Back to school....

[JLTraveling]

I'm going back to school myself this year, for a Master's in Animal Science and Behavior. Classes start Aug 11, the same day that public schools around here are back in session. Our back-to-school sales tax holiday runs the entire month of August. I'm excited for classes to start!

 

[JayMass]

It's so odd how much variety there is in when school years start and end across the US! I teach in Boston and we never start until after Labor Day. But that also means we don't end the year until the third or fourth week of June depending on snow days.

 

[barkley]

spoke with my bff who lives in northern california-she and the other staff were back taking care of stuff/meetings last week-kiddos start back TOMORROW (they've been off since start of June). I don't know quite how they squeeze in the minimum number of days/hours when-

all legal holidays off
18 minimum days
6 additional full weeks off during the school year (2 in October, 2 in December, 2 in March).

school days have shrunk allot since I attended 'in the old days'-

the kids attend (k-6) for 6 hours and 10 minutes per day but when you subtract out 30 minutes for lunch/30 minutes for 2 recesses (for the kids in k-3rd, half that for 4th-6th) that leaves what? 5'ish full hours of instructional time? I recall that in elementary (k-6th) we did 8 am-3 pm w/ an hour between lunch and recess (Jr high and High School were 7:50-3:10 with 15 minutes less 'off' b/c no afternoon break).

 

[Simba's Mom]

It's so odd how much variety there is in when school years start and end across the US! I teach in Boston and we never start until after Labor Day. But that also means we don't end the year until the third or fourth week of June depending on snow days.

Boy, did our sons learn the hard way about the variety in when the school year starts and ends. We moved from the Boston area, where the kids got out near the end of June, down to Texas, where the kids go back to school in early-mid August. So the summer of their move, their summer school vacation was all of 6 1/2 weeks long.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

That was definitely a strange transition for me too!

It's a shame that your wife's school added prep time but then added more meetings to eat into it.

It's also weird for us here in Mass to be thinking about back to school at all. - We only just got out in the back half of June! Staff goes back the last week of August, but the kids not until September.

Only some schools in MA get to still go back in September. I really miss the days of going back after Labor Day. I’m a teacher and start Aug. 25. Kids start the 27th. I know it’s just a week but it’s still summer to me.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Only some schools in MA get to still go back in September. I really miss the days of going back after Labor Day. I’m a teacher and start Aug. 25. Kids start the 27th. I know it’s just a week but it’s still summer to me.

I get it! Our school district actually tried that for a couple of years and went back

 

[tvguy]

I have never ever figured out why Back To School already is getting promoted when Summer Vacation has barely begun and it used to be that once September arrived the stores would promote Back To School sales on notebooks pencils school supplies and backpacks and the department stores would advertise Back To School sales on clothing for teens and college students and school uniforms for elementary school kids. But when I went to school when I was a kid myself I always got out of school in June and then returned in September and then my school would be closed for Thanksgiving and I would get Thanksgiving weekend off and it would be on the Tuesday of Thanksgiving Week and for Christmas my school would close a week before Christmas and I had Winter Vacation until January. But in my eyes I think schools are changing because I think they are concerned about the kids getting the school supplies in time and they seem to hire more new teachers school nurses cafeteria workers and school bus drivers because that's what schools seem to focus on these days. But if we had traditional schooling like it used to be and school always starting in September it would be a whole lot better

Well, for Junior High and High School, you have to admit starting sooner does make sense. When I was in school we started the day after Labor Day. But final exams were the last week of January. You were on Christmas vacation for two weeks, and you lost the first two weeks of January as teachers tried to get you back up to speed reviewing what you learned before Christmas break. Now, there is little need for review as final exams for the semester are before Christmas break. You start the second semester in January when you come back from Christmas break.

 

[disny_luvr]

I’m a middle school teacher and I go back August 20th and students start on August 25th. While it’s getting close, there is still a lot of summer left so I’m trying not to think about it. My twins will be sophomores in college this year and we’ll move them in on August 22nd. They start school the same day as my students.

 

[tvguy]

Just discovered one of the public school districts here goes back TOMORROW. But looking at their schedule they take the last week of September and the first week of October off (2 full weeks) for Fall Break, and 2 full weeks for Easter break (instead of one week). So taking 3 more weeks off than every other district, so they HAVE to start earlier to get their 180 instruction days in.

 

[leebee]

I teach summer sessions (college) so no 'back' to school for me... but the fall def. has a different tempo and yup I can feel it starting.... getting my orders together for the new academic year....

@Suger Mag, I also teach at the college level. About 6 years ago, we went from two six-week summer sessions to two four-week summer sessions, mostly because the department couldn't find anyone to teach that second session (organic chem 2). This schedule makes my life crazy in May and June, but it's worth it for the longer summer "off." Technically I am not off, I am employed full time, but with no classes in session I can set my own hours and do all the little projects that need completing before the fall semester starts.

