To protect the health of students and for better economic opportunities, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed an executive order in 2016, mandating the public schools in the state to begin after Labor Day. Although the reasoning behind this executive order may sound noble, it failed to address the key issues with the education system. If we read Governor’s claim about better economic opportunities, we can see how this bill prioritizes economic growth over students’ educational needs. This bill indirectly prohibits the intentional curriculum in the public schools of the poorer community that helped students to better prepare for the standardized tests. In this essay, I will try to prove my argument about, why I think this bill is a public good …show more content…
Maryland State Education Association responded to the executive order by saying, “…cutting school years and extending summer is not a solution to any education problem…” (YT) This order goes against the trend of starting school earlier in many parts of the country to bridge the racial and socioeconomic achievement gap, maximize opportunities to prepare students for standardized testing and limit the time that working families need to pay for child care. (WP) Students from families earning more than $200,000 a year average a combined score of 1,714, while students from families earning under $20,000 a year average a combined score of 1,326 in the SAT. Asians top the test with an average score of 1,645, while African Americans record the lowest score with an average of 1,278. (WP) Therefore, it is important to bridge the racial and socioeconomic achievement gap. Under the previous system, schools could offer extra tuition to students in the poorer communities in the summer. Therefore, it would allow the students from these communities to better prepare for the SAT. Thus, forcing schools to end early put them in a disadvantaged position. Some high-poverty schools have attributed gains in classroom achievement in part to their decision to shorten summer recess. From Grutter v. Bollinger, we see the importance of a diverse student body and a college campus. Therefore, not ensuring ample opportunity and access to quality education will take us farther away from having a diverse school campus. Thus, we need to pass laws that will make it easier for students from poorer community to perform on the same level as a student from a wealthy community, and this executive order does not aid this cause in any