a third week to Winter Break. It would make all the traveling that takes place during the Holidays so much easier.
The summer brain drain is alive and well in my house. I couldn’t convince my kids to read at all last summer and they used to love reading. I believe the teachers could spend less time reviewing if the summer vacation was shorter.
I don’t really understand the complaints of more money for childcare. Don’t these same people have to pay childcare in the summer? It’s the same number of days, they’re just spaced differently. I’m sure the Y will be all over scheduling camps for the weeks off, they are always very good at that.
My wife and I do not support the balanced calendar. It is going to be quite a burden on many families (like ours) to find childcare during the extra weeks off during the year. Many of the students in school are from single parent households and unless the school is willing to help with this they need to strongly consider leaving things the way they are.
When studying this issue one may find that many schools have reverted to the traditional calendar after trying the balanced calendar. I guess people like to try things themselves rather than learning from others. It is similar to the round-a-bout issue on roads. We are starting to install these things and other states are removing them due to such large volumes of accidents.
Hopefully the district will be wise enough to make a decision fairly.
We fully support balanced calendar option. This will definitely help both students and parents.
But we agree with other parents’ concerns on this forum about various camps and activities by other organizations around Indy. If those organizations change their schedule accordingly (I guess they will have to) balanced calendar will be successful.
I’m confused about the details surrounding the balanced calendar. As another parent commented, in order for this to benefit for vacations/college visits, etc, it would need to include adjustments to athletic/extracurricular calendars and would make sense to have adjustments to the “grading periods” so that students are not starting a new grading period and then taking 2 weeks off from school and forgetting where they are in the material when they return.
Also, I validate the concerns other parents express about childcare. I know during the summer, I enroll my son in summer camps because there is not a stay-at-home parent to be available during the days. Are the local Parks/Churches/YMCA/and other daycare/daycamp facilities on board with offering camps during these new proposed weeks off?
Finally, I’m a little lost on the math. You say that both calendars will offer 180 academic days, however you are only cutting summer vacation short by 10 days and adding 3 2-week breaks where currently there is a 2-day fall break, 2-week winter break and 1 week spring break. In order to make 3 2-week breaks you would need 13 days. Where are the additional 3 days coming from?!?
I am against the balance calendar. I am a teacher and a parent of an elementary child and a high school child. My high schooler needs to work to go to college. He will have very limited time to work full time and who will hire him with this crazy schedule. It will also leave a bunch of teens and pre-teens at home alone because parents can’t take off work. Guess what will spike? Teen pregnancy, drinking, and drug abuse. Teens need more supervision than younger children. I see it every summer. Childcare for my elementary student will likely be a problem. As a teacher, instead of having one big restart (after summer) and one small restart (after Christmas break) to the year, I will have may restarts. I don’t think that this will have the desired results.
I would like to know more about Perry Township’s primary goal from this proposal. Is the focus on educational benefits for all students or is it mostly geared toward remediation? From an educational perspective, I think this could be something very positive for a wide variety of students, but only if there is a well-planned and comprehensive implementation plan around the intersessions. Our child (for example) does well in school, but there are subjects that she could use help with. The interssesions would be a great time for her to get additional instruction/assistance in one or two areas so that she feels more confident and can perform even better. Will there be opportunities like this for these types of students? If not, then it just feels like 2-3 (different) weeks off with the hope that a break will provide time to digest what the students have recently learned before giving them more instruction…
The forum presented the balanced calendar concept as a consideration, but if we are asking the board to make an informed decision, should we have a better defined plan with more specifics (more than just the calendar dates and ideas with the details left to be figured out)? For example:
- Will the intersessions only be provided at two elementary and two secondary schools, or is this dependent on demand?
- How many students do we anticipate needing to support during this time?
- Will there be enough participation (students and staff) to have grade-specific and subject-specific instruction?
- Will the intersession daily schedule be the same as a regular school day (including Wednesdays) or will it be shortened (like IPS)?
- Will licensed teachers be teaching the intersessions?
- Will there be planned curricula or more tailored need-based instruction?
- If the demand for educational opportunities is there (in the community) but it exceeds the availability of township resources ($$ or staff) – what will happen?
- Will there be a fee for intersessions?
- Will transportation be available?
- How will bus routes be created – based on confirmed participation?
- What are the lessons learned from Warren, IPS, and others?
