School is Out Early in South Carolina

I respect our teachers and the hard work they put in for our kids.  They are true heroes for the hell they go through to teach our kids.

With that said though, I do take issue with the practice of ending all educational teaching approximately 2 weeks before the end of the year.

Our worst in the nation education system apparently quits teaching as soon as students have taken their MAP, PASS (formerly PACT), or whatever other tests they may have to take.  Our students then sit in a classroom and play games, do crafts and watch movies for the final two weeks of school.  Not to mention the two half-days which amounts to a babysitting job for the teachers.

I have talked to some teachers in Spartanburg School District 2 that have already turned in textbooks and have submitted their final grades, all as of late last week.  Correct me if I am wrong, but when I was in school, textbooks were taken up and grades submitted on the next to last day.  The final day was used for goodbye, class parties and the distribution of report cards, when it was all done by hand.  If technology is supposed to make everything faster, then why are they closing down so early?

Schools are required by state law to have 180 instructional school days.  I guess it is up to the school district to determine what constitutes an instructional school day.  I would say that our students are only getting 167 instructional school days, if all of those days are used for instruction.

Let me be clear though, I am not pinning this on the teachers. They are doing what is asked of them.

I believe this falls into the hands of our school district administrators and they must be held accountable!