Wednesday, April 10, 2002
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Wednesday, April 10, 2002 |
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Calendar capers: BOE sells pig in a poke By CAL BEVERLY
By the time you read this, the decision will have been made. The Fayette County Board of Education will have approved what I call a modified "balanced" calendar. Actually, the deck is already stacked, no matter what you, the public, think. Here's what the BOE's official web site says about the "balanced" calendar and in bold type, some questions I have about their positions: Why is the Board of Education considering a balanced (Calendar #1) calendar for the system? "The Board of Education believes that a balanced calendar may offer significant benefits for the education of students.We would like parents, the community, and employees to consider the merits of a balanced calendar and to offer their opinions by e-mail." Well, wait a minute. The BOE already has decided that a "balanced" calendar is best. The administrators want it; the teachers want it; the majority of the BOE members want it. The parents and kids and taxpayers can just buckle their seatbelts and shut up: "Balanced" calendar is coming. All the so-called "public input" is just so much window dressing to make a done deal look better. When will the Board of Education make a decision about the 2003-2004 calendar? "A vote by the Board of Education to accept or reject a proposal would occur in March or April 2002." See above. This is just window dressing. The decision has been made. All you can do is smile while you send in your school tax payment. What are some of the benefits of adding a week to the present calendar? "The Board of Education believes that a balanced calendar may offer significant benefits for our students and teachers.These include: Again, see above. There's no decision to be made. The education bureaucracy has already made the royal decision for you. You just get to pay for it. Note the key words: "believe" and "may offer." We're talking about a belief system here, not objective, measurable facts. We're talking about guessing. What a sham. "Remediation Five day breaks could provide an opportunity to offer extra help to students struggling with their schoolwork.The Governor's A+ Education Reform includes funding to provide up to 20 days of additional instruction for our students.These funds could be used to pay teachers for remedial sessions.Students could also attend sessions or camps that would provide enrichment or acceleration. "Could be used." But will they be used for that? "Students could attend ..." But who will pay for that? Right, you, the parents, will. Increased fees or increased taxes either way it won't just show up as an "included benefit" in your education package. And what percentage of students is "struggling"? Where are the statistics? "Stress and Burnout We are in an era of high expectations and accountability for student and teacher performance.Five-day breaks throughout the school year would enable students and teachers to rest, reenergize, and refocus so that they can perform at their best. Where's the research on that conclusion? Don't kids forget stuff the longer they are away from the classroom? Is a 5-day break better for kids' learning retention than three days, or two days? And why isn't the burden of proof on the BOE to demonstrate that these theories have some basis in real-life, researched facts? "Student Achievement The benefits stated above have the potential of improving student achievement.There is no research that promotes the present agrarian calendar as it relates to student achievement." Beware these words: "... have the potential..." Those words show why American education is in such bad shape. Educators are forever implementing untried and unproven methods because it's the latest fad and no one is poorer for their rashness except a generation of our kids. Just ask California parents about bilingual education. Just ask most parents about the "whole language" disaster. We are raising a generation of kids who can't read or reason on the same level as kids did 20, 30 years ago. And don't blame society. Blame educrats. Educrats fall in love with a new fad and experiment on your kids. And by the way, there also is NO research to show that "balanced" calendars improve learning, either. It really should be up to the BOE to make a strong case why a change is needed. Are there other school systems in the United States and in Georgia that are operating on a balanced calendar? "Yes.There are over 2 million students in the United States who are attending a school on some form of a balanced calendar.California, Texas, Arizona, Kentucky, and North Carolina are the states with the largest number of schools using a balanced calendar.In Georgia there are 21 schools using a balanced calendar.Three school systems, Trion City schools, Early County schools, and Seminole County schools have implemented a balanced calendar system wide." Wiser folks than I have said there are lies, damned lies, and statistics. Under the category of the worst offender, it's interesting what this answer did NOT tell you. There are 48.6 million kids enrolled in elementary through high school in the United States, according to the U.S. Census for 2000. So, the "2 million students" attending schools on the "balanced" calendar represent just over 4 percent of all American school kids. That means, for the benefit of our friends at the Fayette BOE, that 96 percent of U.S. school kids are currently getting educated on the "traditional," "agrarian" calendar. Not exactly a rousing plus for the "balanced" crowd. Board members are just plain not being completely honest with their constituents. If anything, the available evidence points in the opposite direction from "balanced" calendars. But, a little something like the facts has never dissuaded educrats before now from launching our kids' educational futures over an untested waterfall. Why should it be any different in Fayette?
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