Oh, now I get it!!

@PollyannaMom I had trouble figuring this out at first, too!!

It's so odd how much variety there is in when school years start and end across the US! I teach in Boston and we never start until after Labor Day. But that also means we don't end the year until the third or fourth week of June depending on snow days.

@JayMass When I was teaching in public schools, I missed starting after Labor Day, but we always only started on the Wednesday before the long weekend. It doesn't make sense to me to get out before the 2nd or 3rd week of June. Our June weather is usually much cooler than our September weather. In fact, we often have our "hottest" times during the first two weeks of September, and living in northern Maine means that the school buildings do NOT have air conditioning. Parents would revolt if we made the last day of school around June 20th and compensated by starting around September 14th, but it makes more sense, weather-wise, to do this than to sit in hot buildings in September, sweating it out and having kids focused on how miserable they feel instead of on the material you are trying to teach.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I remember being a teacher and the end of summer being somewhat traumatic. It is a huge transition going from "summer mode" back to school. Thankfully when I was teaching, they didn't go overboard on the "pre" back to school stuff. Maybe a couple-three days at the most. I have been out of education for a long time now, and this time of year still stresses me out.

It seems like "back in the day" (in the middle of Illinois), school started back in mid/late August, and got out mid/late May. Seems like Indiana schools have MUCH shorter summers, like getting out in May and many are starting back at the end of July or early August.

 

[Skippy918]

Well, for Junior High and High School, you have to admit starting sooner does make sense. When I was in school we started the day after Labor Day. But final exams were the last week of January. You were on Christmas vacation for two weeks, and you lost the first two weeks of January as teachers tried to get you back up to speed reviewing what you learned before Christmas break. Now, there is little need for review as final exams for the semester are before Christmas break. You start the second semester in January when you come back from Christmas break.

I went to school in NY. I remember having midterms and regents in January around the MLK holiday. But we were only off from Xmas eve thru New Year’s Day.

For high school where I currently live, districts like to have aligned schedules with the community college for students doing dual credit. I know there were a couple of years where our district let out the first week of June and summer classes had already started at the CC.

So for those of you where the school year is after Labor Day to mid or end of June, when do the local community colleges start their summer sessions? Do students run into issue with the overlap of the school year into summer CC classes?

 

[tvguy]

Stepping back a bit, they did a story on the news today reminding drivers that kids are starting back to school so to be on alert for them walking and biking around schools, and school zone speed limits will be back in force.

 

[tvguy]

So for those of you where the school year is after Labor Day to mid or end of June, when do the local community colleges start their summer sessions? Do students run into issue with the overlap of the school year into summer CC classes?

There are over 125 school districts in my area, so I can't check them all but I can't find any major school districts that start after Labor day around here anymore.
The community college district I live in started their summer session on June 9th and ends August 7th. The Fall semester started August 23rd. The public school district I live i goes back August 14th. The largest school district in my area, and in that community college districts borders goes back on the 14th too. So no overlap.

 

[barkley]

For high school where I currently live, districts like to have aligned schedules with the community college for students doing dual credit. I know there were a couple of years where our district let out the first week of June and summer classes had already started at the CC.

So for those of you where the school year is after Labor Day to mid or end of June, when do the local community colleges start their summer sessions? Do students run into issue with the overlap of the school year into summer CC classes?

i'll just go with the 2 districts closest to us-

#1-starts 8/28, ends 6/10 (except for graduating seniors who are done by 6/5)
#2-starts 8/25, ends 6/12
(both operate on quarter systems).

community colleges (we have 2)-

#1-fall 9/17 through 12/11, winter 1/5-3/25, spring 4/6-6/12, and summer 7/1-8/18
#2-fall 9/20 through 12/14, winter 1/3-3/21, spring 4/1-6/14, and summer 7/1-8/18
(both operate as trimester systems)

BUT the bulk of kids doing dual enrollment here do it through one of two public universities local to us-

#1-fall 9/24-12/11, winter 1/5-3/20, spring 3/30-6/11, summer 6/22-8/14 (trimester system)

#2-fall 8/18-12/12, spring 1/12-5/8, summer 5/11-7/31 (traditional semester system).


I don't think that many if any of the dual enrollment students here do the summer sessions because the program has only paid for summer classes since last year and then it's capped much lower units wise as to what it pays for than during the traditional academic year.

