LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Instructional Minutes at CUSD

EDITOR'S NOTE: The calendars previously attached to this letter to the editor were not official calendars from Capistrano Unified School District and contained inaccuracies. Patch has since attached an official calendar, approved by the Board of Trustees.

Rahm Emanuel, mayor of Chicago: 

It is unacceptable that a student graduating high school in Chicago has had four years less of classroom instruction time than her counterpart in Houston. Until learning time is extended, particularly for students that need it most, achievement won't dramatically improve.

On an average of U.S. students go to school 6.5 hours a day, over the course of 180 days. The state of Illinois requires 176 days of education. Last year, the Chicago Public Schools only had 170 days. All eyes are on .

As a parent, did you know that the state of California has lowered the required minimum number of days of school to 160 (half days are treated like full days in this count).

The currently approved CUSD calendar gives our students 129 full days of school plus 45 Minimum Days, which is 174 (if you are counting minimum days equal to full days).  

CUSD elementary school children are in school 8 a.m. to 2:20 p.m., six hours 20 minutes per day during a full day and five hours per day during a minimum day.

Are the children in CUSD going to graduate high school with four less years of classroom instruction than their counterparts across the country? 

The CUSD Elementary School Calendar for 2012- 2013 shows that our children will be in school:

Holding Our Children Hostage

The district . This would put our school year at 165 days (technically 164 days if your child's back-to-school night is not held on a minimum day). The last day of school will be May 26.

If needed, the district can use five additional furlough days as needed (down to 160 days) to balance its budget. This would end our school year May 17, (10 percent shorter school year than last year, which would make it the shortest school year in the nation.)

As a parent - how do you feel about our district short-changing your children's education to maintain employee compensation? That was the choice that the current board made this summer while parents were on vacation. They did so behind closed doors with no input from parents or the public. They did so on the record and with no discussion .

If you care about your child's education, you need to be a voice for your child because there is no one at CUSD who is making decisions from the perspective of what is in the best interest of the children – it is all about adult jobs.