the decision will have been made. The Fayette County Board of Education

will have approved what I call a modified "balanced" calendar.

Actually, the deck is already

stacked, no matter what you, the public, think. Here's what the BOE's

official web site says about the "balanced" calendar and in

bold type, some questions I have about their positions:

Why is the Board of Education

considering a balanced (Calendar #1) calendar for the system?

"The Board of Education

believes that a balanced calendar may offer significant benefits for the

education of students.We would like parents, the community, and employees

to consider the merits of a balanced calendar and to offer their opinions

Well, wait a minute. The

BOE already has decided that a "balanced" calendar is best.

The administrators want it; the teachers want it; the majority of the

BOE members want it. The parents and kids and taxpayers can just buckle

their seatbelts and shut up: "Balanced" calendar is coming.

All the so-called "public input" is just so much window dressing

to make a done deal look better.

When will the Board of Education

make a decision about the 2003-2004 calendar?

"A vote by the Board of

Education to accept or reject a proposal would occur in March or April

2002."

See above. This is just

window dressing. The decision has been made. All you can do is smile while

you send in your school tax payment.

What are some of the benefits

of adding a week to the present calendar?

"The Board of Education

believes that a balanced calendar may offer significant benefits for our

students and teachers.These include:

Again, see above. There's

no decision to be made. The education bureaucracy has already made the

royal decision for you. You just get to pay for it. Note the key words:

"believe" and "may offer." We're talking about a belief

system here, not objective, measurable facts. We're talking about guessing.

What a sham.

"Remediation ­ Five

day breaks could provide an opportunity to offer extra help to students

struggling with their schoolwork.The Governor's A+ Education Reform includes

funding to provide up to 20 days of additional instruction for our students.These

funds could be used to pay teachers for remedial sessions.Students could

also attend sessions or camps that would provide enrichment or acceleration.

"Could be used."

But will they be used for that? "Students could attend ..."

But who will pay for that? Right, you, the parents, will. Increased fees

or increased taxes either way it won't just show up as an "included

benefit" in your education package. And what percentage of students

is "struggling"? Where are the statistics?

"Stress and Burnout ­

We are in an era of high expectations and accountability for student and

teacher performance.Five-day breaks throughout the school year would enable

students and teachers to rest, reenergize, and refocus so that they can

perform at their best.

Where's the research on

that conclusion? Don't kids forget stuff the longer they are away from

the classroom? Is a 5-day break better for kids' learning retention than

three days, or two days? And why isn't the burden of proof on the BOE

to demonstrate that these theories have some basis in real-life, researched

facts?

"Student Achievement ­

The benefits stated above have the potential of improving student achievement.There

is no research that promotes the present agrarian calendar as it relates

to student achievement."

Beware these words: "...

have the potential..." Those words show why American education is in

such bad shape. Educators are forever implementing untried and unproven

methods because it's the latest fad and no one is poorer for their rashness

except a generation of our kids.

Just ask California parents

about bilingual education. Just ask most parents about the "whole

language" disaster. We are raising a generation of kids who can't

read or reason on the same level as kids did 20, 30 years ago. And don't

blame society. Blame educrats. Educrats fall in love with a new fad and

experiment on your kids.

And by the way, there also

is NO research to show that "balanced" calendars improve learning,

either. It really should be up to the BOE to make a strong case why a

change is needed.

Are there other school systems

in the United States and in Georgia that are operating on a balanced calendar?

"Yes.There are over 2

million students in the United States who are attending a school on some

form of a balanced calendar.California, Texas, Arizona, Kentucky, and

North Carolina are the states with the largest number of schools using

a balanced calendar.In Georgia there are 21 schools using a balanced calendar.Three

school systems, Trion City schools, Early County schools, and Seminole

County schools have implemented a balanced calendar system wide."

Wiser folks than I have said there

are lies, damned lies, and statistics. Under the category of the worst offender,

it's interesting what this answer did NOT tell you.

There are 48.6 million kids

enrolled in elementary through high school in the United States, according

to the U.S. Census for 2000. So, the "2 million students" attending

schools on the "balanced" calendar represent just over 4 percent

of all American school kids.

That means, for the benefit

of our friends at the Fayette BOE, that 96 percent of U.S. school kids

are currently getting educated on the "traditional," "agrarian"

calendar. Not exactly a rousing plus for the "balanced" crowd.

Board members are just plain

not being completely honest with their constituents. If anything, the

available evidence points in the opposite direction from "balanced"

calendars.

But, a little something

like the facts has never dissuaded educrats before now from launching

our kids' educational futures over an untested waterfall. Why should it

be any different in Fayette?