Disagree with the Vote No. In my carpool, my HS kid and his friend want calendar to stay the same. They want the Semester to end at winter break. My upcoming high school aged child is involved with activities and will be one enrolled in the AP classes.
I think you need to be asking the kids affected what they want and what is best for them. Unfortunately, they don’t get to vote.
Way to stick it to “The Man” by not listening to what actual students want.
With all do respect to all, I cannot believe we are having a vote over this matter and that there are actual yard signs about this issue.
We have a teacher shortage in this state. Teachers are paid far less than their fellow teachers in the neighboring states. We have political leaders assaulting the efficacy of a liberal arts education (No wonder they can’t find english teachers for Timbuktu, South Dakota), and education is too dependent upon the property taxes of a grandparent on a fixed budget; but what do we do in Sioux Falls? Well, we have a debate over when the school year should start.
Not a debate between keeping our current 19th century agrarian school calendar versus a twelve month calendar, oh no, rather a debate about “Saving our summer.”
Seriously folks, this is so Mayberry of us all. An outer-towner watching our local news from a hotel tv or reading the local headlines would not know we a have a rising crime rate in Sioux Falls or all of the other aforementioned problems we have with our current education system in this city and state.
Who came up with this issue? Or better yet, who are the citizens that allowed this issue to gain fruition? What makes a person have interest in wasting their time to circulate such a petition to be placed on the ballot? Was is it Clara Edwards, aunt Bee’s nosey busy-body friend? Or was it Howard Sprague the anal city clerk? Certainly not Andy, he had too much common sense, and well, Barney, he was always too busy trying to memorize the preamble to the constitution or trying-out for the church choir…. And it definitely was not Goober or Goomer…. or was it?
We need leaders and leadership on the real issues and an end to sophomoric ideas like this ballot initiative. If we are going to seriously address and recognize the real issues which challenge our community and state today.
I guess my vote has been determined by the Jackilope’s two-person poll. Actually, I don’t care eitiher way and have no horse in this race. I know it goes against everything we always say, but I’m sitting out this issue when I vote.
I don’t understand how people believe that if we vote yes the school board will still come to the table with a compromise. I personally will be voting NO to hold the school board accountable.
Is there a double talk mystery question on the ballot? There must be a reason to get uninformed citizens to the polls. Is there going to be another indoor pool?
Has the issue been addressed anywhere of how this will affect those kids in summer ‘daycare’ programs? What percentage of the employees of those programs are college students? What happens to the parents using those programs for summer care for their children when half the work force has to leave for college 2 weeks before the kids go back to school? It seems that when I see groups out and about in the summer most of the workers are college aged. (The same question applies to the public pools and availability of staff once the college students are gone.) I don’t have tremendous leanings in either direction (although for some reason my 10 and 13 year olds are adamantly against the switch), but I’ve never seen these questions being addressed and to me they are some of the more crucial questions that should be asked (educational implications aside).
Winston’s dead-on in number 2. As an outsider who lived in your midst for half a decade, it blows my mind that people in South Dakota shrug their shoulders at underfunded schools with mediocre teachers making lousy salaries but will get themselves worked up into a hot mess over when school starts.
95% of parents aren’t going to do jack squat with those “extra” three weeks of summer. And frankly, that the parochial wants of seasonal businesses that exploit the once-again-underpaid labor of children get to drive a discussion like this is beyond stupid.
Congratulations on letting Milky Way, Wild Water West, and that Labor Day vacation you’re only going to talk about taking drive your educational policy discussions.
I find this issue incredible in many ways. It is just plain stupid to be voting on it at all.
If the schools were not setup to be first and foremost a group of sports training centers I would be against this vote. We have it in front of us voters so we have to put up with a football playoff system to prove for a moment some school(s) can have bragging rights. We have to waste our time with this vote when there are so many other things to be concerned about.
When are we going to have a public vote on school funding, teacher pay and many more important issues. The school district breaks state law by coordinating the opposition to the vote. There are former public employees going to prison right now in Wisconsin for interfering in the electoral process. We should be holding our public employees to the same standards.
We as a society seem to be more concerned about our playthings and personal greeds than the greater good of a real public discussion.
My choice is to vote NO because the school board and the administration had a chance to compromise. They chose not to. The Sioux Falls School Board has many of the same arrogance issues our city administration has. Both of these governmental bodies must experience more public defeats to hopefully cause public accountability.
Why don’t the state, school administration and city ever follow through on the voters wishes? Because the sheeple never holds them accountable.
Maybe this will be the very issue that opens the doors to communication with all of the above topics? Take a look at the process for selecting a Superintendent. Five school board members, behind closed doors, and no public interaction regardless of who you are – teacher, parent, community leader, etc. The highest position in our school district with taxpayer dollars and they did not involve one taxpayer besides themselves. It simply amazes me. You wonder how this issue came to fruition? It all started on 37th and Phillips and then with a school board that didn’t believe in the very people that elected them.
Karma, I have concerns about the Superintendent selection process as well and a balance needs to be found in that one, most definitely.
However, I also remember when John Harris retired as Superintendent and the School Board had a very exhaustive and expensive selection process for a new Superintendent to replace Harris, which resulted in much criticism at the time for the costs involved and resulted in picking a Superintendent who stayed for only one year.
So the opposite approach can be troubling, too, to voters –
but let us not turn tomorrow’s “Yes/No” vote into a referendum about whether we like the Board or not, that is what the choices between the School Board candidates is all about, which is a choice or choices the voters will have on Tuesday…. and if you don’t like the choices then maybe you should have ran.
