Saturday, March 22, 2008

Board won't consider a modified calendar

2008-2009 calendar to be approved at April meeting

Audry Olmsted El Defensor Chieftain Managing Editor

After reviewing responses from the community about the proposal, Magdalena school board members will not consider a modified calendar for the coming school year. Superintendent Mike Chambers presented the board this week with more responses from a recent survey that was sent out to parents, asking them whether they would be in favor of having a modified calendar. The proposal gave the options of moving to a five-day work-week or having year-round school.

Of 70 parents who were polled, 19 said they were in favor of looking at a modified calendar, and 47 said they were not in favor of the option, four were undecided.

Chambers said there was no hard evidence that changing a school calendar has a significant impact on a student's grades or, that if a child's grade improves, it can be attributed solely to the change.

"You don't make a change like this just to do something different," he said.

The superintendent added that he had received a similar response from his teachers and staff.

According to the responses from parents, those who said they were not in favor of a modified calendar questioned how much it would really help raise students' test scores. Others said their children were doing "fine" in school and should not be punished because some students are not at standard. Parents also expressed concern that summer school activities and vacations, as well as summer jobs would be affected by year-round school.

Parents who said they were in favor of a modified calendar liked the idea of shorter breaks between school sessions, giving students a better chance of retaining the knowledge they learned in school between breaks and that it would help to keep kids out of trouble.

Chambers added that they needed to keep their school schedule similar to other school districts and universities since school districts plan similar activities and some students take college courses.

Board members will approve a 2008-2009 school calendar at its April meeting.

"Those options will most likely be standard of what we've done in the past," Chambers said of the calendars the board will review next month.

aolmsted@dchieftain.com

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