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MISD will have Labor Day off this year
Officials had been wary attendance would fall on Labor Day, costing the district state funds. MISD averages 1,122 absences a day and has more than 21,000 students.
by Ruth Campbell
Midland Reporter-Telegram
Reversal comes after board members and superintendent receive community feedback.
By Ruth Campbell
Staff Writer
Although not inundated with calls and e-mails, Midland ISD administrators have changed their minds about having school on Labor Day.
Instead, students will return one day earlier -- on Jan. 6 instead of Jan. 7 -- from Christmas break. Superintendent Sylvester Perez said he will recommend the change when the school board meets Aug. 12.
Officials had been wary attendance would fall on Labor Day, costing the district state funds. MISD averages 1,122 absences a day and has more than 21,000 students.
The largest number of absences last year was Nov. 20, when 2,214 students did not attend school. This cost the district $31,668.
The top 10 worst attendance days cost MISD a total of $283,301, Assistant Superintendent for Finance David Garcia has said.
The calendar originally was driven by teachers because they felt after summer break they still would be energized after only five days back.
"We solicited input back in the spring. Obviously, we did not get very much," Perez said. "Are we getting input today? Absolutely."
Perez said some school board members received calls and concerns about the holiday being a school day. And he got some e-mails.
"I received some e-mails -- quite frankly not a whole lot of them, but enough to make us revisit the calendar. I received a total of two e-mails today. That's really not getting inundated," Perez said.
"We realize that the parents, the students and the taxpayers are our clients. If there is any way we can -- and could -- accommodate having Labor Day off, we want to do that. Frankly, it would have been easier to do this earlier and I wish we would have received this kind of input last spring.
"Nevertheless, we feel like this is something that is going to be win-win in that we can still have staff development. Although we're cutting off Christmas a day early, I think it's something families will welcome," Perez said.
The state mandates districts cannot start class before the fourth Monday in August.
"It really compressed the calendar and minimized our options," Perez said. "People are passionate about certain days -- Labor Day, Memorial Day, Good Friday, Easter, Easter Monday. All these things are very sensitive, and sometimes very personal, to community and family members," he said.
Perez hopes one less vacation day at Christmas will not be an issue.
He notes all of this is contingent on school board approval.
As a side note, spring break this year is March 16-20 and was changed to conform with the new University Interscholastic League (UIL) athletic district, which includes Amarillo and Lubbock, "because of student travel and instructional time. Those are always factors."
"In any calendar you're going to find some flaws, especially with it being so compressed. I don't know of any school district calendar that's perfect," he said.
Districts in the Region 18 Education Service Center having school on Labor Day include:
Forsan, Grandfalls, Monahans, Presidio, Rankin, Reagan County, San Vicente (in Big Bend National Park), Terlingua, Valentine, Terrell County, Culberson County.
By Ruth Campbell
Staff Writer
Although not inundated with calls and e-mails, Midland ISD administrators have changed their minds about having school on Labor Day.
Instead, students will return one day earlier -- on Jan. 6 instead of Jan. 7 -- from Christmas break. Superintendent Sylvester Perez said he will recommend the change when the school board meets Aug. 12.
Officials had been wary attendance would fall on Labor Day, costing the district state funds. MISD averages 1,122 absences a day and has more than 21,000 students.
The largest number of absences last year was Nov. 20, when 2,214 students did not attend school. This cost the district $31,668.
The top 10 worst attendance days cost MISD a total of $283,301, Assistant Superintendent for Finance David Garcia has said.
The calendar originally was driven by teachers because they felt after summer break they still would be energized after only five days back.
"We solicited input back in the spring. Obviously, we did not get very much," Perez said. "Are we getting input today? Absolutely."
Perez said some school board members received calls and concerns about the holiday being a school day. And he got some e-mails.
"I received some e-mails -- quite frankly not a whole lot of them, but enough to make us revisit the calendar. I received a total of two e-mails today. That's really not getting inundated," Perez said.
"We realize that the parents, the students and the taxpayers are our clients. If there is any way we can -- and could -- accommodate having Labor Day off, we want to do that. Frankly, it would have been easier to do this earlier and I wish we would have received this kind of input last spring.
"Nevertheless, we feel like this is something that is going to be win-win in that we can still have staff development. Although we're cutting off Christmas a day early, I think it's something families will welcome," Perez said.
