This week I found out my school district is looking to start school a week earlier, before Labor Day. To those outside the state of Virginia, you may be thinking why do they start so late? Two words: Kings Dominion.
The Virginia General Assembly voted in 1986 to rein in districts that were starting early and restricted school boards from scheduling the first day of instruction before Labor Day. Virginia educators began to refer to this as the "Kings Dominion law," since its strongest backers were leaders in the tourist industries (mainly Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens Williamsburg) who wanted families to vacation through August and early September. Not to mention they would lose high school age employees if schools started a week earlier.
Under Virginia law, school districts that want to open before Labor Day need a special waiver from the state Department of Education. Those that receive the waiver are often due to reports of bad weather and multiple school closings. My school district is looking into applying for this waiver for the next school year. They have applied before and been denied, but there seemed to be some hope it would go through this time. Our new school board member asked us to send her our comments on the issue.
What all of this background information boils down to is: I don't really know how I feel about this. On the one hand, I was raised in the Virginia school system and don't know anything different. It wouldn't bother me whichever way it worked out; it would either be a something different or what I've always had.
However, on the other hand, there are advantages to starting early. The most important is it gives teachers a few extra days in the classroom before the Standards of Learning (SOL's) and Advanced Placement (AP) exams take place. Not to mention we would get out of school a week earlier. Anyone up for not graduating on June 18th? (Like I did.) I do realize that if this happens, I will lose a week of summer vacation the first year it's enacted, but there are upsides and downsides to everything. Of course, there was also talk that we may not get out earlier and instead extend the school year by a week.
If you were in my position, how would you feel? Is this a good or bad thing? Check out these resources and then leave a comment below!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/valeg/vaschools0111.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11932-2004Oct6.html
http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/wb/173633
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