LAUSD Proposes Starting School Year Earlier551

UPDATE Feb 1, 2011:
The Los Angeles Unified School District has officially changed its plans once again. The district announced a policy reversal today and is no longer changing the academic year calendar for the 2011-2012 school year. The new start date has not yet been announced, but it will not be August 15, 2011. This is apparently in response to pressure by the teachers' union and to the governor's proposal of a special election in June asking voters' approval of a tax extension to fund schools. LAUSD feels that until the outcome of this election is known, no plans can be made. Therefore, the new early start plan is postponed until August 2012.

LAUSD's rationale for an earlier start date, as explained on its website, is that beginning the school year earlier will allow students more days of instruction before taking the state's standardized tests in May - thus improving test scores districtwide. The early June 1 finishing date is intended to allow families more time to find summer camp programs.

Parents' groups that protested the change point to the higher cost of air conditioning schools in August, the difficulty of finding summer camps that begin on June 1, and state regulations that require schools to administer standardized tests 85% of the way through the academic year - no matter when the year begins and ends.

Comments can be emailed to Zsuzsanna.vincze@lausd.net.

LAUSD Board members' email addresses are available on the school board's website.

Note that in February 2011, the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) announced its own plan to begin the school year in August as of the 2011/12 school year.

How will starting the school year in mid-August affect your family? Share your thoughts below!