State Budget Woes Could Lead to Shorter School Year

we don't need 5 days of school

i dont think we need 5 days of school i mean wat is the point of it it's crazy not everybody wont 2 go 2 school also it takes up 2 much time on fridays when we could be having fun instead of having 2 go 2 school 5 days of the week...............

Adding 20 extra school days

If you are against Governor Ted Strickland's plan to add 20 extra school days to the school year, please sign my petition! THANKS!!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ohio-governor-ted-strickland-trying-to-add-20-extra-days-to-the-school-year

the value of the arts

I'm a firm believer in the arts. Many students are left behind because they are not given the opportunity to experience the arts. Consequently, his or her performance in school is less than they are capable of. If a child is not going to perform at their potential why not cut out five days to allow them the opportunity to take part in the arts and thus demonstrate more success in other disciplines.

Could it have SOMETHING to do with...

Could the budget woes have anything to do with the incredibly high number of illegal immigrant's children that attend the schools? Or the many people living strictly off of welfare and not paying taxes. It's simple math; there is too much being spent and not nearly enough coming in. By all these people NOT PAYING TAXES, yet using the school systems, what did every one thing was going to happen?!

This is so frustrating to me; my husband works very hard to support our family, the more he makes, the more he pays in taxes. Yet, our children are the ones that have to suffer because so many people are just leaches on the system. This state is such a joke...

education

Schools can be year round and it will not change the achievement gap among students. Students need to attend school regularly,study,pay attention in class,and do their homework in order to achieve. Parents need to be the caring adults that children need by setting boundaries, spend quality time with their kids, turn off the tv, and hold their kids accountable for their work and behavior. There is no secret to this, You don't put time and effort into your studies you won't learn anything. No one is going to become a scholar by wasting $50,000 a year to go to University only to fool around in class and not study. Yet it seems that that's what some believe will magically happen if students warm a seat in a classroom for x amount of time regardless if they ever pick up a book yo read.

Shorten school by 5 days

I am a parent of one middle schooler and one high schooler. Having been a big volunteer during their elementary days and seeing the teachers' sides and the parents' sides on many issues, 5 less days makes absolutely no difference in elementary schools. Since that is where the students learn basic reading, writing, and math, you would think this is the most important place NOT to cut 5 days.

Here is what happens in MOST elementary schools on the last 5 days of school: Awards Assemblies, All-day Field Trips, Pizza Parties, Field Day, Graduations, Buddy Days, etc. The volunteers and the teachers are exhausted after this week, so why not just cut these 5 days out? This stuff is fun, but definitely not necessary. Not only that, but it costs money, which usually comes from parent donations.

So, although this is aimed mostly at elementary school, I still feel that my kids would not "turn dumb" from 5 less days of school.

schools

I am offended by the question posed in this article: fewer days of school or cuts in areas of music and arts? Those are not our two options. How about the question "should education in this state be cut at all"? What about the question "what kind of long-term financial crisis are we continuing to accumulate by not investing in our children now"? What about "should we disinvest in education, or raise money and invest in it?" Clearly Mike of CA, in his raw and real description of schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, has to agree that the parents of these lost students today might have benefited from a better education themselves, thereby lifting up their own morale and social status, possibly enabling them to care for and encourage educational success in their children. What comes first, societal ills, or access to good education? We simply cannot stand by and let our legislators deny adequate and equal education for all. Our legislators will not divert from an antiquated notion of what they think Californians want for our future (ie, no new taxes), unless they hear your voices there.

I think we need to consider what will happen if we don't cut the school year by five days. The districts will have to make cuts in other places. For example K-3 currently have 20 students in a class; the alternative to five less days of school is 30 students in a class. Ask any teacher, this increase will hurt students education way more then five less days of school. I feel we are in a situation were we need to pick the worse of to eagle and I pick five days less.

schools

Why is it that everytime our budget is in trouble we take money away from the schools? Cut backs, cutbackss, cutbacks. Teachers don't make enough for all they do-especially in LA, and children don;t have enough time to learn all they need to to pass those Standardized tests. Our children's education is important and without the funds to keep the teachers motivated and to provide the music and arts, how do we expect to keep our children interested in learning at all. And you wonder why they are hanging out on the streets doing nothing except maybe causing trouble?

I feel the country should cut back on our participation in the war and the funding of other countries and think of our own.

Can't let this happen

I am an elementary teacher who works at an overseas international school. We cannot let our school year be shortened. After teaching overseas for several years I've realized how our fully developed country off sub par education. 180 school days is already a minimum amount compared to countries in Asia.