 

[tvguy]

i'll just go with the 2 districts closest to us-

#1-starts 8/28, ends 6/10 (except for graduating seniors who are done by 6/5)
#2-starts 8/25, ends 6/12
(both operate on quarter systems).

community colleges (we have 2)-

#1-fall 9/17 through 12/11, winter 1/5-3/25, spring 4/6-6/12, and summer 7/1-8/18
#2-fall 9/20 through 12/14, winter 1/3-3/21, spring 4/1-6/14, and summer 7/1-8/18
(both operate as trimester systems)

BUT the bulk of kids doing dual enrollment here do it through one of two public universities local to us-

#1-fall 9/24-12/11, winter 1/5-3/20, spring 3/30-6/11, summer 6/22-8/14 (trimester system)

#2-fall 8/18-12/12, spring 1/12-5/8, summer 5/11-7/31 (traditional semester system).


I don't think that many if any of the dual enrollment students here do the summer sessions because the program has only paid for summer classes since last year and then it's capped much lower units wise as to what it pays for than during the traditional academic year.

Not sure it really matters. Since the pandemic the Community College closest to me the parking lots are almost empty.. Most classes are on remote learning. You can "zoom" in live for lectures, and they are recorded for later viewing. Labs are the only thing in person. But there is another HUGE issue. The main classroom building was built in 1967 and was abruptly condemned after it was found not to meet earthquake safety standards. That was two years ago, As far as I know, they haven't decided whether to try and retrofit it or tear it down and build a new building. But based on the success of remote learning, Community College classrooms may be an endangered species. Their enrollment is at a record level because the classes are more accessible using the remote model.

 

[barkley]

Not sure it really matters. Since the pandemic the Community College closest to me the parking lots are almost empty.. Most classes are on remote learning. You can "zoom" in live for lectures, and they are recorded for later viewing. Labs are the only thing in person. But there is another HUGE issue. The main classroom building was built in 1967 and was abruptly condemned after it was found not to meet earthquake safety standards. That was two years ago, As far as I know, they haven't decided whether to try and retrofit it or tear it down and build a new building. But based on the success of remote learning, Community College classrooms may be an endangered species. Their enrollment is at a record level because the classes are more accessible using the remote model.

not around here-the parking lots are bustling when in session. might be b/c allot of the programs offered include classes that other than the general ed don't lend themselves to distance learning but in some cases it's wiser younger students who have run the numbers and realize they can pay $389-$614 PER UNIT at the 4 year in state schools OR get the identical courses accepted for transfer at those same 4 schools year and pay $132 per unit (let alone much lower fees).

for years the dual enrollment kids have had their choice of in person/distance at home/distance from their high school campus (high school provided quiet study area with computers and much better internet than many rural areas have available).

 

[tvguy]

not around here-the parking lots are bustling when in session. might be b/c allot of the programs offered include classes that other than the general ed don't lend themselves to distance learning but in some cases it's wiser younger students who have run the numbers and realize they can pay $389-$614 PER UNIT at the 4 year in state schools OR get the identical courses accepted for transfer at those same 4 schools year and pay $132 per unit (let alone much lower fees).

for years the dual enrollment kids have had their choice of in person/distance at home/distance from their high school campus (high school provided quiet study area with computers and much better internet than many rural areas have available).

Better yet, here in California, Community Colleges are tuition free. And you are supposed to be an automatic admit to the California State University system once you get your AA. HOWEVER, that doesn't always happen. But the California State University is odd to say the least. My daughter attended two different CSUs and the second refused to transfer some of the credits from the first. How that is possible, I don't know.

 

[barkley]

Better yet, here in California, Community Colleges are tuition free. And you are supposed to be an automatic admit to the California State University system once you get your AA. HOWEVER, that doesn't always happen. But the California State University is odd to say the least. My daughter attended two different CSUs and the second refused to transfer some of the credits from the first. How that is possible, I don't know.

I availed myself greatly of california's community college system back when it was truly no cost (to ALL students-new and reentry, even recreational-lots of those in evening classes) but my understanding is that not all community colleges there currently provide free tuition as part of the california college promise program. there's also the california college promise grant but that takes financial circumstances into consideration (FAFSA). community colleges now charge tuition/fees but can offer waiver programs. I just looked at the 3 community colleges I took classes at there (different counties)- all 3 charge $46 per unit (plus another $84 per unit if you already have a bachelor's). their websites explain a person MAY be eligible to a waiver program but it's not guaranteed and should be researched. still dirt cheap as compared to other options but (esp. when the myriad of fees are added in) not free.

the universities were pulling the same thing when I went in the 80's-they justified it by saying that more people applied than they had openings for and they accepted more and more incoming freshman each year at much higher cost of attendance that filled their pockets/eliminated more openings for incoming jr's (which is what fed into the anti community college sentiment many of my peers had-they preferred to pay more for the first 2 years so they had a guaranteed slot come jr. year).