Petition for a Balanced Calendar in Cobb Schools

I'm in the 6th Grade at Simpson Middle School and I really miss having the Balanced Calendar. It gave our family time to spend together and also gave the students a break from the fast paced schedule that we follow. With all the homework, studying and desire to make good grades, it is really hard for us not to feel exhausted at times. The Balanced Calendar gave us something to look forward to. I hope the Balanced Calendar is approved by the School Board.

Students and parents need it back!!

#72: Guest - Re:

You say that it puts us out of synch with the other regional/national programs.  We were among the last to start school this year.  We were one of only 2 metro area systems to have the crazy winter break.  If we are worried about fitting in with other Georgia school calendars then we need to go back to school at LEAST one week earlier.

We miss you!

We love the Balanced Calendar! It just makes sense to us to have breaks that our family can plan for and enjoy the time together.

What a difference it made when we had it. Wow, I sure would like to see it come back. I hope the School Board will listen to those who elected them in office. Go David Banks! He's the only one that does listen to us. We need to elect him to a higher position. Isn't that what it's all about. Political leaders representing those who elected them to office. I don't care what you believe, for it or against it. The fact is the overwhelmingly majority is for the Balanced Calendar!

#74: -

Given that every single time a balanced calendar candidate has run against a traditional calendar candidate (both in primary and general elections) the traditional calendar candidate has won - I think the board has been listening very specifically to the people who elected them.

#68: @59 - Re:

At the risk of just sounding like sour grapes:  You're right - you won and they lost.  Just like in the school yard.

#81: Believer in the Majority Rules! - Love that Balanced Calendar

David Bank's for higher office!  That's the dumbest thing I've heard in a lonnnnng time.

This week the board elected a new chair and vice chair - while Bank's is a senior member of the board, his name was never brought forward for consideration for either role by ANY board member.  They sit around him and hear his stupidity and are far more comfortable voting for more intelligent members.

#83: - Re: Re:

You are correct:

Sour Grapes

#82: Guest - Re:

Service is not merely about listening to the people who cast votes for you. The students don't cast a vote, but they sure are directly affected by Board decisions.

 

#78: - Re: Re:

The four largest districts and their start dates:

dekalb - 8/15
gwinnet - 8/8
fulton - 8/15
cobb - 8/15

Please know what you are talking about before babbling

#86: - Re: Re:

Sooooo, since the students don't vote - their parents do, and.....

100% of the time when given a choice, the parents who represent the best interests of their non-voting children have through majority vote elected:

People who do not support the balanced calendar

#87: Guest - Re: Re: Re:

"

The four largest districts and their start dates:

dekalb - 8/15
gwinnet - 8/8
fulton - 8/15
cobb - 8/15

Please know what you are talking about before babbling"

 

I was actually going off of the 2011 - 2012 calendar for my response and here you can see that we were among the last in the STATE to start:

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/local_news/back-to-school-start-dates-20110726-es

We started on the same day as Fulton.  Only Habersham and Polk started after us.  Every other district in the entire state started before Cobb County this year.

 

As for voting... well, only 3 of 7 board members were voted into office in 2010.  Yes, 2 of those elected ran partly on a platform for the traditional calendar.  The 3rd doesn't seem to have mentioned it on his facebook page (which he regularly updated at the time) or in any of the newspaper interviews I have been able to find.  So you can only say that TWO of them were elected on that.  But they also ran on other platforms, including listening to the public.  Maybe, just maybe, people voted for them NOT because of their stance on the calendar; but because they said they were going to listen to the public?

For me, I generally vote Repbulican; but I am strongly pro-choice.  So my vote for a conservative candidate does NOT equal me wanting that candidate to overturn Roe v Wade.  Instead, I write to them and tell them that I am going to vote for them for X, Y and Z reasons; BUT that I do not support them pushing to overturn Roe v Wade.  Many people wrote to the  board members and told them that they voted for them because of their stance on listening to the public, not because of their stance on the calendar issue.

