Does anyone know about how to get a law passed?

There was an article in our local paper this week re: the earlier and earlier start dates here. We start school tomorrow (Aug. 9th) in 97 degree heat and high humidity. Ugh. Next year we start even earlier (Aug. 6th). Double Ugh. In recent years, several states have passed laws about when school can start (and no earlier) -- I know both TX and WI have done so. Does anyone know anything about how these bills get introduced and how to get one going in your own state? Most people you speak to here do not want school to start before Labor Day, or at least before the 25th of August. It's just getting ridiculous!! So, I'm just wondering where to start. It may not help my own kids because by the time something would get passed, we'll probably be done with school, but it could help other families.

So we start Aug. 9th and we get out May 22nd. I'd like to know what rocket scientist thought this was such a great idea.

BTW, they posted past school calendars and it's really only in the last ten years that our calendar has changed. Prior to that school here started Sept. 5th (roughly) and got out June 5th (roughly).

 

Hi.
Do you know if any other states have passed any similar bills to what you are looking for? If so, you can use their writing and substitute your own state in the wording to use as the bill you will try to pass.

You might want to start with a petition. Petitiononline.com is great. Then, you get the word out to get people to sign it. Once you have a significant number of signatures, you would bring it to a state rep or state senator with the hope that they will sponsor the bill in your state, that would be your first step. You would want to find a rep who would have a particular interest in your particular bill if possible.

I am currently working on the twin school placement bill in MA. I am learning so much about the legislative process! I would be happy to help you with this if you are interested. It is a very lengthly process. I was told my our sponsoring senator's office, that it is intentionally a long process so that only the worthwhile bills go through.

In MA, in goes town by town for when school starts, but it is always either the week before or the week of Labor Day. I don't know if there is a written law or bill that states this though.

Good luck! Let me know if I can be of any help!

 

Wow Kim, that is really early! You're so right. Children don't need to be out so early in May, and they certainly do NOT need to be sweltering in school in early August! I always think our Aug 25-ish start date is too early, but it is much better than Aug 6. Ideally, I'd like to see school starting right after Labor Day and finishing the first or second week of June.

I think that Jake and Nick's mom has some excellent suggestions. It seems like petitions do get noticed by city school boards. And if you can get yours to notice, then there might be a trickle down effect to toehr boards.

Good luck with this! I hope your board moves these dates back before your boys finish school!

 

In Michigan public schools must, by law, start after Labor Day. It was passed to boost tourism and travel Labor Day weekend. But it can get hot and humid here too, and most (but not all) schools have air. I believe schools then get out the second week of June.

Here's a link to Michigan's bill, in all its detail!!

 

I can tell you as a teacher from Michigan that the past post is correct and I LOVE it!!! I will say though that we go a little longer. I know this year we get out on June 13. I still LOVE it. I would much rather have the time in August when it is SOOOOO hot! I also feel like I can squeeze in a few more fun things with the kids. Good luck!
BTW-My cousins live in TN and they start on Monday. UGH!!!!

 

QUOTE(MOM2AAA @ Aug 9 2007, 12:22 AM) [snapback]362266[/snapback]
I can tell you as a teacher from Michigan that the past post is correct and I LOVE it!!! I will say though that we go a little longer. I know this year we get out on June 13. I still LOVE it. I would much rather have the time in August when it is SOOOOO hot! I also feel like I can squeeze in a few more fun things with the kids. Good luck!
BTW-My cousins live in TN and they start on Monday. UGH!!!!

I agree 100%. Here in TN the temps are incredible this week. (As in most of the SE right now.) Yesterday we were at 100 with heat indexes in the 105 and higher range. Today is the first day of school and they are reporting that countywide there are over 130 nonworking a/c units at our schools. Ugh. It's just crazy to be starting in the hottest part of the summer. Sports programs especially have it rough. The cross country kids and the football kids practice every day right after school in this incredible heat. It's not even safe!!

Thanks for the info re: this topic!!!!

 

Kim we have the exact same start and end day. I sent DD out the door this morning. We have a heat advisory for the next 2 day with heat indexes btw 106-114. She has afternoon PE so I can't wait to see what they do with them. I don't know how to go about getting a bill passed but I know FL passed on this year. They can't start more than 2 wks before Labor day.

 

Kim, I thought you meant the starting HOUR of the school day, not the calendar date. I wish school days, especially for teens, started later in the day. Is there really any need for them to get up at 7am and be out of school at 1-2pm?? I'm 99.9% sure that no teens in our city are leaving school to go home and help on the farm before the sun goes down, so what's the rush!!? Why not them sleep in, like their bodies need, and end the day later. Heck, that's 2-3 hours they can't get in to trouble....

As for the law, I hope you take it all the way to the federal level!! Go KIM!!!

 

As far as time of day school starts, there is research out there that teenagers' body clocks work differently. They don't do well waking up early. They do better later in the morning. From what I understand, the big issue with why they haven't done anything about it is babysitting for younger siblings and being home in time to be there for them.

 

I also live in MI and I say go for it! It is so so nice to have the kids have all of August off. August 9th seems a little insane. Almost like a year round school. We had a big to do at the end of our school year this last year because our district had changed our start and stop times of elementary aged kids to 9:15 and they didn't get out of school until 4:20. Lots of parents complained, petitions were signed, people spoke at our school board meetings and the times were changed. We will not have any elementary school ending after 4:00 as a result.

