Metro Nashville School officials want input from parents on whether or not to adopt a balanced calendar for the 2007-2008 school year; and they’re providing an online survey form to get it.
The balanced calendar option has students attending school in four 9-week sessions, with breaks in the fall, spring and around the winter holidays. The current summer vacation period would be reduced by twelve days to allow the additional breaks; the number of days in the classroom would remain the same.
Metro Schools spokesman Woody McMillan says the School Board is considering the change because other school districts have had good results with the balanced calendar.
One of the primary differences is the reduction in time that kids are out of school. There’s not a big gap there or as long a gap over the summer. There’s also some extended periods throughout the year where students are able to be out of the classrooms, breaks that seems to improve attendance, helps with discipline, helps with the learning process.
More information about the balanced calendar is available on the Metro Schools’ website. McMillan says there’s also a one page survey form for parents which the School Board plans to use in making its decision.
The Board before it proceeds any further wants parents to be aware of the balanced calendar, to be familiar with it, and to provide some feedback to us about whether or not they would like that for their child. The board has not made a decision to go with either calendar, they want to gather as much input from parents as possible before they make that decision.
The deadline for submitting the surveys is February 7th. Metro Nashville Public Schools’ website is mnps.org
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