If you've been missing us, well, we're back!
We've been absent from the web for a while, and for that we apologize. But know that our lack of web presence does not mean we have abandoned our mission: to advocate for the OPTION of a "traditional school calendar" for North Carolina families, educators and others who desire it.
It's hard to believe, but we have been striving hard towards this goal for over 21 years. Perhaps the crowning achievement was seeing a bill passed in the NC Legislature in 2004 that set sensible start and end dates (late August through late-May/early June). It was not an easy task, but literally thousands of North Carolina citizens let their voices be heard by their House and Senate REPRESENTATIVES...numbers too big to ignore.
Today it remains a struggle to keep the law viable because the growing trend is for school systems to just ignore that the law exists.
Quick thoughts for your consideration!
Consider the POWER of play. Play often involves cooperation, creativity, leadership, problem solving, physical movement and a host of other life aspects that can hugely impact a child's development. Sadly, the opportunity for free play is diminishing, and it's one of the most important reasons SOS-NC believes that keeping a significant "summertime window" is crucial.
Remember your first summer job? It may have been in retail, babysitting, mowing yards or something else, but likely it provided important life lessons...and probably some much desired and needed money. Summer job opportunities become increasingly scarce when summer's time window shrinks. Employers tend to pass on candidates who can only work for a limited number of weeks.
Many teachers strongly support traditional school calendars for lots of reasons. Teaching is an arduous, pressurized profession with long hours when school is in session. Many simply need the downtime of a summer break. Others work at alternate jobs because teacher salaries are, well, less than they should be. Some want to travel or spend more time with their own families. Others strive for additional education or professional development.