- What are our plans to prevent some of the same barriers and problems from arising that impact the children?
If we don’t know all the answers and it will take time to work through this level of detail, I would certainly support postponing the implementation by one year so that we prioritize the development of a quality program for the children over the timeline of being ready for 2012-2013 school year. For me, the struggles and challenges with daycare, activities, $$, etc will be worth it if (and only if) there is real benefit to the children.
I am against the balance calender. I believe that school should not start before labor day. The learning loss is not what they say. It also puts more of a burden for those who have to find day care. The balance calender is not family friendly. It is hard enough to plan family trips with the summer break as it is now. Let alone with a shorter break. I do not see any cost savings to the school system.
No school before Labor Day!!!!
I think you are looking at this completely wrong. Your child going to school is not suppose to be about “child care!” It’s about what is better for your child and not you.
I am in favor of a balanced calendar. Although my son is now a Junior at SHS, this would keep him in classes and help with better notetaking skills, and less socializing via facebook, yahoo, etc.
A balanced calendar would be a good thing for the majority of Perry Township. The decision will be made based on what the majority wants, not the minority. I’m sorry to hear about your situation, but it looks like most people would prefer the balanced schedule… as would I. The balanced school year has much more to offer than the current, traditional schedule.
I’m against the balanced calendar. I’ve got 3 kids in elementary school, and there is no advantage that I can see. It doesn’t improve the school budget and there’s no real reason to believe it will improve attendance. The only potential benefit is minimizing ‘summer learning loss,’ which I think is overrated anyway. My kids already tell me the first month is boring because they are going over things they learned the previous year.
So, minimal-to-no benfit.
Disadvantages to the family are, however, very real: I will now have to come up with childcare for 3 two-week periods instead of 1; we’ll have to cram all of the summer activities into a shorter period – swim lessons, VBS, vacations, trips to grandparents. What I think you’ll find instead of better attendance is worse attendance as families take off to attend weddings, family reunions, etc., that occur during what the rest of the country thinks of as ‘summer vacation.’
So the only good thing anybody can say is that they can take a vacation at different times of the year. I am not sure that is what we should be basing our children’s education on.
Balanced calander does allow for more vacation options, college visits and would benefit the children academically. For child care issues most daycare facilities are open when school is out at least the ones I used were and over all the cost wouldn’t be any more, it would just be split out differently through the year.
When talking to my children who are in middle school and their friends they all like the idea of the balanced calendar.
We’re in favor of the balanced calendar. Both of my students support it too. As you consider which months to have off in the summer, I think you should keep in mind that most specialty camps (not including the YMCA) in the city are offered in June and July. Examples would be camps held at the Indiana State Museum, Indy Parks and Rec. or IUPUI. These camps are not available in August and most likely would not be changed based on our township moving to a balanced calendar. There was a suggestion by a some parents at the public forum that they would prefer having August off. We would not be in favor of having August off as there are fewer options for activities available in August. We support the calendar as proposed without the snow days included in spring break. Snow days should be moved to the end of the year.
I am very much in favor of a more balanced calendar. However the proposed balanced calendar for next year will actually make my life more difficult. My daughter attends a year-round school in Pike Township. Their calendar is quite different from our proposed one. Perry’s will however be close to the one used by Warren Township. The entire lure of being able to vacation during off season times is lost for us unless I take personal days or take my child out of school. I doubt seriously that either one will happen. It would be nice if the local school districts could all work together. I know that I am not the only staff member who has children that attend school in a different school district.
My son attends Rosa Parks and has been diagnosed with Autism, we finally have a perfect schedule and system working for us and now this comes along and is going to mess everything up…..It only shortens summer by 10 days, but makes it terrible for us who have to find childcare. I already had to change my schedule to accomodate for the time school starts in the morning. Now I am going to have to pay an extra $240.00 every time school is out for the YMCA and that is only if they offer camp for the time school is out. How is this better for my child to be at the YMCA than in school???? SORRY FOR VENTING
but I want someone to please explain to me how this is a good thing!
I think they should do a Balanced Schedule. It’ll be better for everyone.
I fully support the balanced calendar. I am from Europe, and this is how the school year was structured when I was in school (and still is). I very much prefer it over the traditional calendar. It provides students, teachers and staff with much needed breaks throughout the school year, and provides more flexibility with vacation planning for families. 7 weeks is summer is still long enough in my opinion. It also would take less time for the students to get back into “school mode”, since they would not forget as much over a shorter summer break.