The state mandates districts cannot start class before the fourth Monday in August.
"It really compressed the calendar and minimized our options," Perez said. "People are passionate about certain days -- Labor Day, Memorial Day, Good Friday, Easter, Easter Monday. All these things are very sensitive, and sometimes very personal, to community and family members," he said.
Perez hopes one less vacation day at Christmas will not be an issue.
He notes all of this is contingent on school board approval.
As a side note, spring break this year is March 16-20 and was changed to conform with the new University Interscholastic League (UIL) athletic district, which includes Amarillo and Lubbock, "because of student travel and instructional time. Those are always factors."
"In any calendar you're going to find some flaws, especially with it being so compressed. I don't know of any school district calendar that's perfect," he said.
Districts in the Region 18 Education Service Center having school on Labor Day include:
Forsan, Grandfalls, Monahans, Presidio, Rankin, Reagan County, San Vicente (in Big Bend National Park), Terlingua, Valentine, Terrell County, Culberson County.
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| Greenwood sets tax rollback election | Eyeing dollars, MISD urges Labor Day attendance |
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of mywesttexas.com.
OTIM wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:18 PM:
" Teacher
We may not be as agrarian as we used to be, but the education system still hasn't progressed past 1950's style teaching techniques . If my daughter did something besides sit and twiddle her thumbs all day long I might agree with you, But until then I believe and practice teaching my kids things that become more important later in life than what MISD provides (Actual skills) and need the time away from schooling to do this.
And yes time spent with my kids as a family traveling and visiting museums, factories, and historical places is more important than time spent in a classroom with disruptive uncontrolled children.
The education systems complains about parents not spending enough time with their children but now you are advocating for taking more time away from parents and giving it to the education system to force their agenda down our children's throat. "
We may not be as agrarian as we used to be, but the education system still hasn't progressed past 1950's style teaching techniques . If my daughter did something besides sit and twiddle her thumbs all day long I might agree with you, But until then I believe and practice teaching my kids things that become more important later in life than what MISD provides (Actual skills) and need the time away from schooling to do this.
And yes time spent with my kids as a family traveling and visiting museums, factories, and historical places is more important than time spent in a classroom with disruptive uncontrolled children.
The education systems complains about parents not spending enough time with their children but now you are advocating for taking more time away from parents and giving it to the education system to force their agenda down our children's throat. "
Loves Summer Vacations wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:38 PM:
" MISD has made a wise choice in reversing their decision to give Labor Day back to the students. We all enjoy our nice long summers for travel and seeing relatives. Starting the 4th Monday in August , instead of starting so early, helps to cherish all the summer that we can. Thanks for changing the calendar MISD. "
teacher wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:50 PM:
" I am unsure of what teachers in our district wanted Labor Day, but as a teacher with small children, working on Labor Day leaves me without Daycare. The daycares around town are all closed on Labor Day. I'm not sure that MLK day is needed off just 2 weeks after Christmas either. I would never have voted for Labor Day, a National holiday, off. "
OTIM wrote on Aug 5, 2008 12:51 PM:
" We may not be as much of an agrarian society as we used to be, but the self proclaimed important education system hasn't progressed past 1950's teaching techniques either. I would rather spend my summers traveling to museums, factories, and historical sites teaching them skills that will be beneficial to them in real life rather than leaving my daughter in a classroom full of undisciplined kids to twiddle her thumbs all day.
The education system complains about parents not spending enough time with their children yet you are advocating for more time away from parents and in school to shove your agenda down their throats. "
The education system complains about parents not spending enough time with their children yet you are advocating for more time away from parents and in school to shove your agenda down their throats. "
Another teacher wrote on Aug 5, 2008 1:48 PM:
" "The calendar originally was driven by teachers because they felt after summer break they still would be energized after only five days back."
When did this happen. I don't remember being given any opportunity this year at all to make recommendations on the proposed calendar as we have in the past. We were just told, "Here's the new calendar.", and then I think it changed once.
It's evident teachers do not have a voice with this administration, but they do get the blame. "
When did this happen. I don't remember being given any opportunity this year at all to make recommendations on the proposed calendar as we have in the past. We were just told, "Here's the new calendar.", and then I think it changed once.
It's evident teachers do not have a voice with this administration, but they do get the blame. "
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Teacher wrote on Aug 5, 2008 7:48 AM: