The Board recently voted to keep the early start calendar of schools to begin next school year. Although I have over 45 years of educational experience and have expressed many worries, the Board voted 3-4 to continue with the plans to start early next school year. The board is a democracy and I did my best to voice our concerns and get a majority vote, but we still lost.
In July 2010, former Superintendent Cortines proposed the introduction of the early start calendar. I said then, as I have said now, that I have concerns and questions. A few months ago in October, I introduced a motion to postpone the implementation of the early start calendar. The motion suggested the District wait until we are in better economic times and have data to support this calendar change is good for kids.
I am very concerned about how the new early start calendar will affect our ability to have a school properly staffed and ready to begin the new school year. We are required by State law to inform all teachers by March 15 that they may be laid off based on a worst case scenario budget. We can’t rescind layoff notices until Sacramento passes their budget. If Sacramento passes their budget after July, we will be hard pressed for a smooth opening. It now looks like the budget might not pass until late August.
I have also asked for the data that supports this major change to our instructional calendar. I have always said that I will err on the side of students. The parents and teachers that I have spoken to said they don’t support this change. I have no problem taking the heat to make the change if it is better for kids, but there is no data to support this. Yes, the senior high school calendar aligns better with the early start calendar, but I am interested in kids performing better.
So here we go – much to my chagrin!
Below is a timeline of the history of the early start calendar issue
In the spring of 2010, the Board of Education approved the adoption of an alternate experimental Early Start Instructional Calendar for 2011-2012 for 17 high schools and one elementary school.
In July 2010, then-Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines requested that the Office of School Operations and School Management Services explore the options of implementing a District-Wide Early Start Instructional Calendar for all single-track schools for the 2011-2012 school year.
In December of 2010, the Board of Education approved the adoption of a District-Wide Early Start Instructional Calendar for the 2011-2012 school year for all single-track schools.
In February of 2011, then-Superintendent Cortines and the Board decided to defer for at least one year the implementation of the District-Wide Early Start Instructional Calendar due in large part to the fiscal challenges and massive layoffs then anticipated to be implemented for 2011-2012 because of the uncertainty of State funding.
In September of 2011, Superintendent Deasy requested to once again delay the early start calendar and was voted down by the Board.
In October of 2011, I brought my motion to the Board to delay the early start calendar but was also voted down.
