It was late August.  All the school district’s professional and paraprofessional staff were gathered in the high school cafeteria.  And in the hallways walked groups of students.

“Look at that,” said the district superintendent.  “Those kids don’t have cottages or trips to Mackinac Island or Cedar Point.  What they have is this school.  What they want is to be here at school.  Fortunately we have fall sports and cheerleading and marching band to offer them.  But if we try to teach them in the classroom, we would be breaking the law.  How crazy is that?

“The kids are here, they want to be in school; but we can’t teach them.  How does Michigan expect to compete in the global marketplace with educational demands that are third-world or worse?”

Forgive me, but that deserves an “Amen!”

Rebuilding Michigan’s economy will not come from reducing Michigan’s educational calendar.  The law that prohibits public school classes from being held in August is bad for public education and, ultimately, that’s bad business for Michigan.

The interscholastic athletic calendar fit nicely with the 180 to 200 day school year schools once were pursuing.  That sports now seem to start too early and extend too late is not the result of overemphasis on athletics but under emphasis on education.  Change is needed, to be sure:  a more demanding academic calendar, not a less demanding school sports calendar.