DeKalb School Calendar to Stop Summer Brain Drain?

A group of DeKalb County's teachers, principals and parents met Tuesday to develop multiple calendar options for the 2013-14 school year. 

Among the options under consideration is a “balanced calendar” that will reduce the summer break by two weeks and include an additional week of vacation each semester. 

Another possibility is a weekly “early release” to allow for additional professional development for teachers. 

The options this group ultimately agrees upon will be unveiled Sept. 17 and made available for public comment until Sept. 26. Superintendent will then make her recommendation to the DeKalb County Board of Education on Oct. 1. 

The board will vote on a final calendar Oct. 8. 

“The process for creating a comprehensive school calendar requires high levels of flexibility and thoughtfulness,” said Sequoyah Middle Principal Brittany Cunningham. “While scheduling 180 days of instruction, we must also build in nine teacher workdays, accommodate for holidays and adhere to state designated testing dates, and do so in a manner that best suits our students,
employees and greater community.”

Similar calendars have been used by other districts that reduce the amount of time students are away from the classroom and thus prevent “summer brain drain.”

How do you feel about some of these calendar options? Tell us in the comments below.

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