Gmail - Public Comment -- Policy 2220 "School Calendar"

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=aac6092d67&view=pt&sear...

Rodman Reynolds <biiruwonomu@gmail.com>

Public Comment -- Policy 2220 "School Calendar"

Rodman Reynolds <biiruwonomu@gmail.com> Mon, Aug 20, 2012 at 1:26 PM To: "Russell, Jeff" <jeff.russell@everettsd.org>, "Andrews, Carol" <carol.andrews@everettsd.org>, ed.petersen@everettsd.org, jessica.olson@everettsd.org, pam.lesesne@everettsd.org Dear Everett School Directors, I hope the summer months find you refreshed and rejuvenated for the incipient school year. The purpose of my communication is to comment on Policy 2220, "School Calendar," and submit a proposal for revision. As the summer comes to a (presumed) close, I have heard a fair amount of grumbling among community members about the lack of a definite first stay of school, even though that day must surely be approaching soon. The official district communication on the matter currently says the following:
T he school year calendar is one of the items decided with school staff during contract negotiations. Contract negotiations between the district and Everett Education Association (representing teachers) are underway now. T raditionally, contract negotiations have established the Wednesday after Labor Day as the first day of school for students. However, that traditional start date can be confirmed only when negotiations are finished.

I'm not sure why the "traditional" start date can be confirmed only when negotiations are finished; maybe this is part of the tradition, but as a matter of law it is certainly empowered to the Board to fix a start (and end) date to the regular school year. RCW 28A.330.100(7) states that "[e]very board of directors of a school district of the first class, in addition to the general powers for directors
enumerated in this title, shall have the power... to fix the time for annual opening and closing of schools"

I understand and appreciate that contract negotiations are very tricky and sensitive business and I do not wish to interfere with them in a manner that would negatively impact the district, the unions, or the community at large. At the same time, I believe that fixing a START date for the regular school year cannot possibly have anything but a beneficial -- or at worst, neutral -- impact on the various stakeholders in our district. It should be easy enough to peg the start of school to a specific date, then negotiate the rest of the calendar around that. Board sentiments toward the desirability of a fixed and reliable start date were, in fact, already expressed at the May 27, 2012, regular meeting. Four directors and one student representative are recorded in the minutes having stated a wish to have a set and reliable first day of school. I have attached the relevant excerpt from the minutes of that meeting for your convenience. The relevant district policy controlling the school calendar currently does not exercise the board's power to achieve this simple end; nor as it been revised since 1995. Therefore, in the spirit of policy governance, I am proposing that Policy 2220 be revised to include the following sentence: "The regular school year shall begin on the Wednesday immediately following Labor Day unless an exception is approved by the Board." The specific day stated is my personal preference; it is what the district is used to per tradition, and I'd rather not start a school year just to have a long weekend right away. But I know some board members lean toward starting a bit earlier, and I have no problem with that. Better yet, it might be a good time to conduct a public survey, and see what the community prefers. Obviously it's too late to do anything about the start date for THIS school year, but I think a first reading and discussion of this policy for the Board meeting on the 28th (presumably after the new contract has been adopted) would not be inappropriate. One more thing: in checking the legal references in the policy, I noticed that one of them, WAC 180-16-215, no longer exists:
180-16-215 Minimum one hundred eighty school day year. [Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.150.220(4).

02-18-053, 180-16-215, filed 8/28/02, effective 9/28/02. Statutory Authority: Chapter 28A.630 RCW. 01-24-092, 180-16-215, filed 12/4/01, effective 1/4/02. Statutory Authority: Chapter 28A.630 RCW and 1995 c 208. 95-20-086, 180-16-215, filed 10/4/95, effective 11/4/95. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.01.010, 28A.04.120, 28A.41.130, 28A.41.140, 28A.58.754, 28A.58.758, and 1979 ex.s. c 250. 79-10-033 (Order 10-79), 180-16-215, filed 9/12/79. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.41.130 and 28A.58.754. 78-06-097 (Order 3-78), 180-16-215, filed 6/5/78.] Repealed by 11-24-034, filed 12/1/11, effective 1/1/12.

The 180-day instructional minimum seems to have gone by the wayside and the requirement is now simply 1000 hours. News to me. Regardless of how the Board accepts this proposed revision, the references should, at a minimum, be updated. Well wishes,

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8/21/2012 9:43 AM

Gmail - Public Comment -- Policy 2220 "School Calendar"

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=aac6092d67&view=pt&sear...

Rodman Reynolds

2 attachments Meeting Minutes Excerpt -- 27 MAR 2012.pdf 31K Policy 2220 -- School Calendar (Proposed revision).pdf 69K

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8/21/2012 9:43 AM