#89: - Re: Re: Re: Re:

And actually, I don't know where you got your information.  It was incorrect for the 2011 - 2012 school year and it is wrong for the 2012 - 2013 year too.  Dekalb will start 2012 - 2013 on August 13 (http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/calendar/ataglance12.html), Gwinett will start on August 6 (http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/gcps-mainweb01.nsf/9B864844ACC9811F8525792F007FD182/$file/GCPS_Calendar_2012-2013.pdf), Fulton will start August 13 (http://www.boarddocs.com/ga/fcss/Board.nsf/files/8N2L745438C6/$file/Staff%20Recommendation%20Calendar%202012-2013%20101811.pdf) and Cobb starts August 13 (http://www.cobbk12.org/generalinfo/calendars/2012-13/2012-2013SchoolYearCalendar_0211.pdf).

 

So, really, you should make sure YOU know what you are talking about before accusing other peole of babbling.

Let's improve the quality for the future of our kids.

#36: PArent of 6th and 10th graders (and college freshman) - AGAINST; where is the petition for THAT?

Someone was talking about budget concerns.  Did you know Cobb County saved over 1.2 Million dollars because they didn't have to hire Substitutes.  I saw the figures.  That seems to be a lot of money to be poo pooing.

#81: Believer in the Majority Rules! - Love that Balanced Calendar 

 

#93: - Re: Love that Balanced Calendar

My representative was not up for re-election in the last election. The 4 did not speak for me. They decided FOR me and against my wishes and the over 70% of the constituents. Looking forward to this year's election for Ms. Barlett's district. I will support WHOEVER runs against her with money and time and she is not my representative either. And I'm really looking forward to doing that...

Give me a break. Is this the best that parents of Cobb students can do? There are MANY more important issues to rally around. The school year is the school year. If you don't like it your choices are simple. (1) Move, (2) have your child attend private school, (3) vote out your school board representative, (4) suck it up and get a life.

More important issues such as crime, economy, student 'bullying', traffic, environment should be at your forefront, not a school calendar. Too bad little Jimmy's mommy & daddy don't like the school calendar because it cramps their lifestyle.

As adults, you should be using your time and efforts on much more important issues than a school calendar. Try re-grouping this time and effort into something more meaningful and longer lasting than a few days of school. What's worse is that your kids are learning to pick at tiny things that are so minute and skipping the big picture. What a great role model you all are!

#95: Fed up with you people... - Are you kidding???

I agree with that writeup!  There are more important things than a school calendar.

We as teachers think this is the best option for our students to get a set of breaks as well as for ourselves. We've seen it's benefit and think you should listen to the people!

#90: - Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

#89 shows you exactly where he/she got the information, did you even click on the link?  I was watching the start dates as well, and they are correct.  Fulton had the same start date as Cobb, and only 2 counties started after Cobb.  It was even stated that in the post that he/she was only speaking of 2011-2012, NOT 2012-2013.

So YOU need to get your facts correct and actually read the post and the links before you spout incorrect information and respond with information that wasn't even pertaining to the original post.   Also, the person wasn't accusing you of babbling, they were simply copying what you wrote.

#95: Fed up with you people... - Are you kidding???

You are implying that we do not spend our time on other issues.  Maybe we are involved in ALL the aspects that concern education from "bullying" to legislative reform to budget concens, etc.  This is just a piece of the puzzle, but a piece that deserves our attention if we want to improve our schools.  I personally am involved in this and PTSA and school Foundations and all the organizations that improve our schools because I care about the whole picture.

And maybe some of us cannot afford to move or cannot afford to attend private school or did not have a Board Member up for vote last election.  And sorry to disappoint you, but we have a life.  Our life is helping our children, our schools and our community.   And I'm proud to show my children how one voice can make a difference.

#99: - Re: Are you kidding??? 

 Because those ski weeks in February are oh-so-groovy . . .