Hi S -- Just a related note that wasn't in the article...the Asst. Superintendent said the board consults the HSOs when putting together possible calendars.

Andy, you seem to have some vendetta against teachers. Whether they extend February vacation or not, teachers would be working the same amount of days. So what is your beef? A $60K average salary is considered a "top salary"? Now you are concerned with money a teacher would make in the PRIVATE SECTOR? I can't imagine a teacher racking up the dough working at a summer camp. Isn't that what college kids do in the summer, too?

Bob - I very much value Mahwah's teachers. I've supported every budget, support the HSOs to fund grants, and believe in renumerating top teachers with top salaries. They have a huge responsibilities and are being trusted with our children. So I apologize for giving the wrong impression.

But I'm sure, every teacher can point to some deficiencies in the "system" they are working under. Why would I as a parent be precluded from speaking up about issues that concern me? (This is the same silly argument as calling someone who criticises certain U.S. policies as non-patriotic. In fact, open criticism is one of the key foundations of our society)

I do stand by my opinion that the concept of tenure is out-of-time, bumping rights don't serve our children. Real educators should "fight" for the opportunity to spend MORE time with their pupils - instead of sending them away for months every summer. I've always lobbied for longer classes, more session and more pool time for my scuba students - because more repetition makes them better divers.

I can't believe that I'm the only one who finds it absurd that in this country we pull kids out of school (where we already pay teachers annual salaries to spend time with them) for such as long time, that we have to pay teachers a second time to spend time with them (in "enrichment" classes, camps, etc).

To me, arguing the minute details of a February vacation is missing the main point.

You dont' have to agree <G>

So you think teachers should want to work more at this point when they just got their benefits and pension slashed and haven't had a contract for 2 years for the hours they currently work? You want teachers to work longer hours, but give them nothing in return? You want to remove job protections, but give them nothing in return? You believe teachers are paid "top salaries"? You also act as if Mahwah parents lack the intelligence to encourage academics during the summer. I'm pretty insulted by that. Sounds like you need a reality check more than anything. Teachers are still people, not machines. I have been watching our school district rise in recent years. That is not to say that the system can't be tweaked, but when NJ has some of the top schools in the nation and Mahwah has now be on the rise for years, what dictates a radical change in the system? Seems to me it needs more of a tweak than anything.

Bob, I'm realizing I'm getting under your skin - and that wasn't my intentention. Sorry for that.

I agree with you that it is important that teachers are paid annual salaries that attract well-educated, motivated and talented people to pursue and stay in that profession - rather than picking alternatives on the job market. I too hope that the teachers' union and the board can come up with contract terms that keep salaries competitive and are appropriate under the current economic conditions.

But I wan't taking the provincial view. This is not a about Mahwah or about New Jersey. Comparatively we are lucky to have many great teachers & and generally good schools in this town and state. We are in agreement. I also want the schools to have very good funding - for modern infrastructure, up to date teaching materials, coursework, etc.

But, people are always scratching their heads why over the course of 13 years, American kids are falling behind kids from other civilized coutnries. From frist henad experience I can state that one reason is the amount of non-teaching days in a year. Adding up a few extra weeks in the summer, guaranteed snow days (when it doesn't snow), do accumulate to 15-20 days a year, which is almost a work month. Do this over 13 years and you have kids that are 1 full year behind.

I can be in support of the Mahwah's schools and their teaching professionals - and still express my view that we are keeping kids out of school too much.

You think teachers are already paid top salaries. Does that mean you wouldn't be willing to pay them more to teach in the summers? Also, over the course of the last 13 years has the number of instructional days decreased? The answer is no, so your argument is bunk that the reason scores have gone done is because of less days in school. In Mahwah, scores have actually gone up over the last 13 years for what it is worth. Also, snow days and the length of February break have no impact on the amount of days a school year consists of. That is mandated by the state. Here is your plan so far: Increase the school year but teachers get paid the same (or they "fight" for the right AKA work for free) to spend more time with students. Remove tenure and..... I don't know you haven't been very clear about how your system would work. I would love to hear about what you think tenure is and how it actually works. That would be a good place to start. I appreciate your right to an opinion, but your educational opinions just seem contradictory.

>> so your argument is bunk that the reason scores have gone done is because of less days in school <<
I don't believe I claimed that scores have gone down!?

>> your educational opinions just seem contradictory <<
181 student contact days was too little 10 years ago and is still too little today. Considering that most parents get between 4 and 6 weeks of annual vacation (if they are so lucky), I fail to see the purpose of keeping kids out of school for months. 6 weeks of summer vacation (like elsewhere in the world) and offering a nice spring break of 2 weeks provides plenty of time for studens to regenerate -- without them forgetting half of what they learned. What is contradictory about that?

As far as salaries - no one is asking for free labor? Teachers deserve to be renumerated like other professionals with comparable academic background and responsibilities - adjusted for the work hours and work days in a year (teachers work additional hours outside of school hours to grade papers, prepare lessons, update knowledge, etc. -- but possibly may have fewer work days than the 220 - 240 days of the regular work force (even if I were to assume a generous 4 - 6 weeks of vacation and 10 guaranteed holidays).
Obviously, if our current teacher pay (relative to the work days) is not already comparable, then it needs to be adjusted up. Parents will be saving day-camp/baby-sitting fees and/or lost work hours for having to stay home.

Being Devil's advocate here but: Wouldn't that hurt the economy if summer camps take a big hit because kids are in school longer? I totally agree that kids could use more facetime with academic material. In the age of the internet, I am surprised more parents don't try to supplement their learning in the summer as it is. I also think it is an American ideal that kids be allowed time to be kids which I think the main reason for all the vacations. Is that wrong? You tell me. I would imagine there are many teachers would be willing to work more days if they were compensated for their time. If they work at camps, why wouldn't they rather keep working in school? I think we can both agree it is a dangerous time for education in Mahwah right now. There is a tremendous amount of unknown between the BOEs inability to properly manage the district to the changes coming in the way of new core standards and new national tests down the pike for the 2014-15 school year. We need someone to step-up and take the reigns before permeneant damage is done to the educational progress in Mahwah.