| Schools around the nation are looking for | | | | size requirement, and schools are required to |
| ways to improve student performance in light | | | | comply, it's not easy to do. Many of the |
| of stricter state and national standards. The | | | | Tampa Schools needed to add portables, hire |
| Tampa Schools in Florida have been forced to | | | | extra teachers, or create team teaching |
| make changes. But maybe that's not such a bad | | | | groups to get sizes down. But this is all |
| thing. One of the changes that Tampa Schools | | | | done with the kids in mind. And even teachers |
| will see in fall of 2007 is a change in the | | | | who gripe about being set out in a portable |
| start of the school year. While most of the | | | | trailer don't usually argue the merits of |
| country doesn't go back to school until after | | | | smaller class sizes on student achievement. |
| Labor Day, Tampa Schools (like all Florida | | | | Here's the real problem. Whether in the Tampa |
| Schools) are used to starting school in early | | | | Schools or anywhere else, the kids who are |
| August. Being the tourist state that it is, | | | | struggling are the lower income students, and |
| Florida Schools have tried to arrange a | | | | they are often minorities. That's why the |
| schedule different from the flock of tourist | | | | achievement gap in the Tampa Schools has |
| crowds. But the schedule had some problems. | | | | gotten such attention. But of course it makes |
| Families in the Tampa Schools complained that | | | | sense that less educated parents with less |
| the early August start date wasn't | | | | money/time, are going to have children who |
| reasonable. Ever been in Tampa in August? Not | | | | struggle. So every time I hear someone quote |
| the best time for sitting in a crowded | | | | a study on the correlation between poverty |
| classroom and trying to concentrate on | | | | and low achievement, well- I thought that was |
| schoolwork. Turns out that even families in | | | | a no-brainer to begin with! I'm not saying |
| the sunny Tampa Schools use summer vacation | | | | that the Tampa Schools are doing anything |
| as a prime travel time. And just think about | | | | wrong by implementing their current |
| how many Tampa Schools' residents are | | | | initiatives. On the contrary, they need to. |
| northern transplants! Early August is a prime | | | | But the most critical need of the Tampa |
| time for family vacations, and get-aways to | | | | Schools is to find a way to reach out to |
| the cooler northern weather. So this year | | | | struggling parents. Because struggling |
| Tampa Schools will be going back to school at | | | | parents are going to have struggling |
| the end of August. But a different starting | | | | children. And a large percentage of them |
| date won't get the children in Tampa Schools | | | | would love to do better, but don't know where |
| where they need to be when the No Child Left | | | | to begin. So maybe the key to improving |
| Behind Mandate rolls around. Tampa Schools | | | | education in the Tampa Schools lies in |
| Need to Focus on Families Reforms in the | | | | educating the parents of the Tampa Schools. |
| Tampa Schools address issues like class size | | | | |
| (a state mandate), drop-out rates, and | | | | Tampa Schools Patricia Hawke is a staff |
| preparation for life after high school. These | | | | writer for Schools K-12, providing free, |
| are definitely critical issues. While the | | | | in-depth reports on all U.S. public and |
| state of Florida passed the maximum class | | | | private K-12 schools. |