Moms Talk: Board Approves Aug. 15 Calendar

At its , the Cobb County Board of Education voted 4–3 to approve the Aug. 15 start date calendar.

The calendar survey results can be viewed here.

The commentary has been diverse, and it’s great to see so many of you taking a stand on our Kennesaw Patch forum about an issue that you are so passionate about. The Moms Council wants to know what you think of the voting process and results and if your opinions have changed as a result of all the talk.

Brandi May: A few facts: 

-72 percent of the Cobb County Public that voted in an online survey wanted to keep the current Balanced School Calendar. 

-82,000 people took the online survey.

-For the first semester of the balanced school year, absenteeism for teachers is down by 8,700 days (a savings of $641,000) and student absenteeism is down 50 percent. 

Taking just these three facts into play, if you were an ELECTED official, would you have voted against the public? I would hope not and if I did, I would definitely show the Public what facts and figures I have compiled that would lead me to my decision, something that has not been completed by the current School Board that voted against the Balanced Calendar.

*Facts taken from an e-mail from School Board Member David Banks.

Dayna Contreras: I think we should forward our Patch comments to the Board so they can read our thoughts firsthand. Why in the world would they ask for our votes and then vote against them? Of course, there are many deciding factors that are not and never will be disclosed to public. But, why open the door a little only to slam it shut? My goodness, the Board either wants an open door policy or not. We already lack confidence in their ability, but instead of trying to boost our confidence level, they deflate it further by vacillating. Changing the calendar is supposed to occur every three years not at the whim of new board members who want to weigh in on the decision at the benefit of nada. Like I said before, there are many more pressing issues that truly affect the education of our children. Changing the calendar takes away from this focus. Let's stay on target and make decisions that truly benefit our children and families.

Kristi Vinson: This has obviously been a topic of concern and a hot button issue as evidenced by our feedback from last week’s feature. My inbox has been overflowing since the votes were tabulated. I have found our readers' discussions both informative and enlightening. Prior to the vote, I was on the fence, wanting some components of all three calendar choices. After the results were announced and the controversy ensued, I armed myself with more data. Of notable concern for me no matter what the results: I question the validity of a survey process where the results are contingent on how many computers you can vote from as opposed to registering your vote and having your opinion counted once. Either way, I don’t believe in a county this large, everyone will agree no matter what the results. We may just have to agree to disagree. What do you think?