Sixteen Wednesdays a year:
-Kids are dismissed 2 hours early with nowhere to go.
-Parents miss work.
-Kids have short, useless class periods.
-Some kids go home to empty houses.Teachers should receive professional development, but kids should receive consistency.Learn more below and sign the petition.Email the school board with the link below for an even greater effect! Customize the template with your own thoughts and sign your name for the greatest impact.Lastly, use the links to share this movement with a friend!
Early release occurs on 16 Wednesdays at TUSD, twice a month excluding August, December, and June. Students are dismissed ~ 2 hours on these "early release Wednesdays." Teachers use this time for professional development and collaboration.Here are some of the realities for families:
There are only 11 full school weeks in the school year.
Students must leave campus 2 hours before normal dismissal.
There are no alternative activities at the elementary schools that can accommodate students that don't usually attend daycare.
Elementary school daycares typically have waitlists.
No one knows how many kids ride the bus home to empty houses on Wednesdays.
Many parents work out of town and must take a whole day off to make early release pickup.
The schedule for nearly every week is different from the one before.
Students in 3rd and 4th grade have a worthless time period after lunch on early release days: 36 and 26 minutes respectively.
Early release isn't totally uncommon but that doesn't mean the current implementation is right for Tehachapi. Parents would much prefer a combination of any of the following things:
A consistent schedule.
Enrichment activities instead of requiring elementary students to leave campus.
Early release Friday afternoons to allow an early start to the weekend if leaving town without missing school.
One Friday off for teacher development each month instead of partial days.
Please sign the petition and/or share this site to help make a difference. Let's tell TUSD that families have a voice!
Early release was initially implemented at TUSD in February 2020 as "Late Start" Wednesdays. There was no community input prior to implementation. Only two Late Start Wednesdays occurred prior to schools shutting down for COVID.When school resumed after COVID, late start was changed to early release. Once again there was no call for community input to shape the early release plan.When initially rolled out as late start, the district was providing supervision for middle and high school kids dropped off early. Elementary schools were out of luck. The Boys and Girls Club (TUSD facilities but not a TUSD service) currently provides an excellent option for after school at the middle school. Since implementation, no programs for enrichment have been offered on early release days.Please sign the petition and/or share this site to help make a difference. Let's tell TUSD that famlies have a voice!