School Board Pushes Back Pre-Labor Day Start to 2014
Classes will start on Sept. 3 in 2013, but will begin prior to Labor Day—on Aug. 25—in 2014.
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Classes at Edina Public Schools will not begin until after Labor Day, at least for the coming school year.
The Board of Education unanimously approved revised academic calendars for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years, tweaking those reviewed earlier this month. While classes will be pushed back to Sept. 3 in 2013, the school year will still start prior to Labor Day—on Aug. 25—in 2014.
"At the end of the day, the administration is making this change," Superintendent Ric Dressen said. "There's no perfect calendar and there's no one reason for why this recommendation is being made tonight. It was input, listening and gathering data that helped bring this recommendation to the board."
Dressen said the district spoke with representatives from all walks of life—students, legislators, the tourism industry and legal counsel, to name a few—before ultimately landing on the final decision.
"In the end, I think the best decision for Edina Public Schools is to move the start time for the 2013-2014 school year to Sept. 3," he said. "I think it's the right thing for students and it's allowed by law as we do have construction projects."
Minnesota law technically prohibits starting school before Labor Day, though a provision in state statues makes it possible for districts with more than $400,000 worth of construction to start earlier. Because Edina's 10-year alternative facilities plan includes approximately $10 million in planned building infrastructure upgrades, the district easily meets that threshold.
A substantial number of concerned parents once again spoke before the School Board about the push to start the school year prior to Labor Day, echoing sentiments raised the first time the calendars were up for approval.
Laurel Fishbach presented Board members with a petition reportedly signed by 385 district residents, urging the district to provide some hard data as to why the earlier start to classes would be beneficial to students.
"We need to know if we're going to give up a week of summer that it's really going to make a difference for getting into college and being a better learner," Fishbach said. "If the teachers need those days, every one of us are willing to give them up at Christmas, Thanksgiving and around President's Day. Please let everyone enjoy the month of August."
Board Member Sarah Patzloff said it "has not been an easy issue for the board."
"I feel strongly this isn't a state decision, it's a local school district decision," Patzloff said.
Patzloff went on to say she's glad the district will be waiting another year before switching to the pre-Labor Day start, as she can understand where parents are coming from on the issue.
"That's something that I think the Board has decided is a good thing," she said. "We'll move forward with this in 2014, but work with the Legislature to try to figure out how to have this discussion at the local level."
Lost in the uproar over the pre-Labor Day start was the inclusion of four early release and late start dates in the calendars. Those dates are designed to provide teachers with additional time to analyze student achievement data, collaborate with colleagues and align their instruction for maximum student achievement, according to the proposal.
Randy Smasal, Edina's director of teaching & learning, said building those times into the school year ensures teachers would have time to work together on best practices.
"It's critical teachers have opportunities to get together and meet," Smasal said. "The challenge is that they don't have frequent common time to collaborate on student data. This offers more opportunities for teachers to collaborate for the betterment of students."
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Mike B.
11:09 am on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The Edina School District has ignored state law mandating post-Labor Day school starts.
Edina parents and their children should refuse to attend classes beginning before Labor Day. When the school district see that the majority of the schoolchildren are missing from class, their original misguided decision will be changed.
It's amazing that the Edina School board believes it has the authority to subvert state law.
Carl Keister
1:11 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
I always believed Edina was most progressive when it came to school issues, ie: later morning start for high school students, early release and late start dates for teachers to have more effective planning time. However, cutting an already short summer (we DO live in Minnesota, not Kansas) does not make sense. Trim a day here or there during school year vacations, folks. My three children are out of school now...a post Labor Day start was a most valuable (for families and students) and appreciated start date.
Elizabeth Bellas
1:48 pm on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
I realize I may be in the minority, but personally, I love the idea of ending school in May. I much prefer an earlier start to the summer. In addition, our kids will not have to go to school until mid-June when Labor Day falls on September 6 or 7.
