From what I recall of the highly

dubious railroading tactics used by Henry County to initiate their calendar

change, Fayette County School Board appears to be following the trodden

path duplicitous, underhanded, sneaky, and insulting to parents' intelligence.

Apparently hoping that most parents would toss what looked like just another

piece of scurrilous paperwork into the trash, the Fayette County School

Board attempted to sneak this proposed drastic change by us parents with

little fanfare.

With your kind permission,

I would like to offer my comments on the proposed "Balanced Calendar"

or "Year-Round School" in this public forum. As an educator

myself (working on my Master's in Teaching at Agnes Scott College), I

have several objections to such a radical change in the educational routine

which has served families well for decades in the United States.

First, the new proposed calendar

begins school on Aug. 4, 2004. The children will begin the school year

in the "Dog Days" of scorching, breathless Georgia heat, prohibited

allowed to run around outside during recess.

For nearly two months of their

initiation to the school year, restless youngsters will have no outlet

for their energies. With Georgia being at the top of the list for Ritalin

use to control rowdy children (chiefly boys), I fear the drug and its

ilk will be inflicted upon more reluctant parents whose children are simply

"being children," but, due to the artificial forcing-house of

"Year-Round School," will not be allowed those precious minutes

of screaming, shouting, abandoned running around in free-play which is

so desperately needed by the generation of video-addicted children.

Secondly, as a single mother,

I have financial objections to the weeks chosen for the breaks. The breaks

appear to be arbitrarily scheduled every five weeks or so, with no official

holiday associated with them.

Many single parents and families

who do not have the luxury of nearby relatives to care for their children

during these September and February breaks will have to find some means

of childcare while they work.

Many families, during the month

of February, are trying to recover from Christmas spending, or saving

up for the April 15 tax deadlines. The $750 daycare fee for three children

will be hard to come by during that break.

The September break, associated

with no recognizable holiday, may be welcomed by teachers, but will provide

yet another week of hardship for parents who have no vacation time to

draw upon for childcare needs. After Sept. 11, southside families associated

with Hartsfield Airport have suffered numerous job losses. This may not

be a logical time to burden such families with heavier childcare expenses.

I have heard "Extended

Care Intersession" bandied about by some parents I've approached

with my [concerns]. In my opinion, the extended care option that may be

provided by the schools during these off-weeks of vacation will provide

yet another door for the public school system to take over the raising

of children, a task which is rightly the parents', not the government's.

a corner in designating such arbitrary dates for breaks, the public school

system may "kill the goose that laid the golden egg," causing

a further mass exodus into the private and homeschool ranks. Many of us

parents are disturbed by the government's intrusion into our parenting

role; the "Balanced Calendar" causes even more disquiet.

Third, as an educator, I am

curious as to how the School Board will reconcile their demand that educators

in Fayette County remain the most highly qualified teachers in the Atlanta

area, with the reduction in time provided during the summer for necessary

updating of teaching credentials.

Many teachers use the three

summer months to take classes which keep their teaching credentials current

and improve teaching methods, or lead to specialization in highly critical

areas, such as Special Education. With the drastic reduction of the "Summer

Vacation" to five weeks at best for educators, when will the "cream

of the crop" (the wonderful Fayette County teachers we are blessed

with) find time to further their own educational goals?

Fourth, I doubt the prudence

of beginning an experiment which has been tried previously in one southside

county (Coweta) with disastrous results, and which was not henceforth

repeated due to the violence of parental reaction, without giving time

for Henry County to try out the new "Balanced Calendar" in 2002-2003,

then make some observations and conclusions from their attempt.

Why should my children be chosen

as the guinea pigs without waiting for the scientific results to be in

on the previous experiment?

I have heard through the grapevine

that Henry County will receive a large sum of federal funding for their

willingness to be the "test case" for the Atlanta area this

year. Is the Fayette County School Board in cahoots with the federal government

to pocket a big chunk of federal change to experiment on our children?

Lastly, my gorge rises when

I consider this "Balanced Calendar" as one more attempt to despoil

the innocence of childhood. So few years to play, to dream, to have fun,

to lie around looking up at the clouds and climbing trees and the Fayette

County School Board wants to decrease these idyllic days of summer, foreshortening

the already precious few moments children have to "just be kids."

When will they go to camp and

take a nature hike? When will they spend the afternoon playing mermaids

and "Marco Polo" at the swimming pool? When will children get

to read a book just because they want to read a book?

Please, please give our children

some time to enjoy the unpressured freedom of childhood. Don't try to

turn them into little adults, stealing their lighthearted play into the

drudgery of work before its allotted time.

I have requested Cal Beverly

of the Fayette Citizen to print this letter, along with the proposed calendars,

in hopes more parents will respond to your proposals.

Jean M. Zhuño

Fayetteville

[Editor's note: Proposed

calendar number one starts school Aug. 4, 2003 and ends May 28, the Friday

before Memorial Day, 2004. Breaks are Sept. 22­28, Nov. 24­28,

Dec. 22­Jan. 6, Feb. 16­20 and April 5­9 (spring break).

Proposed calendar number two starts school Aug. 11, 2003, and ends May

28, 2004. Breaks are three days for Thanksgiving, Nov. 26­28; Dec.

22­Jan. 6 (winter break); Feb. 16­20, also called winter break;

and spring break, April 2­9.]

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