New Academic Calendars approved for 2009-2010

This article in the Commercial Dispatch details the discussion and the vote last night at the school board meeting.

Dr. Phillips did a great job of introducing the proposal and explaining why it is a positive move. He reported on the surveys that were done among parents and teachers assessing support for the extended-year calendar.

It's too bad more people weren't convinced to take this extraordinary step to improve education in the CMSD. Only Sale and Stokes-Beard will use the 11-month calendar this coming school year. All others schools in the district will stay with the traditional calendar.

Julie Jordan asked a very important question; What ideas do teachers and parents who rejected this idea to raise academic standards have to improve their schools? We must all be accountable for improving education. What are some of the other ideas?

What's Happening at Stokes-Beard Technology & Communication Magnet School:
Watch WCBI news for an upcoming feature of the Stokes-Beard Broadcast 101 team. May 8 Boot Camp Finale' will be held to celebrate all the hardwork our third and fourth graders have put forth preparing for the MCT2 and to cheer them on for their efforts on the tests next week. The MCT2 will be given May 12-14. Field Day for PreK-2nd will be held May 15. Stokes-Beard will have a culminating activity for the recent schoolwide Project-Based Learning unit of living systems. We will have the Bodywalk at our school on May 19th. Volunteers are needed to help set up on May 18th. Awards Day for PreK and Kindergarten will be held May 18th and for 1st through 4th on May 20th. May 21st is the last day of school for students and it is a 60% day. The Summer Excellence Academy for select students starts May 26th at Stokes-Beard and ends on June 16th.

Events at CHS

It is the time of year when there are MANY activities around the district leading up to graduation. Tonight, there is a meeting at CHS for the IB parents discussing the CAS requirements. tomorrow night, the football team plays an intra-squad scrimmage. The spring football game against Yazoo City is in Jackson on May 16. Graduation is May 23.

What else is happening?

State Budget

The US Dept of Ed approved the Governor's plan for the State Stablization Funds. This clears the way for final budget negotiations in Jackson. From everything I've read and heard, approximately $52M of the $71M cut earlier this year from FY09 budgets will be restored. Then, approximately $95M will be used for FY10 budget. (Some $19M will be used for IHL in both FY09 and FY10.) This leaves approximately $204M of the $391M total State Stablization Fund's allocation for education for future uses.

The expectation is that MAEP funds will remain "flat" for FY10; however, some of the other line items such as transportation and EEF will likely be reduced. All the conversation in Jackson about the overall state budget is very gloomy.