Early School Dismissal - Opinions?

Irishgatorstar · October 2008

Our local school district has started implementing this early dismissal for training thing. Essentially the first wednesday of every month, school will not begin until 10 AM. The school's reasoning is that the teachers will now use this time for trainings. They figure they will save a lot of $$$ in not paying subs and the children will have a linear school year by not having the teacher leaving all the time for training. The parents are having a fit. It's a childcare nightmare for some people and they are saying why can't the teachers do their training AFTER school when the students aren't there. My son isn't in school yet so I really don't have an opinion on this. Just wondering what you all think. Does your school district have this plan?

mrs.m-ski · October 2008

We had this in HS and LOVED it because it meant we didn't have to be at school until 10 every Monday. It was like a nice transition into the week. BUT, I can see how this would be a problem with jr high or elementary school...

adamwife · October 2008

No - and I would throw a fit too. Unless the school district is providing childcare for all of these kids until 10, this is really inconvenient for the parents. Think about all of the kids that are going to have to be home alone and get themselves on the bus.

AshleyEric609 · October 2008

My husband is a teacher...and school gets out at 2:30...but most nights he's there doing work until 5, some nights later. I guess I'm biased until this little one pops out, my opinion may change after that but I know that training after school would be less time spent on grades and lesson plans...

leslienpete · October 2008

I agree that I think it is absurd. How do they think parents afford their house, their cars, the food on the table, their kids clothes, taxes - by working! Not every mom is a SAHM. What are the parents supposed to do until 10:00? My job would not like it if I told them I wouldn't be in until 10:30 the first Wed. of the month.

rease. · October 2008

On our military post at Ft Campbell every wed. they get out of school 2 hours early for teachers training. It worked fine cause daycares just worked with it. They should do it in the afternoons.

AshleyEric609 · October 2008

I would like to add that when my husband has training they give the students the entire day off. "Workshop days". Both the school district DH & I attended and the one he works in now had those. I don't see why training is done every week?? Is there really that much changing week to week? "Workshop days" were usually once every few months...and were announced at the beginning of the school year in the school calendar giving parents ample time to find daycare on those days.

TARAnj · October 2008

wow! I wish as a teacher. Sucks as a parent though.

TabithaGoins · October 2008

My daughters school implemented this about a year ago, but they do offer a child care program for those mornings. You are still able to drop your child off at the same time, they just are in the gym playing games,etc. for an hour or so until school starts.

CandKmomma · October 2008

The county where I grew up has the first Wed. of the month as half days, the children get out early for the teachers training and planning.

I guess since it has been that ways for years and years I don't remember anyone having a problem with it. It's only a few hours each month...I don't think it is that big of a deal. School is there to educate not babysit. People should calm down.

nickandkate81107 · October 2008

We have professional development on superintendent's conference days. They are full days scheduled into the year's calender. I don't know the use of doing it for a few hours a month instead of one day every couple of months.

mm&cc · October 2008

What you are describing is late start, not early dismissal. Some districts will do early dismissal (e.g., end school early every Wednesday) or do late start. My son's school does late start, and they allow you to drop them off at your regular time, but there is supervision on campus (and clubs/activities they can get involved with) before school starts. Not a big deal.

MamaMyers22 · October 2008

My son's school gets out 1 hour early every Wednesday. He already goes to the afterschool program until 5 or so when I get off of work, he just gets to go an extra hour every weds. It isn't a problem for me, since I wouldn't pick up until later anyways. If it were in the morning, I'd have a hard time with it, since we don't pay for before school care.

erbear · October 2008

first off, no doubt the teachers hate this. "training days" are rarely very interesting or helpful; however, teachers already meet after school for faculty meetings, so this is a way to get inservices in. I think it's actually a really good idea.

If it's the whole district, there should be a ton of high school kids available to babysit for those 2 hours. I'd be fine with it.

Irishgatorstar · October 2008

Ooops. You're right. It's not early dismissal. Duh. The school isn't offering any childcare options but the local YMCA is. I don't know how much they are charging for it.

mm&cc · October 2008

irish - It's too bad that the school isn't offering supervision or child care. That's going to be really difficult for a lot of working parents. Maybe if the demand is high enough, they will consider it.

CMDR513 · October 2008

In the district I work in our elementary schools have an early dismissal, the middle schools have late openings. Not sure about the district where we live.

kruegs1982 · October 2008

My district has built in late arrival days. The parents are well aware of this at the beginning of the school year. Late arrival days do not mean teachers get to come in late too. They usually have some sort of training for us, work on an interdisciplinary unit or whatnot. I put in a lot of unpaid time after school as it is working on grades and lesson plans and most teachers do as well.

The thing is that when teachers have a training to go to, they have to have a sub. I always figure this is a wasted day because the kids never work very well for a sub. That being said, it makes more sense for training to be done at a different time.

Put it this way, if your job wanted to send you to a conference would you approve of going after your contract hours, unpaid, so you didn't interrupt your work day?? I don't think so. Teachers have kids too and they are not babysitters but some parents don't understand that.

kruegs1982 · October 2008

BTW teachers have all these "training" times because they are required from the state to have "highly qualified teachers." NCLB increases these requirements which means more training. No way around that.

Also, keep in mind that when teachers have some sort of inservice when the kids are not in school, teachers with kids are in the same boat as the other parents. Schools could offer some sort of daycare before school or after school program but the funding needs to be there and we all know (or I hope we know) how underfunded our schools are. If you want the extras be ready for increased taxes to support it.

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