Do you think metro Atlanta kids are heading back to school too early? What happened to summer vacation?

I voted yes but the poll didn't have my first choice which is to keep the length of the summer break the same but stop rotating it back to earlier in the year. The CSD August 1 start date is way too early. What's next? Start right after the 4th of July?! I wish the entire Southeast would slowly modify their summer breaks, moving them in the opposite direction--forward by a week per year, until finally they were consistent with the rest of the country, finishing up in mid-June and starting around Labor Day.

Yeah, you know, I don't really care because all my kids and grandkids are grown; however, and I know CSD doesn't really have many discipline problems (I don't hear about 'em anyway) but all this tweaking that's been done with public schools in the last forty years has done something and folks, we have a problem and we'd better get it straightened out quickly. My opinion is....."school should not start until the day after Labor Day".......pfffftttttt!!!!!

Wednesday after Labor Day. Always know when you go back. No guessing, no shifting, no forgetting. Oh, we teachers would also like to not have to go back for planning in JULY. Its ridiculous (almost as ridiculous as DHS graduation ceremonies on Memorial Day weeken which makes family travel a giant pain). I though I would get all of July and all of August with my kids every year plus week before and after. I stopped working during planning week June 1st and go back July 25 for planning. Sept to June people. Our own kids need summer and so do our students. We all had off this long growing up and whether 7 weeks or 2 1/2 months (heck, the kids forget everything over Christmas break), summer is part of being a kid. And getting them back in the groove is part of being a teacher and a parent, who should be working with kids all year long. Everything is a learning opportunity and summer is a great time to use all that info learned all year and apply it all summer. All meaning more than 7-8 weeks. Let kids be kids and let them have fun - healthy balance makes for healthy, balanced adults. Our kids are so worried about achievement that they dont know what they like or who they are. Its OK to lay off for the summer. If parents can't deal with having kids home, sorry. It is a job you chose and you need to do it well (yes I have kids).

Well, we've been in this schedule for two years now. While I like the cheaper rates at the beach in September, this schedule has definitely been a detriment to learning. Our children are always in "vacation brain" mode. They either just got back from vacation or they are about to go on vacation. It is difficult to keep them focused. I can't imagine what it would be like for a kid with a learning disability... My friends who have a child with Asberger's say it's a nightmare.

I think this calendar works well for families with a stay at home parent and extra money for vacations, particularly if their kids are solid learners and can tolerate the on again/off again nature of the calendar. It is less than ideal for everyone else though.

The thing I don't get is that I have yet to speak to a teacher who likes this calendar... and I think the balanced calendar was adopted because teachers supposedly wanted it. Maybe we just aren't plugged into the right teachers or maybe after living with it for a couple of years, they have decided that the constant learning disruption isn't worth it. I'd like to see the calendar committee look at test scores and conduct a teacher and parent poll (one that is detailed enough to be meaningful) and revisit the calendar issue soon.

South Carolina state law makers put an end to this nonsense. By state law, schools are not allowed to start before the the third Monday in August. Tourism (summer jobs) were being affected at the beach.