The Juneau School District Board of Education will decide today whether or not students will have spring break next year.
Up on the agenda the board is supposed to take action on is approval of the school calendar for the next year. The starkest difference between the two proposed versions featured one with spring break in March, the other without one at all — though the latter option has the school year end a week earlier. The intent behind the proposal to ax spring break from the calendar is because the calendar committee wanted to preserve a full week of instruction prior to the Alaska Standards Based Assessments.
The staff recommendation on the options is for the version that includes spring break.
Some board members in prior discussion on the topic favored a spring break because without it, there is no break for staff and students after the winter holidays.
Others — and some public testimony — also felt that the spring break was more beneficial because of the Gold Medal basketball tournament. Members of the public said when school is in session during Gold Medal, it is highly disruptive and attendance is low because many families make the tournament a family event. It also was questioned whether the event could even occur at all if school was in session.
Part of the reason the staff recommendation favors the spring break option is feedback from staff and that public testimony.
Another larger change in next year’s proposed calendar over this year is that elementary and secondary students will all have no-class days when one or the other has parent-teacher conferences. The way it works this year is if elementary school students have conferences, secondary students typically still have school — and vice versa. The district has received feedback it is too confusing or there is a higher level of absenteeism those days because older students end up watching the younger ones. So next year, it’s proposed to have the non-conference grade levels also have a day off, where staff will have a professional development day.
Also on the agenda is a final reading on the superintendent’s evaluation. At the last regular meeting, the board said it would recommend a year extension of his contract, but with no increase in pay. That recommendation is based solely on the district’s budget deficit, and is not performance related.
The board will also take a first look at revision of a policy that figures indirect cost allocations.
The regular meeting will start at 6:15 p.m. in the Juneau-Douglas High School Library.
The board also will meet at 4:30 p.m. in a work session to hear a presentation on “Equity in the Schools.” Last year the district adopted a new equity policy.
For a full agenda and related documents see: www.juneauschools.org/board/meetings/packets.
• Contact reporter Sarah Day at 523-2279 or at sarah.day@juneauempire.com.
Comments (20)
Add commentno biggie
A spring break with a later summer break or no spring break and an earlier summer break makes no difference in the amount of time our children are receiving instruction.
Getting rid of early release mondays would directly increase the instruction time for our children.
Idea
Getting rid of "advisory" (30 minutes per week) and "enrichment" (60 minutes per week) at the high schools would also increase time for instruction. Ask a high schooler you know what those are. Right around noon on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at a local lunch spot would be a good time because most of them are taking an early lunch rather than attending advisory or enrichment.
Early realease May.
The kids have the same amount of time, but the teachers get an extra week off. Cramming for the standardized tests sounds like a burn out waiting to happen. And during Gold Medal? Yeah, they'll really be focused then. Focused on the fact that an entire nation gets a spring break while they bust their humps to try to bail out a failing school district. JSD wants to get higher ratings but those darn kids keep holding them down. They deserve detention during spring break. We'll slip them the test keys and take off a week early!
Advisory and early release monday
Need to go, don't mess with the spring break. Advisory and early release Mondays are absolutely unnecessary. I have 3 children in high school and they said this is just more room for kids to get into trouble..
Agreed
Early release, advisory & enrichment need to go. They don't appear to help and take away from instructional time.
As far as spring break - I don't care. My kids my decision, if we want to take a family trip we will doesn't matter to me when school is. My kids get top grades and as long as they do I will dictate their time off far more than any school board.
The last week before summer vacation is a freebie anyhow, filled with field trips, picnics, games, etc. So regardless of if it's sooner or later that will not change.
How about fixing the schools
How about fixing the schools so that it is purely academic? Want arts, music, sports, etc? After school classes. While we are at it, keep the 2 weeks a year off, and go to school full time from K to 12 with no summer vacations.
That will have kids graduating between 15 - 16. None of this "forget everything every summer vacation". If the kids want to go to college, then go for it.
Why do we have such a slacker education system!?!?
I don't agree that
I don't agree that advisory/enrichment is unnecessary and doesn't help. My high schooler uses that time to actually DO his schoolwork so that he doesn't have to come home and use up family time doing it. It doesn't really bother me if it goes away - but not every kid is just using it as a way to have an extra long lunch hour.
There are school systems out
There are school systems out there where you actually learn something in school and do not require "homework". Seems kind of backwards.
Sync
Exactly! My son went to the Juneau Community Charter School for 8 years (K-7th) and that's where he learned to do his schoolwork AT SCHOOL. That's why he instinctively uses his advisory/enrichment time to do his schoolwork, so it doesn't have a chance to become homework.....
@Sync: yeah! Why have arts in
@Sync: yeah! Why have arts in school at all? It's high time we do away with the millennia-old tradition of exposing students to various cultural and academic experiences in the hopes of producing well-rounded, curious individuals with the ability to innovate and ambition to do so.
We need to pump their heads full of facts and figures and call it good. Who cares about mamby-pamby art? Art doesn't usually make money, therefore it is useless.
Year-round School
I actually like the idea of school year-round with several two or three week breaks; however, I think music, art, and language are exceptional teaching tools for critical thinking and should not be viewed as unnecessary impediments - there is absolutely no foundation for that view. In fact, there is a great deal of research showing that language, music, and art actually help students do better in other academic areas.
As for sports - in a nation where obesity rates continue to rise - it is equally imperative that kids have many opportunities to be physically active. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that some of the behavioral problems with regard to attention span are offset, if not outright cured, with physical activity as part of the day. Too bad gym is only one or two days a week in most elementary school programs.
I'd like to keep spring break, even though it is a hassle for our family. I think teaching is an incredibly tough job, especially when done right, and everyone needs a break.
Moderation?
Does every comment get moderated now? I didn't include links or bad words ... is it the length that determines moderation? What's the deal?
@PP If you want a
@PP
If you want a conversation ... how about no sarcasm?
@PP
We seem to be doing alright producing "Curious" individuals. How about trying for educated individuals?
Don't forget that right now forty percent of the students in the district will not graduate on time and of those who do manage to graduate, most will not be prepared for freshman level college English and math.
@Sync: who's being sarcastic?
@Sync: who's being sarcastic? I think doing away with all curriculum that doesn't have immediate, tangible value is a GREAT idea. Who cares about self-enrichment, creativity, and culture?
We should also do away with those pesky literature courses. As long as they can read and write, kids don't need to read so-called "stories" and "analyze" them. What a waste.
Jocks:
Let’s do away with those bulling jocks. I believe PP would agree with that.
Who cares?
There is so much going on with the potential for big classes, cutting teachers while keeping all sorts of extra folks who don't even SEE kids... who the heck is going to spend their energy on spring break.
The teachers teach the same number of days anyway.
@spiff
I think its the length of the comment that triggers moderation.
I knew it! size matters
I knew it! size matters
Smoke and Mirrors
Spring break or no spring break...whatever steers the conversation away from cutting from the bottom up and the "slash and burn" contract proposal JSD has exchanged with the teacher's union in negotiations (They won't even post it on their website).