tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28181122.post6234184411485249747..comments2023-12-19T02:12:42.656-08:00Comments on The Underdog for Kids: theunderdogforkidshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07857955844103261704noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28181122.post-67894844603343065042011-01-13T19:36:36.275-08:002011-01-13T19:36:36.275-08:00I would be surprised if they did any research. The...I would be surprised if they did any research. They tend to say they do this, but it turns out that the research is done by someone else, and then they do not fully follow through. For example, the 6th grade move from middle school to the elementary. This was done by Vladovic so the elementary principals can save jobs of their teachers. This was done behind the backs of the the middle school teachers and with little or no input from them. They did this and forced it upon the middle school teachers with strong arm tactics. (from what I heard Del Cueto and Vladovic went to the middle schools and said this is what we are doing, you will like it, and you will not argue. If you do not we will make it difficult for you- I heard this from a neighbor who is close to the situation and teaches at Dodson). Now, only one of the schools is really doing decent with this plan (Barton Hill) and the others are saying why did we go back to this. I think it is time for the parents in San Pedro rise up and be heard so San Pedro can have its own school district.Pedro Teachernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28181122.post-31575289073827192362011-01-12T10:48:58.881-08:002011-01-12T10:48:58.881-08:00Thank you for this very helpful post. I have been...Thank you for this very helpful post. I have been wondering what "research" the LAUSD has been relying upon that would convince them to start the school year early. The most rigorous research I could find (by Dr. Gene Glass of Arizona State University) shows that changes in the calendar year do not result in better student achievement. Has the LAUSD actually made the research that has guided their decision public? It sure is depressing when the phrase "research shows" is thrown out and all recipients of the phrase and decisions made because of it are kept blind to that very research. My family can handle the new school year - but there's a lot more mosquitoes where we vacation in June than there are in August!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28181122.post-43088388971952410702011-01-12T00:27:09.098-08:002011-01-12T00:27:09.098-08:00As a teacher at a local school, I can tell you tha...As a teacher at a local school, I can tell you that the district really only cares about the money. They have long past the time of when they would think about student success. If they did, they would do the only logical thing, which is break up the district.Pedro Teachernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28181122.post-62884126326505146032011-01-11T16:49:58.645-08:002011-01-11T16:49:58.645-08:00The early start calendar is tough, but after the p...The early start calendar is tough, but after the pain of this year, I look forward to family vacations in June, a much better month to travel than July or August. Change is hard, but it isn't that hard! I say this with my fingers crossed that the YMCA moves camp to June...<br /><br />And, Diana, I have to be honest... as a teacher, I appreciate it when my students are in school, everyday. I also appreciate it when parents send in notes explaining an absence, so I don't have to spend hours on the phone tracking that info down... really... just send a note!!!! <br /><br />And if a parent finds they are taking their child out for more than three unexcused days a year, in a year that has plenty of breaks, they might need to rethink that. Just sayin'...Cathy Skubiknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28181122.post-26311754623225251542011-01-11T13:48:04.266-08:002011-01-11T13:48:04.266-08:00This is a GREAT blog post. I am concerned about h...This is a GREAT blog post. I am concerned about how difficult it is just to take a "personal" day or "week" off of school for my kids. My 7th grader is planning on going with my husband down to Mexico near Easter break to help out at our friend's orphanage. But the trip does not coincide with the LAUSD break, so I'm not sure how this is going to work. My son is a straight A student, and I'm sure his teachers will be fine with his absence, but what do we do about the government mandate on absences? Basically to avoid him being truant, we have to lie and say he was sick?????? I won't lie, so if we have to, we will pull him out and homeschool him for the rest of the year.<br />Same goes for next August. If it is really an issue for him to miss the beginning of the school year (which is likely), we will keep homeschooling him until we are ready for him to start back up again in 8th grade. Fortunately, the public school HAS to take him. But if he was at a magnet school, he'd lose his spot and we'd have a problem.<br />In all honesty, I'd love to homeschool him like I am doing with my 2nd grader now, but he's a social butterfly and would really miss his friends too much at this age.<br />So as long as we aren't at a magnet school, I guess we're good to homeschool and re-enter public school when we are ready. I imagine there will be many other people doing the same, who don't really feel like torturing their kids with school in mid-August and missed family vacations.Alive Surfinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06904216708672730487noreply@blogger.com