A Parents Guide

 

Are you unhappy with your school district's current school calendar? Would you like to help influence change? The following tips have been compiled from parents around the nation who have fought the school calendar battle and won. If you need help or have questions, don't hesitate to contact Save Colorado Summers, we are here to help you.

 

STEP ONE - GATHER THE FACTS

• Call the superintendent's office and ask how and when the calendar is decided. Is there a committee and if so, who comprises it, or is the calendar drafted by the administration?
  
• Call your school board representative and ask for their stance on the current calendar.
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STEP TWO - VOCALIZE YOUR VIEWS

• Contact your superintendent and your school board representative outlining your dislike of the current calendar and offer a suggestion for a different calendar.
  
• Offer to serve on the calendar committee and consider including a sample calendar.
  
• Share research with school board members that support your beliefs.
  
• Speak at a school board meeting, letting all school board members and anyone in the audience know you are not happy with the current school calendar and why.
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Reasons might include:

• Shorter summer means less time for the family to be together, for children to be with grandparents, aunts/uncles, or non-custodial parents.
  

• Shorter summer means less time for high school students to maximize summer work experiences and save money for advanced studies. {A study by the Employment Policies Institute found high school students who work during the summer months get higher paying jobs after college than those without high school summer work experience.}
  

• Attendance is normally low, when school starts in early August, as compared to September 1st.
  

• The electric charge per kilowatt-hour is normally much higher during the month of August. Data from the National Climatic Data Center shows it is 9 times more costly to cool our schools in August than May and one and a half times more costly in August verses June. By starting school later we could avoid keeping the air conditioning at student temperatures during the hottest and most expensive time and instead use that money to provide more services to our teachers and students and not let it blow out the window in higher cooling costs.
  

• Numerous one and two day breaks during the school year make finding child care difficult and costly for parents.

• These short breaks also disrupt instruction flow reducing time on task and minimizing instruction the day before each break.

 

STEP THREE - EMPOWER OTHERS

• Distribute flyers with sample calendars and information regarding the negative impact of the early-August school start date. (Use the "Grass Root Printable Forms" on the left side navigation.)
  

• Coordinate a petition drive to help inform the school board of parents' desire for a later school start date. (Use the "Grass Root Printable Forms" on the left side navigation.)
  

• Write a letter to the editor encouraging parents to get involved.
  

• Call the local education reporter at your newspaper and TV stations. Explain to them the efforts of the parents to return to a traditional school year. Share research and the activities of the group.

 

STEP FOUR - SHARE YOUR RESULTS

• Via a public information request, ask for any correspondence received regarding the school calendar. This will enable you to get copies of letters sent to the district of which you were unaware.
  

• Share the results of your petition drive with the superintendent and school board members. Make copies of all petitions and e-mails and send to each member of the school board. Also share your results at the school board meeting before the calendar is set for vote.
  

• Send a summary of your results to the local media. Let them know the community supports a later start date.