Public School should start After Labor Day and end by mid June

I think all parents share the concerns outlined here. But I am not calling for a shortening of the school year. The 180 days required by law would of course be preserved but the time between those active days of learning would be condensed. Let's look closely at the first two weeks of school. If kids begin prior to labor day their schedule looks something like this: kids come in for one and a half days (traditionally Wednesday is a half day and Thursday is a whole day with Friday being off); then come in for three and a half days (Monday is of course off with usually a half day at least on Tuesday with full days for most age kids on Wednesday-Friday). Then their third week of school is probably a full five days depending on when Jewish holidays fall. We will just leave it at five for easy math! Total days of school for first three weeks equals 10 days with two weekends-including one long four day weekend off between. Now let's look at a school that starts the Wednesday after Labor Day. Three full days usually with possibly a half day for little ones on the first day (kindergarten) are then followed by the full week of what would be their second week of school. Total days: 8. With only one weekend off between. Arguably dusting the cobwebs out of brains over three weeks with chopped up school days versus the same dusting over two weeks without the choppiness equals out the learning! So the difference comes down again to families having to absorb the anxiety, the nitty gritty details (make sure you have all the right colored folders and supplies and no smell dry erase pens etc) sooner than the families at the school that starts after Labor Day. To me the fears you outlined above are more likely beginning to be played out in the Pre Labor day scenario. Now let's look at the total year. To come to 180 days with 5 snowdays built in for those of us who get lots of snow requires schools to go to at least mid June. Why then do so many schools now go until the end of June? One of the culprits is "in service days". These are days off for the kids-usually mid week-Tuesday or Thursday seems popular in my town. These are days that the teachers all meet across the district for teacher training. These are also days when parents who work (most of us) are scramblling for childcare options; when older kids are saddled with lots of homework (that will require checking by parents when they return from work); and days that are completely unaccountable to taxpayers, parents and kids. What do these district wide meetings really do? what is the impact on our kids education? what lessons, speakers, workshops are these teachers doing? My district is fairly transparent and yet these in service days are a total mystery to us all. I will add that many teachers through the year are also pulled into team in service days where they have a substitute in the classroom. I contend that having so many in-service days is a time waster-surely their content can be condensed, time can be found that does not require canceling school four or five times a year. Taxpayers, students and parents would be much happier if teachers are in the classroom consistently teaching their children as they should be doing. School is our kids' work-just like we want to be efficient and excellent at our work, our kids want the same thing. Having the year dragged out, with arbitrary days off, early choppy starts and a finish line that is literally baking in the summer sun is turning their work into misery. A tighter school year-one that preserves summer- results in more relaxed families, happier and more well rounded kids, happier teachers and an overall improvement in the mental ability and health of our kids.