Why are NJ kids back in school before Labor Day? Seriously, why?

Seriously, why?

You’ve got school districts opening the week before Labor Day in many towns across NJ.

In some, like Warren Hills in Warren County, the school year starts on August 26th.

Meanwhile, other districts wait until the Tuesday after Labor Day.

So, what exactly are the kids who go back early, getting that the other kids aren’t?

Photo by Taylor Flowe on Unsplash

Why are NJ kids sitting in classrooms before Labor Day?

It’s the last week of August, it’s hot. Families are still in summer mode, and teachers are being pulled back into classrooms.

Kids are sitting at desks while their friends in the next town are still at the beach.

Are we supposed to believe there's some enormous educational benefit to those few extra days?

I don’t buy it.

Especially here in New Jersey, where the end of summer matters.

Think about the Jersey Shore; for restaurants, shops, hotels, boardwalk businesses, ice cream places and all the small businesses that depend on the summer season, this last week heading into Labor Day matters.

They’ve got a limited number of weeks to make their money, and when schools open early, families leave the Shore.

Vacations end, parents come home because the kids have to be back.

We've seen what goes on in classrooms before Labor Day and After Memorial Day, not a whole lot of learning.

And let’s not forget the teachers.

Why shouldn’t teachers and their families get the traditional end of summer through Labor Day?

I’m not arguing against school, although I do think that private and micro schools are getting more right than public schools, I'm talking about timing and common sense.

Photo via Canva

Does 180 school days really make sense?

If one district can start the Tuesday after Labor Day and educate its kids just fine, why does the district next door need everybody back in August?

Part of the problem is that New Jersey has a required minimum number of school days, so to meet the minimum of 180 days, some districts start earlier to end in mid June instead of late June.

Fair enough, but requiring education based on days and not results is a problem too.

Some states get that the 180 day requirement is simply too long.

Vermont and Wyoming set the number at 175 days. In Oklahoma it's only 165 days.

That's a start.

Some states set a number of hours, and some of those hours include parent teach conferences. That's smart policy that encourages interaction and engagement instead of arbitrary show-up-and-check-a-box policy.

These Jersey Shore districts are keeping summer alive

Congrats to the Shore communities that actually get this. A few examples of schools starting correctly the day after Labor Day:

• Fair Haven - Monmouth County
• Point Pleasant Borough - Ocean County
• Cape May Tech - Cape May County

Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash

So what are kids really learning before Labor Day?

They’re giving teachers and kids the traditional end of summer, they’re giving families Labor Day weekend without worrying about school, and they’re giving the restaurants, shops and small businesses that depend on the Shore season one last important week.

That’s common sense.

Give the teachers the week, give the kids the week, give families the week, and give our Jersey Shore small businesses one last strong week of summer.

Tuesday morning, everybody goes back to school.

So that’s my question for you is what are kids really learning in those few hot days before Labor Day that the kids starting after Labor Day aren’t going to learn?

If there’s a compelling answer, I’d love to hear it, otherwise, let summer be summer.

Let our Shore businesses finish the season.

Happy Labor Day, except for those administrators and politicians who end summer early for too many Jersey kids.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own.

Report a correction 👈

FOLLOW BILL: Join the Bill Spadea's New Jersey channel on our Facebook page.