How Do You Feel About School Starting?

Holy Mother Jones! August 2? When do you end your year? Do you take a holiday, mid winter, and spring breaks? How many days is your contract year? Do you have any control over extra or optional days? How long is your Student contact year?

Sorry for all the questions. . . It is amazing to me how differently school years, contracts, etc are all across the country.

We start the last week of August, with staff in just one day before the kids. That makes the first week three teaching days, and the next week (Labor Day week) a four day week. Nice slow start for staff and students! We have two weeks at christmas, one week for spring break, and are out by mid June. That gives us about 10 weeks of summer break.

That is pretty similar for most Washington State schools. Lots of Puget Sound area schools have a mid winter break around Pres. Day. My District doesn't.

Hey Ollie,

Aug. 2 is kinda ugly. And there are other metro Atlanta schools whose teachers went back at the end of July!!!!

I bet our contract length is similar to yours. We have been cut a bit with economic woes: 178 days for kids, 187 for teachers (instead of 180, 190). We just start and end earlier. But I like the old way better.

We have 5 full days of preplanning days (which is a lot), and two days for post planning to wrap it all up. No other designated work days during the year - we dismiss at the half day for "staff development" a few times a year, when the teachers have to sit in "those" classes to tell us stuff. Now that Common Core is coming down, these are real fun.

We get one week at Thanksgiving, two weeks at Christmas, one week in Spring, and get out Memorial Day. I would much rather go halfway through June, as we used to do, as it is still summer and really hot in August when we are back in session.

We don't really have many others days out during the year, except the usual - President's Day, Labor Day, MLK Day (a holiday for us in Georgia).

But I am happy to have a job - watched many get axed all around me.

So heigh ho, heigh ho, it's off to school we go.

So first, YAY FOR ALL THE TEACHERS!!!!!!! An awesome commitment.

The only impact for us is getting used to the traffic again.

We were at Target today and I decided to pick up one of those lists of things each kid dis to pick up and bring in. I about chocked on my drink!! O M G !!!!! How do you parents do all that??

I think I had a pencil, a notebook and a brown paper bag to make my own book cover. That was it.

I'm still shell-shocked...

Mase, that so cool your daughter got a postcard from her teacher!!! What a great and thoughtful idea!

Jeff, Thanks for bringing up a memory, I remember that very well. Not only that but I had to walk 3 miles to school in the snow in 20 below Zero temps, (think NH) uphill both ways.

OK - lots of similarities! Our student year is 180, teaching contract at 180 plus 6 pro-rated "deemed done" planning days and 5 other days we can optionally work for PD. Individual teachers control the use (or not) of all the days beyond the 180. We are just starting a 'late start Mondays' schedule for collaboration, and have also used half days for trainings. We've been working quite hard on alignment with our own state standards and now the addition of the Common Core just brings us more joy!!

So - Georgia? Are you a right to work state? How have you been fairing with your legislature? We've been fighting long and hard about funding and evaluations and charter schools. Interested in your experiences!

That week at thanksgiving is interesting, but I haven't heard any Northwest districts with that. We also get MLK day.

First off I love hearing all these teachers be so enthuastic....it makes me want to become a teacher...lol

And jeff it is crazy how much they need for school now adays....I think I spent close to 100 bucks getting school supplies and one outfit for my 4th grader and preschooler

Ollie,

Georgia is a right to work state. We have "work" or staff development days that are predetermined, as well as pre and post planning. No choices there. We are all just hoping to get to return to no furlough days, and get our 180 and 190 schedule back.

We have not seen any step increases for years of experience since 2008, which sorely affects retirment income. Also seen health care increase, coverage decrease, retirement deductions increase, and other stuff too. Tough times.

Our class sizes are pretty big, and many positions have been cut to stay within a balanced budget. You do what you gotta do.

But onward we go, lovin' up those kiddos.

Evan had meet the teacher day today and I did not care for his teacher at all which makes me sad for the school year now

That is sad. Maybe they will surprise you! My best teachers all started out that way.

As for our kids they go back after our long weekend in September usually though some years they are in 2 days before. We usually go until the tuesday to the last full week in June. We usually get 2-3 weeks at Christmas depending when we started in the summer. Teachers have 1 PD day their school chooses and 2 in February that is usually done either by school board or city where teachers go to conferences and semenairs. most schools also finish early one day a week for early dismissal which is used for meetings and development at your school. Our teachers start on a 1 yr probational contract and then apply for a continuous contract position if available. You also teach about 2 school years worth of hours on your interm teaching licence then can apply for your permanent one. Overall, teaching is a great job after you find a job which can be hard depending on what subjects you are qualified to teach.

Well... after a couple days... Evan likes his teacher. He has said she is very nice. So thats whats important. I just want him to be happy and have a good school year.