[Dianna]

I think Barry does a pretty good job of skewering the PTB in schools for this. I wish he would follow up on this and find out that the reason his kid is starting August 8th is because there are so many "teacher-in-service" days, and "class-planning" days etc. Additionally, days have to be added to make up for the class time to teach "Heather Has Two Mommies" ro second graders.

The school year USED to be 180 days. Guess what...kids STILL go to school 180 days. Teachers have to have X numbers of professional development per year (perhaps because some of you keep complaining about how stupid they are).

[The Shrew]

You'll be very hard pressed to find a post in which I refer to teachers being stupid. There may be 180 class days a year, but you refute neither Barry's point nor mine. The school year has to start August 8th in Barry's case so that there can be a 180 class days + inservice days plus class planning days to get to the end of the school year in late May or early June.

I don't think it was Dave Barry or me that lobbied for the in-service days. I think it was the teachers via their unions.

Regards,

TS