This is the reply I received (as well as other's I talked to) from Robert Jordan.
"Thanks for your e-mail. Please note that your opinion does matter and a decision to extend the school year will not be made without public discussion. This board has not made a final decision and our procedures do not allow us to make these decisions without having public discussions. This extension did come up in a board workshop and is being considered as a goal to ensure our children will be able to compete in the global arena. I do however concede that we are in an economic crisis and with proper consideration do not believe that this suggestion will become reality. There is a great deal of work to be done before administration presents us with any kind of plan to get us to an extended school year and yes one of the considerations will be the budget. This goal has not been accepted by the board and will be discussed tonight. The wording will be changed to have administration to “examine/identify global standards, including additional instructional time, to increase student achievement/worldwide competitiveness”
Next year’s budget will be millions less than this year and we will be struggling to keep all our employees employed and our children well educated. This board is determined to keep our reputation of being first in Florida for educating our children well and I’m sure you would want us to look under every rock to see how we can better educate your child no matter how controversial. To do anything else would be wrong. Your opinion certainly counts but remember there are other parents who thinks it’s a great idea, with both sides being listened to, we then will cast our vote probably next year on rather we want to actually do this but as I previously said, I don’t believe this will happen not with the existing wording.
Thanks again for your e-mail."
The reply from Amy /Knessey:
"Thank you for sharing with me your concerns. What was left out of the newspaper was the idea of exploring alternative calendars. This means the same 180 days spread out maybe over 11 months instead of nine. This would allow families more flexibility to travel at other times than the usual holiday time. Adding school days is only one of the suggestions. With the budget crisis, this obviously is not something we can afford to do right now. Our goal is to explore the possibilities. This item is part of our strategic plan which we hope to adopt tonight."
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3 comments:
I wonder what Ms. Kneessy means by "the same 180 days spread out maybe over 11 months instead of nine" -- how does that allow families to have more flexibility to travel? This sort of sounds like year round school... Or could this be something similar to what my jr high school did when I was that age? Where school was open year round... you went for 9 months, but you got to decide which quarter was your 'summer'. I had a friend that every winter they went to Switzerland to go skiing... so their 'summer' was from January to April.
This is an e-mail from a fellow parent, (okay'd to share)
I e-mailed them. Ms Kershaw thanked me for my opinion (I am dead set against it) and she said it is on their strategy plan for increasing the kids' school year by 5% starting in 2016.
I think they are hoping because it is so far away that most of us will not fight it because our kids may not be in school then.
What they are really trying to do is one step towards "Globalization or One World" because they compare our school year to the rest of the worlds' school year. Well if they still had prayer in school (legally) and took explicit sex classes out - perhaps our students would be doing as well as they used to before they changed these things......
I will think and pray on it tonight and e-mail everyone tomorrow.
Maybe I was too harsh with Mr Jordan - I am finding it hard to deal with him as my school board rep (with his decisions I vehemently oppose) and as a member of my church....This I know is going to be a growing experience for me.....
Please pray for me..... I am a woman of passion.....Passion for the love of my God, my husband, children and family and of our great country!!!! I just cannot stand the fact that a lot politicians will listen to us, agree with us, pray with us .... and then the second they get into office they pursue their own agenda to line their own pockets! I feel it is my right and obligation to fight for what is right by way of prayer to our Almighty God and do whatever is earthly possible as a (law abiding) citizen of the U.S.A., not only for my rights but for the rights of my children and theirs yet to come.
Anyway I hope I didn't come on too strong.... Don't wanna scare ya....... I just can't help but feel that America is being attacked on every level from every angle by those who oppose God. These are crucial times for us to be alert in prayer and action as Christians.
God bless,
MBC
Another e-mail suggested to share...
Dear Mr Jordan,
I do not think we should be basing our chilrden's educational goals on "global standards". This wreaks of "Globalization or One World" kind of thinking and I, as an American and daughter (grandaughter) of men who have fought and died for this country (in every generation) dating all the way back to the Colonial days, am very opposed to it! There is a reason why we left Europe and founded this country. One of them was to be a separate nation and not be under their control. If we submit ourselves to their "global standards" now, we are taking a huge step backwards for everything our forefathers fought for. To forsake them and their God- inspired cause on any level, in my humble opinion, is to forsake not only America, but GOD Himself.
I believe time would be better spent by the school board going back to a time in our history when our children were exceeding all other nations in regards to their education - Identify what was being taught then and what was not - What methods were being used and what was not - When teen pregnancies and std's were not at an all time high and why they are now - when our US History books were not being changed by left-wing liberals like they are now, etc......
I did hear back from another school board member that one theory is: to keep the 180 day school year - but to space it out more evenly through the year. Now this idea I like because:
1. Over long summer vacations a lot of children simply forget what they learned the year before which leads to more time and money being spent re-educating those children.
2. As a parent and consumer I was furious when the Travel Industry lobbied our State government to change when our kids attended school to accommodate their seasonal/non-seasonal price system. With the sole purpose to dictate when we would travel with our families on vacations and to ensure at what price level we would do this. AND THEY WON! The school starting and ending date was changed and we are no longer able to take a vacation before Memorial Day (which as we all know is the beginning of higher travel/hotel pricing).
3. By keeping the same 180 day schedule but spacing it out more evenly through the year - it will not increase the current required funds/taxes that are currently needed now.
So regardless of the wording or year (2008, 2016, 2020, etc.) these are my views and opinions by which I stand.
MBC
God Bless America
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