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Madison forms group opposing proposal to shorten summer break
- By David Burch
- Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer
MARIETTA - In the seven years Acworth resident Scotti Madison has lived in Cobb County
with his family, he said he has always been pleased with the quality of education his
children have received.
But three months ago, when he first heard that the county school board was discussing
expanding the local school calendar, Madison, 44, said he discovered a newfound interest
in the inner workings of local education.
"The school system, we think, is fantastic," he said. "There are a lot of parents who are very
involved here and a lot of concerned folks who really want to make the schools better."
What began as casual research into the proposed new schedule turned into a crusade for
Madison, who has become a leading opponent of any attempt to bring year-round school to
Cobb County.
"One of the things that concerns me is that our summers keep creeping further and further
away," he said.
Madison might seem to be an unlikely candidate for an education activist. He attended
Vanderbilt University on a football and baseball scholarship. After graduating in 1980, he
played minor league baseball for five years. Madison moved on to the major leagues for
another five years, playing first base, third base, designated hitter and outfielder for the
Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds.
Once he retired from baseball, Madison returned to live in the city where he spent his college
years, Nashville, before moving to Cobb with his wife, Libby, in 1996.
The couple's 14-year-old daughter Tori attends Harrison High School, and son Trent, 13,
attends Durham Middle School.
So far, the Cobb school board has only casually discussed the issue of expanding the current
school year. The proposal would have school start in early August and add two, one-week long
holidays to the calendar.
Cobb Superintendent Joe Redden suggested the change, arguing that the shorter summer and
more frequent breaks during the school year would help with student achievement. No formal vote
on changing the school year is expected anytime soon. Two of the school board's seven members
said they opposed changing the calendar, two said they like the idea, but would not vote for it if
their constituents did not want it, and three were undecided.
But the fact that the idea is just in its early stages did not stop Madison and a group of about a
dozen parents from forming Georgians Need Summers - a grassroots group opposing changes
in the school year. The group has it own Web site, www.georgiansneedsummers.com, on which
they post studies and research that dispute claims that extending the school year helps student
achievement.
In one report published by the College of Education at Arizona State University, professor
Dr. Gene V. Glass points out that original proposals to operate year-round schools came from
a consideration of the economics of school construction rather than any consideration of
learning gains, and that "several studies have reached the conclusion that there is no significant
difference in achievement between students in year-round schools and students attending
traditional calendar schools."
Another report, published by the National Association of Year-Round Education, shows a
16 percent decrease between 2001 and 2002 in the number of school systems nationwide
offering year-round school.
An online petition on the site asks local parents to support the statement "We the undersigned
do not support the current early August school start date nor do we support the implementation
of a year round calendar in the district. We support a school start date no earlier than Aug. 21 -
allowing ample instructional days to allow the first semester to end prior to the Winter Break."
Madison said the group has also spoken with faculty at Arizona State University and Rutgers
University about commissioning their own report on the pros and cons of year-round school.
"We're looking at all kinds of alternatives," he said. "We're not simply saying this is not good.
We just want Cobb County to look at all options before deciding to go to year-round school."
The studies being commissioned, Madison said, would look at the various ways that school
systems throughout the United States have improved student achievement without switching
to an extended-year school calendar."There are different programs around the country that have
had success in doing that," he said.
Despite his current objections, to the proposed year-round school, Madison said he continues
to stand behind the overall quality of the Cobb County School District.
"We love it here," he said. "We're just trying to find a way we can continue to enjoy our
summers, continue to allow our children to enjoy the experiences outside the classroom
that are important for life."
dburch@mdjonline.com