BISD BOARD ADOPTS 2016-2017 SCHOOL CALENDAR
The Brenham School Board formally adopted the school calendar for next year at last night’s (Wednesday) meeting. The calendar has the first day of school on August 22nd and the last day on June 2nd, with graduation on June 3rd. Students would have the full week off for Thanksgiving, and 11 days off for the winter break. The district had more flexibility with the calendar thanks to House Bill 2610 which changes the required number of days to required minutes for the school year. A committee made up of parents, teachers, district staff, and community stakeholders worked out the specifics of the calendar. The new calendar is available here: 2016-2017 Instructional Calendar
The board also approved without discussion the Superintendent’s recommendation for a reduction in positions in the school district. According to Superintendent Walter Jackson, a mid-semester retirement could mean the consolidation of some positions and responsibilities, which Jackson says would results in a slight reorganization and would save tax-payer dollars.
The board also approved a grant application to Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative. The grant would provide funds to erect a metal roof over the existing batting cages located at Brenham High School. If granted, the 10 percent in matching funds would be provided by the Alumni Association, so that district funds would not be needed for the project.
I agree with workingparent. They need to think of the parents that cannot afford extra daycare or parents that do not have that flexibility. In this current situation with so many layoffs, I can see why someone would not want to take extra time off.
They keep making it harder on working parents, who are already financially stressed, to find care for their children on all these school holidays and early dismissals. Last year they had a total of 30 days off or early dismissal. Most working parents don’t get this much time off and employers are not happy with them asking for extra time off. New employment is not easy to find!
Our public schools sole function is to educate children in the most efficient and effective way possible, it is not their role to be your babysitter. Once again we see the ENTITLEMENT mentality that the government and other taxpayers owe them something, in this case childcare.
How is having our childrens education constantly interupted more efficient and effective? We pay almost $3000 a year in property tax plus the extra for child care or lost time at work. The only thing I feel ENTITLED to IS EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT education.
There are numerous studies that show that students learn better with certain rest breaks built into their schedule. Also, it is less costly to operate a school for a few minutes longer a day for less days, than to have short school days but longer school years. The cost of heating and cooling, hourly employee pay, school buses etc. make it more efficient to have a slightly longer day than have more days on the calendar. I have a child in public education and a spouse that works for BISD so I am very familiar with the system. I also see the unrealistic demands that parents place on the school to be more than just a place where kids learn. The school is now responsible to pay for and feed in excess of 60% of the students through the free and reduced lunch program, the school most somehow maintain discipline even though there is no support or attempt to teach good behavior on the part of many parents, the schools most educate every child to the same standard despite the varying ability to learn, and the list goes on. Now we also have to pay to babysit your kids because the schools schedule does not work for you, sorry, but that is the very definition of entitlement.
This is my last post on this subject. Angry Taxpayers post explains a lot. My disciplined childrens education also suffers from the distraction caused by undisciplined children because teachers hands are tied. I also have friends and relatives who work for the school system. Are teachers jobs threatened by lay offs and pay cuts? Short story – every day my job has the threat of employees being layed off. Our hours have already been cut. The employees who have issues with having to take extra time off will probably be the first to go. When I loose my job and am unable to pay property tax and living exspenses, guess what? Angry Taxpayer is going to be angrier because his taxes will have to go up to pay for more government assistance. I’m sorry AT doesn’t realize we are on the same side and put the responsiblity for the problems where it belongs – GOVERNMENT! I am not only a “workingparent”, I too am an” Angry Taxparer”.
ENTITLEMENT mentality!! Really?? Obviously you do not have a child or two in public education or else you have a job that lets you take off any and every time you need off. I have to agree that there is more and more time off for these students and the strain it puts on parents and their work schedule is crazy. I, myself am fortunate enough to have my mother retired and she could keep my son. Others do not. Why do they need a week off at Thanksgiving? I don’t get a week off and would have to use my vacation time for that. And then there is the early dismissal days….I can understand that sometimes but not all the time and at such odd times. It does make it hard on the working parents!
WORKING TEACHERS WHO ARE PARENTS ALSO
I don’t believe people understand all the hours teachers put in. They don’t just work an 8:00 – 5:00 job. There are several after school activities throughout the year teachers are required to put together and work. They are required to continue their education through the summer months. They work through their evenings grading papers, entering grades, putting lessons together. There is so much they do its truly amazing. I wish people could come spend a month or more at a school, because you just can see all that they do in one day.
Oh I know how much teachers do and also the administrative staff (who make way less than the teachers). I am not saying that there should be no time off, what I am saying is that the schedule also needs to take into consideration the parents that work outside the home, at jobs that really do not care if you have a place for your child to go…….as I stated above, I am very lucky to have my mom help me out, others are not as fortunate. I also have a job that allows me time off when needed-I used not be able to do that. Surely the teachers knew the time and effort and extra learning that goes into being a teacher when they decided to do this for a living.
I volunteer and as a volunteer, I am out at all hours, day and night, rain or shine doing what I volunteered for. I also have to take classes in my spare time to learn all that I can for my volunteer “job”. I chose to do this and it is a sacrifice that I have made and have come to terms with the fact that I do it with no recognition or pat on the back and definitely no salary! All jobs have difficulties we have to face. I have up to 10 hrs of classes that are required for my job, and they have almost nothing to do with what I do every day. they are just required!