“More than 8,400 Cobb County teachers and employees responded to a district survey asking which survey (sic) option they preferred. More than 50 percent voted in favor of the balanced calendar option,” according to the district’s news release. How many teachers actually favored the calendar is not given.
In flip-flopping to vote for the “balanced calendar” after opposing it in his election campaign, school board chairman John Abraham professed concern over teachers needing breaks. This was supposed to be about the teachers.
Yet the “district survey” — presumably of all 15,211 employees — included 1,354 school support and other staff, 1,083 cafeteria-food service workers, 1,168 bus drivers-transportation workers and 747 maintenance staff — totaling 4,352.
Obviously, Superintendent Fred Sanderson and his associates felt it was very important to survey all district employees and report the results. Obviously, that was not true of parents.
For parents and the public, the district posted calendar options on its Web site and school Web sites and “used its automated calling system to notify 63,000 student households of the calendar options.” They were notified. No actual survey was taken asking parents their preference, according to the district Web site.
Why not? Why were parents treated as second-class citizens?
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This gives parents more options for vacations during the off season to many parts of the country. I love the idea of being able to visit places I would not be able to visit durig peak seasons.
Give it a try. You may like it. If not let your representative know next year.