The 2017-18 Keller ISD new school calendar and approved start date causes disruption in the previously elongated summer for students and faculty.
The proposed revisions for the school calendar as according to the District of Innovation plan specifically stated that the District shall not begin the 2017-2018 school year before Tuesday, Aug. 15. Since these changes will be effective immediately, the students returning to KISD in 2017, will in fact have a shorter summer.
Having this premature start date will also in turn, force many teachers to having a corresponding educational pacing.
“Fortunately, for a year-long AP class like mine, I have a lot of flexibility in planning and pacing. In the WHAP world we like to ‘kill Napoleon by Christmas,’…that is to say, we should finish the Atlantic Revolutions before Winter Break. However, I haven’t really been able to do this before, so I hope that this earlier start date will allow me to get a little further in the curriculum,” said AP World History teacher, Melissa West.
Starting earlier in the summer would affect when students learn curriculum goals, as well as the scheduling of the semester. Since the plan calls for school to start an entire week earlier, the first semester would end on December 15, 2017 before Winter Break.
The Local Innovation plan includes how this proposal would have the flexibility for a partial week of school for students. However, starting earlier in the summer also comes with some disadvantages, such as the individuals involved in extracurricular activities that begin prior to the start of school.
“While I appreciate the changes that the district has made regarding the start date, the fact that it causes substantial changes to the marching band schedule is irritating. Since we start at the end of July, we have to attend school every month of the 2017 year,” said Erin Obregon, a sophomore in band.
Band students will start their season on July 24, 2017, giving the students even less of a summer than they already had. The upcoming 2017-2018 school year will see these changes taking place, as drafted in the Keller ISD calendar, approved in the board meeting on Feb. 9, 2017.
“There are definitely a few things on the new calendar I don’t particularly like,” said West. “But a lot of people worked hard to put it together, and I’m sure it’s tough trying to create something that satisfies students, parents, staff, and the state.”