Public Schools = Burning Controversies

In one of those unavoidable social conflicts that public education engenders, a group of dedicated parents in San Francisco demand the public school year start a week later than normal, so their kids can go to Burning Man.

To see why this is so important to some people, read, of course, my book on the topic.

Comments

[Kirsten]

I must say, I've been tempted more than once to read your book on the subject. However, I have had to implement a book reading policy whereby I don't start another book until I finish one. Best bet is that I will finish Jesse Walker's Rebels on the Air next. Is yours better than his?

[Brian Doherty]

Kirsten--You asked the right person. I have a very well-calibrated literary quality-o-meter--just had it checked last week--and as it turns out, Jesse's book and mine are exactly equally as great, to the 8th decimal point. I do hope that your reading rule doesn't apply to BUYING books--feel free to stock up, buy now, and read later.

[kmw]

Hmm... it might just be me, but I would think that Burning Man is no place for minors. Just based on past observations. And I haven't been in a while, so maybe it's more family friendly now?

[Larry Edelstein]

Not so, as I see it, KMW. I've been to the event a few times, and if I had kids, I wouldn't hesitate to bring them.

(Well, the environment conditions might give me pause, since it is a desert.)

I don't think I've seen anything - well, anything public - that I think is inappropriate for children.

[kmw]

So they don't do the Temple of Ishtar anymore?

[CTD]

What a great story - "Burning Man - it's for old people!"

[kevrob]

I don't care about Burning Man, but school before Labor Day is an abomination, especially if the little stinkers have to sit in a classroom without the benefit of air conditioning. Here behind the Cheddar Curtain the hospitality industry lobbied the state to push the start-date back until after Labor Day, because families will be tempted to take one last summer trip, and high-schoolers will be able to put in their last shifts before quitting their summer jobs.

Some districts, especially near Milwaukee, would start in late August, if allowed. Methinks they wouldn't need to do this if the schedule weren't padded with excessive days off during the year. The public schools have numerous "in-service" days, when the teachers go to conferences to be indoctrinated in the newest egregious fad extruded by The Blob, and they even take off to attend the annual teachers' convention, which for some reason is not held during the three-month summer break.

Of course, if all schools were privatized, parents could use length of term, length and frequency of breaks, and all other scheduling differences as one of many criteria when choosing a school.

Kevin

[Twba]

I had to go to school deep into the summer because of the many snow days. We started before Labor Day and ended in June. The school had no air conditioning and a dress code that made boys wear long pants. 90 degrees and 90% humidity was enough to drive me crazy and I haven't fully recovered, even though I left high school behind twenty years ago. What really pissed me off was the minimal education. We could have sped up and covered the same material in about 50 days instead of 180 days. What a waste of time.

[Josh Cohen]

When I was growing up in Florida, we started school in the last week of August and went all the way through to whatever week contained Flag Day (June 14, which was usually the last day of school). All my friends and relatives in other states started earlier.

Then it was just Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach who started in late August; my cousins in Seminole County all started in the first week of August.

A couple of years ago, south Florida finally joined in.

But I think the strangest thing I've ever seen was during (I believe) my 2nd or 3rd year of college. The student government (of resume padders) moved Spring Break from the middle of March to the first week in February. Why? So a bunch of the people in SG could go to Mardi Gras.

Those of us who weren't going had to suffer, and the 30,000 students at my college didn't contribute anything to the Spring Break industry that year, nor were they able to go to a lot of the big events that usually are associated with Spring Break.

Needless to say, a lot of people missed class in March.

[Ironchef]

One of the biggest reasons (at least grades 9-12) to start school earlier is to hold exams before the holiday break. I'm just saying is all.

This topic has also been brought up in SC, under the reasoning that minors are needed to work at the tourist destinations (Myrtle Beach) through Labor Day weekend.

[joe]

Once you're up in that tree, you can't come down for anything. Not a Phish concert, not even Burning Man.

[ChasNYC]

Joe = Simpsons Quote Bot?

[Kirsten]

Well, Brian, if it had been better than Jesse's book, I'd have run right out to get it since it would have been one phenomenal book. But since it is merely exactly equally as great, I'm going to wait until I finish up Rebels on the Air. After all, I don't want your book getting stale on my shelf, do I? No, I do not. I like my literature nice and fresh.