News, Education
Monday, December 03, 2012
Landon: Week Lost to Sandy Won’t Affect Recesses
The lost week of school due to Storm Sandy will not eliminate nor shorten either the February or April recesses, but will reconfigure professional development days and possibly extend the school year by three days if inclement weather causes more days off, according to a recommendation Westport School Superintendent Elliott Landon plans to present to the school board tonight. 
Elliott Landon: “Unanimous consensus” to retain recesses. Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
In his letter, Landon said he has been meeting with parents, teachers and administrators to decide how best to adjust the 2012-13 school calendar due to Sandy.
“There appears to be a unanimous consensus on the part of all groups that both the February and April recesses be retained,” he stated.
To help make up that time, Landon said the Westport Education Association and the Westport Intermediate Administrators agreed to hold one of the two scheduled professional development days on a Saturday.
“As to the other professional development day, I have elected to recommend two one-half days for students that would be accompanied by two one-half days professional development days for teachers,” said Landon.
He added that the half-days would be “situated strategically within the calendar so that neither “piggyback on long weekends nor precede a school vacation, this providing minimal student absences and full instructional opportunities for all students.”
On top of that, Landon said he wants to ensure that three weather-related emergency days, such as snowstorms, remain built into the school calendar. In the event such days are required, the school year will not end June 20 but extended to include June 21, 24 and 25.
“If we have no need to close schools for weather-related emergencies, the school year would end on June 20, 2013,” he said.
The Board of Education will vote on Landon’s recommendation at its scheduled meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Staples High School cafeteria.
Comments: Comment Policy
Many thanks for this decision!
Clearly this is the flood resolution!
Indeed!!
Thank you to our Westport school teachers and administrators for agreeing to professional development on Saturdays.
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Note: WestportNow Publisher Gordon F. Joseloff is also First Selectman of Westport