Great idea! I am 100% behind this. Thank you!
As a family, our main concern is that we adopt the calendar that provides the highest academic benefits for our students while allowing participation in school clubs, activities, and athletics. Doing so allows for the development of well-educated, well-rounded and involved students at school and in the community. However, we would love to return to the block schedule format with either calendar as I strongly believe block scheduling provides a more cohesive and uniform academic environment for teachers and students without all the “stops and starts” inherent in an eight period day. Possibly the combination of a balanced calendar with block scheduling will be the answer to higher academic achievement. My son had the block scheduling format his four years at PMHS and was very successful. If the balanced schedule is in fact adopted next year, however, this will be the third school day/year format for my daughter. With either choice, we need to proceed mindfully and adopt the calendar that best fits the academic needs of our children and allows them every opportunity to become successful, well-rounded adults.
I do not support the balanced calendar as it is purposed. The athletic schedule would not change and therefore students involved in Fall and Spring sports would still have practice and competitions during the 2 week breaks. They would not be able to travel on vacations during that time and will have less time in the summer to travel.
Also, the breaks start the 2nd week of the 2nd and 4th grading periods, not at the end of a grading period. Students would start one week of new material then have 2 weeks off!?! Talk about loss of consistency!
I am very much in favor of the balanced calendar. I believe that having two weeks off after every grading period would not only improve the attendance of the children, but the employees as well.
I completely support a balanced calendar. My question is around child care support for those in need. Is the YMCA on board to supply those families with care during the extended breaks during the year? I look forward to hearing more about this plan. Thank you.
I would love to see Perry Township adopt a balanced school year. After looking at the draft, I would like to see the calendar year start a week later. By doing this shift families can finish up summer vacations in July and this would push the fall break to include the week of Halloween and Spring break would begin in April not in March.
I would welcome the idea of moving to a balanced calendar, and I hope the school decides to adopt this. We have two children at Burkhart Elementary. While we are happy with their grades, we definitely notice that it takes awhile to get back into the routine of the school year after such a long summer break. No matter how much we try to keep their minds active and stimulated throughout the summer, they get so accustomed to being home that the adjustment back into school mode is tough.
The longer breaks at other times of the year will provide a welcome incentive for them to stay focused and work hard, knowing that they will always have a nice break coming soon. It also provides opportunities for us to take them on vacations and visit out-of-state family at times other than the middle of summer.
I’m sure there are pros and cons to the issue, but I can honestly say I have only heard good things from other parents in school districts that have adopted similar calendars. I hope Perry decides to go through with this.
I would not support a balanced calendar. I as well as many other people use high school kids to watch my kids over the summer. This would be difficult for the 2 week breaks because they are involved in sports. We have never had the balanced calendar, its working fine, and I don’t see the benefits to my children who do well in the classroom. Also I am not one who will have care provided for my children if this does go thru. I was told today by a perry worker that low income families will have care provided for their children during the breaks..This to is very frustrating.
I, as a parent of 2 currently at Southport HS and another in the 6th grade Academy, support and would back a plan for a “balanced” school year. I believe the shorter summer with a 2 week break between grading periods would be beneficial for the older students, esp those wanting to visit colleges and not wanting to miss school, approved or not.
It would also allow more flexibility for winter weather and allow students an opportunity to do job shadowing during their break-(as a high school exchange student in Australia, I was able to do a job shadowing project with a veterinarian. It was expected and encouraged for all students to explore careers that interested them during their school breaks. They also had a similar schedule that we are calling a “balanced” year).
I would support a balanced school calendar that shortens the summer break and creates several longer breaks through out the school year. From an educational perspective it would be beneficial but this is your area of expertise, not mine, so I won’t add further comments. However, as a parent looking for balance between my work schedule and the school schedule, I cheer this idea. There would be more seasons in which to consider vacation to different regions of the country. It would also allow for more college visits for juniors and seniors.
Until a balanced schedule is adopted (or if it is not adopted), I urge the school board to build in more 1 or 2 days breaks in the spring to aviod the havoc caused by snow days this year. It would be wonderful for high school students to have more opportunities for college visits since PMHS only allows 1 visit per semester the junior and senior year. The current schedule is very limiting for visits to schools outside of Indiana.