Carl Keister
1:40 pm on Thursday, January 31, 2013
Would the students be out before Memorial Day? Last days of school in June usually are filled with yet one more class party, movies, and other activities as NO concrete teaching is being done (nor are students tuned in to learning anything new at that point) so wrap it up. Perhaps ending early IS a better use of everyone's time. Oh ya, the Edina Pool use to be open until Labor Day but no longer....college students/staff are gone by August 22nd or so....may as well send our kids back to school then too. : )
Todd D
9:21 am on Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The proposed changes would not make summer break any shorter, it would just start earlier. I have yet to hear one legitimate reason to not change to an earlier start date. The kids are more tuned in at the beginning of the year and in many cases the last few weeks of school (after testing is done) are a waste. Why not cut out the waste, have more time in class before testing, and start summer break earlier?
Carl Keister
1:44 pm on Thursday, January 31, 2013
HI Todd, I liked your comment/observation about the kids being more in tuned at the beginning of the year. Just know that no matter WHEN the "end of the year" is, they will always be "checking out" as they end of year approaches. I know we all were! Also, perhaps the kids would better prepare for finals if they were given before they took off for Memorial Day. Hmmmm, I may be changing my position. Thanks for the thoughts.
mary kosters
10:52 am on Wednesday, January 30, 2013
How about not letting "college board" run your school. We teach to the AP test, now we are making our calendar year to the AP testing, etc. If this is so easy to do-why not fire the administration...who needs them...?
Realizing that after the May AP testing the teachers are "done"--why not manage the group that your are in charge of and make sure that items like accomplishing a research paper prior to graduating for ALL the students. This May Term business needs to be managed by the teachers -not some secondary group of overhead.
TEACH our children like we have hired you to do. Testing and collegeboard DO NOT run the world....or do they? Or that is right--funding.........THis has NOTHING to do with vacation and the tourist industry---this has EVERYTHING to do with managing the classroom, what is taught in it, and holding EVERYONE accountable to an educated student--Not just a test score...
Todd D
11:19 am on Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Unfortunately education has a mandate to focus on test scores or else school districts risk being put on the "list" or not stacking up as well compared to others. In no way am I fan of teaching to the test or focusing solely on test scores, but those lessons can and should be incorporated into the curriculum by teachers/schools. We have some very talented, highly qualified teachers that are doing excellent work as well as some that are just there collecting a paycheck. Just like any other profession in the public or private sector. Unfortunately tenure is one reason many of the sub-par teachers are able to continue year after year without being held to a higher standard. It is not an easy job and you have to have a certain personality/skill set to be very effective. We can all remember the good teachers we've had and the difference they were able to make. Lastly, to Mary's point, I do think way too much money and resources are going to administration rather than to those in the classrooms.
kmg
9:43 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
So we lose the last week of summer....it's not the end of your family life. As much as I don't like to see school start a week earlier, it is also not that big of issue. You get that week back at the beginning of the next summer. The first week of June is Summer! Your really not losing anything. Can't that week be made into valuable family time as well? Is the last week of August the only time you consider family time? I consider the Winter break and Spring Break family time that I don't want shorten. To support pulling kids the first week of school when it starts in August is a terrible way to start your child's school year. I think you can come up with a better way to build quality family time in your life than using only the last week of August. Grow up!
andrea b
9:57 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
Dressen said the district spoke with representatives from all walks of life—students, legislators, the tourism industry and legal counsel, to name a few—before ultimately landing on the final decision. Quote from the Patch article from Ric Dressen - wait, my student didn't get asked, I, nor other parents got asked but legislators, the tourism industry and legal counsel did? Wow, way to ask who really matters in this decision. Ah, here's the answer to that question "At the end of the day, the administration is making this change," Superintendent Ric Dressen said
Dale Sandahl
9:18 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Good leadership does solicit input from several sources, not all sources. It's not possible to talk to every student, every parent and every person who has an opinion. It sounds to me like Mr. Dressen has weighed the information, made a compromise by the 2013 start date and is making on of those decisions that will make some people happy and some people angry. Time to move on. Good leadership!
mary kosters
10:41 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
Like I said--"they ALL have to go"-------
Holding these "employees" accountable ---what were the names of the legistators,
who were the tourist companies,when did this all happen?? VERY simple questions
that should have simply and direct answers. But it seems that asking questions at this point is somehow asking to much from the very people that work for us..
It appears to me that this calendar change came about only after the discussion about when graduation would be held. The fact the commencement gets
pushed out to mid June is the real issue--not family vacations. The administration simply wants the High school to end right after AP testing, get the seniors graduated prior to Memorial Day ----and leave the building...This is the heart of the matter....