I would suggest talking to your school principal first. They will probably be able to point you in the direction you need to go. I know our school board is 110% in favor of parents taking any issues we have to our state legislators. They highly encourage it. I think they feel the legistlators will listen better if the complaint comes directly from the parents instead of through the school board.

I wish you the best! I can't imagine anyone, parents or school administrators or employees being in favor of starting in this heat!

On a side note. I am going to be undertaking a big complaint with our school board at the begining of this school year. Our buses were changed last year and now you have to live 2 miles away from school to be bussed. We don't live two miles away, but we don't live nearly close enough to the school to walk. We are probably about a mile and a half away and there is a busy main street that would need to be crossed. I think I am going to complain about this once school starts! Wish me luck!

 

Kim,

I assume you've alrady visited the Tennessee Board of Education web site ( http://www.state.tn.us/sbe/ ). They appear to be the ones in Tennessee setting policy. Board members are appointed by your Governor but your local legislator should be working hand-in-hand with your BoE to help shape policy. Here in Texas it was a collaborative effort by elected officials after being pressured by school districts, teachers and parents to start the school year a little later (all Texas schools begin August 27 this year after begining a week earlier or in some cases, three weeks earlier than that date last year).

I think the August 27 start date was actually an executive order by Governor Rick Perry so if your state's Board of Education doesn't help change the date, you can still try a push to your Governor. Every parent who sent their child to a school today without air-conditioning needs to send a letter to their locally elected representative, to each BoE member and to your Governor!

 

Ugh, please don't tell me that. We are planning on moving back to Knoxville when I finish my teaching certificate. I may rethink things now...

 

I think our middle and high schoolers have a reasonable schedule. School starts at 8:30 am and lets out at 3:30 pm, so I have not issues with that. However, the elementary kids start at 7:45 am and get out at 2:45 pm. That was always tough when the kids were younger.

Thanks for the advice and information. I'm just starting to feel my way around this issue.

 

Kim if you get something started I will sign it! I hate this ridiculous TN school year, too. I must've gotten here right when they started it, too. I couldn't believe it, since when I was growing up in TX school always started about a week before Labor Day. It's also so far off from the rest of the country. If you have a stepchild coming during the summer from anywhere else, the scheduling is incredibly complicated because of this weird early summer.

I also have no problem with teens starting later. Here in Clarksville they have the high schools start at 7:20, an hour before elementary. I think the reasoning is to have them home earlier to babysit, but what you really get is swarms of teens home alone between 3 and 6 p.m. I'd rather elementary stayed at 8:20 and high school moved to 9:20. I think school started at 8:55 when I was in high school.

 

We started school yesterday, too. Because of all the ice we had (I'm in OK), the girls didn't even get out of school until May 31st & they had to go back August 9th! They barely got a break!

Tulsa public schools had an uproar last year about the time of day the kids were in school. They had been starting middle & high school kids at 8 & elementary kids at 9. When they realized the high schoolers would do better starting an hour later, they changed their start time to 9. Lots of {working} parents had fits because they depend on their middle & high school children to be home when their elementary kids get out of school. Our school system is still set up that way. It's crazy to me, because Megan is impossible to get up & out of the house at 7am, while Jesse would be much easier to do so. But, she doesn't have to leave until 8.

Good for you for taking action to try and change the start date. I can't imagine the kids where we live, that have to ride an unairconditioned bus, only to walk home from the bus stop in the heat of the day. If they were a latch key kid, they could likely die of a heat stroke on the side of the road - without anyone noticing. It is sooooooo hot here! We are hosting the PGA Championship right now, and they've had tons of fans with heat related issues on the golf course. Can you imagine?

 

All of our schools start within days of each other my sister starts on thursday and goes till around May 22. I do agree its too hot expesially on the buses. They go to school fromk 7:45-3:00 something.

 

My mom is a second grade teacher and got involved with the school district's calendar this year. My mom was unhappy about certain days that they had off and certain days that they did not get off (like Good Friday). Where we are in California, the schools are currently starting in 2 weeks and go until about the second week in June. My mom hates starting before Labor Day, because lots of kids miss school around Labor Day because families go on vacation for the holiday (and some kids do not show up until after Labor Day). She thinks that it would be much better if school started after Labor Day. I know she is working on this, but I am not sure if they got anything passed on it (I do know that she got getting Good Friday off approved). The way it worked for them was that the teacher committee agreed on a revised school calendar and then the School District Board approves it.

Maybe starting with the school district and see what they say. If you get agreement maybe they can get something done on the local level.

 

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it!!

Just a quick report back. I happened to run into a friend the other day, and we were discussing this issue. She had been in contact with another parent, who is also trying to get a grassroots movement going to voice our displeasure with the current school calendar. Since then, we've gotten an email list together, along with contact information for the school board, and our state representatives. Someone is also trying to get this on the agenda for the next school board meeting. So we are starting to gently get the ball rolling, for what good it will do. One school board rep already told us it is unlikely to come to fruition. Oh well, that only makes me the more determined!!!!

I'll let you know if there is any progress.

Once again, thanks for all your ideas and suggestions.

 

I am right there with you on the start dates, the girls first day was 8-8-07. Please let me knwo if there is anything I can do to help