School districts in Parma and across the state are starting the academic year earlier than ever. In Parma, students went back to school on August 16, 2017, a week earlier than last year.
The decision was made in January, when the Parma school board voted to move up the start date with the idea of raising test scores and saving money. Cleveland schools did the same three years ago, and a number of smaller districts throughout the state have also started early, making mid-August the new beginning of the academic year.
Some officials and teachers like the idea of starting earlier, since it gives students more class time before they have to take state-mandated tests in the spring. Correctly or not, many districts interpret the scores from these tests as a competition, and starting early gives some schools an advantage. In addition, starting earlier means the semester ends before Christmas, so students can take tests before they leave for the holiday.
Parents have expressed some concern over this decision, citing the fact that starting school in August ruins a lot of vacation plans, but more importantly, puts children in class during the hottest month of the year. Some of the older schools are not air conditioned.
These issues affect many people, so officials might like to work with a newsletter printing company to create a newsletter for parents, discussing the issues.
