With a national push to increase the amount of time that children spend in the classroom, it would have been understandable if the LAUSD had pushed back the start of the school year into August so that they could extend the school calendar. Unfortunately, the school year now also ends earlier. All they did was shift students into the classroom at a time of the year when temperatures are soaring and increased the costs for air conditioning.
This new calendar also provided the opportunity to put more days off into the schedule. As a federal holiday, a majority of parents will also be home from work and can share a Labor Day barbeque with their children. However, students are also home today for Admission Day - even though the actual “holiday” does not even occur until September 9! Unless a parent happens to work for the school district, families will not be able to share this day together as this will be regular work day for banks, federal employees and even state employees. This will leave working parents scrambling for child care services or leaving their children at home unsupervised.
Our admission to the union is without a doubt an important moment in our state’s history and deserves to be celebrated. Unfortunately, keeping children home from school does as much to honor this event as a Memorial Day barbeque where no thought is given to soldiers who have given their lives for our freedom. In fact, given the lack of public celebrations on this day, having children in school would be a much better tribute. At least in this setting the day could be devoted to learning about our history and it’s effect on the rest of the union.