Disagree with the Vote No. In my carpool, my HS kid and his friend want calendar to stay the same. They want the Semester to end at winter break. My upcoming high school aged child is involved with activities and will be one enrolled in the AP classes.
I think you need to be asking the kids affected what they want and what is best for them. Unfortunately, they don’t get to vote.
Way to stick it to “The Man” by not listening to what actual students want.
With all do respect to all, I cannot believe we are having a vote over this matter and that there are actual yard signs about this issue.
We have a teacher shortage in this state. Teachers are paid far less than their fellow teachers in the neighboring states. We have political leaders assaulting the efficacy of a liberal arts education (No wonder they can’t find english teachers for Timbuktu, South Dakota), and education is too dependent upon the property taxes of a grandparent on a fixed budget; but what do we do in Sioux Falls? Well, we have a debate over when the school year should start.
Not a debate between keeping our current 19th century agrarian school calendar versus a twelve month calendar, oh no, rather a debate about “Saving our summer.”
Seriously folks, this is so Mayberry of us all. An outer-towner watching our local news from a hotel tv or reading the local headlines would not know we a have a rising crime rate in Sioux Falls or all of the other aforementioned problems we have with our current education system in this city and state.
Who came up with this issue? Or better yet, who are the citizens that allowed this issue to gain fruition? What makes a person have interest in wasting their time to circulate such a petition to be placed on the ballot? Was is it Clara Edwards, aunt Bee’s nosey busy-body friend? Or was it Howard Sprague the anal city clerk? Certainly not Andy, he had too much common sense, and well, Barney, he was always too busy trying to memorize the preamble to the constitution or trying-out for the church choir…. And it definitely was not Goober or Goomer…. or was it?
We need leaders and leadership on the real issues and an end to sophomoric ideas like this ballot initiative. If we are going to seriously address and recognize the real issues which challenge our community and state today.
I guess my vote has been determined by the Jackilope’s two-person poll. Actually, I don’t care eitiher way and have no horse in this race. I know it goes against everything we always say, but I’m sitting out this issue when I vote.
I don’t understand how people believe that if we vote yes the school board will still come to the table with a compromise. I personally will be voting NO to hold the school board accountable.
Winston … exactly!! What privileged group has had the time/money/interest to launch this campaign?
Is there a double talk mystery question on the ballot? There must be a reason to get uninformed citizens to the polls. Is there going to be another indoor pool?
Has the issue been addressed anywhere of how this will affect those kids in summer ‘daycare’ programs? What percentage of the employees of those programs are college students? What happens to the parents using those programs for summer care for their children when half the work force has to leave for college 2 weeks before the kids go back to school? It seems that when I see groups out and about in the summer most of the workers are college aged. (The same question applies to the public pools and availability of staff once the college students are gone.) I don’t have tremendous leanings in either direction (although for some reason my 10 and 13 year olds are adamantly against the switch), but I’ve never seen these questions being addressed and to me they are some of the more crucial questions that should be asked (educational implications aside).
Winston’s dead-on in number 2. As an outsider who lived in your midst for half a decade, it blows my mind that people in South Dakota shrug their shoulders at underfunded schools with mediocre teachers making lousy salaries but will get themselves worked up into a hot mess over when school starts.
95% of parents aren’t going to do jack squat with those “extra” three weeks of summer. And frankly, that the parochial wants of seasonal businesses that exploit the once-again-underpaid labor of children get to drive a discussion like this is beyond stupid.
Congratulations on letting Milky Way, Wild Water West, and that Labor Day vacation you’re only going to talk about taking drive your educational policy discussions.
I find this issue incredible in many ways. It is just plain stupid to be voting on it at all.
If the schools were not setup to be first and foremost a group of sports training centers I would be against this vote. We have it in front of us voters so we have to put up with a football playoff system to prove for a moment some school(s) can have bragging rights. We have to waste our time with this vote when there are so many other things to be concerned about.
When are we going to have a public vote on school funding, teacher pay and many more important issues. The school district breaks state law by coordinating the opposition to the vote. There are former public employees going to prison right now in Wisconsin for interfering in the electoral process. We should be holding our public employees to the same standards.
We as a society seem to be more concerned about our playthings and personal greeds than the greater good of a real public discussion.
My choice is to vote NO because the school board and the administration had a chance to compromise. They chose not to. The Sioux Falls School Board has many of the same arrogance issues our city administration has. Both of these governmental bodies must experience more public defeats to hopefully cause public accountability.
Why don’t the state, school administration and city ever follow through on the voters wishes? Because the sheeple never holds them accountable.
Maybe this will be the very issue that opens the doors to communication with all of the above topics? Take a look at the process for selecting a Superintendent. Five school board members, behind closed doors, and no public interaction regardless of who you are – teacher, parent, community leader, etc. The highest position in our school district with taxpayer dollars and they did not involve one taxpayer besides themselves. It simply amazes me. You wonder how this issue came to fruition? It all started on 37th and Phillips and then with a school board that didn’t believe in the very people that elected them.
Karma, I have concerns about the Superintendent selection process as well and a balance needs to be found in that one, most definitely.
However, I also remember when John Harris retired as Superintendent and the School Board had a very exhaustive and expensive selection process for a new Superintendent to replace Harris, which resulted in much criticism at the time for the costs involved and resulted in picking a Superintendent who stayed for only one year.
So the opposite approach can be troubling, too, to voters –
but let us not turn tomorrow’s “Yes/No” vote into a referendum about whether we like the Board or not, that is what the choices between the School Board candidates is all about, which is a choice or choices the voters will have on Tuesday…. and if you don’t like the choices then maybe you should have ran.