SOS-NC Today (for a more complete historical record of SOS-NC, Click Here)
Save Our Summers
- North Carolina is a volunteer coalition of parents, grandparents,
education professionals and others who seek to establish, protect
and maintain a more traditional school calendar as an option for
elementary and secondary schools throughout the state. The objective
is to preserve the summer months for outside-the-classroom childhood
and family learning experiences.
In large measure, SOS-NC has been successful in its efforts through
the passage of House Bill 1464 (which, when signed into law, became
SL 2004-180) during the 2004 session of the General Assembly. This
is more commonly called the "School Calendar Law." It
establishes a reasonable school calendar framework to apply statewide,
while giving local boards the ability to fine-tune to meet the needs
of individual systems or school programs. There are also provisions
built in to allow for waivers and exemptions when certain criteria
are met.
Despite the popularity of the concept among North Carolina citizens
and its legitimacy in law (it was thoroughly considered and debated
on the floors of the General Assembly before passage), special interest
groups continue to try and circumvent and overturn it. SOS-NC does
its best to monitor such actions, but with few volunteers, that
task is becoming more difficult. Every year, however, SOS-NCs
president can be found in the halls of the NC legislative buildings,
presenting facts and documentation that help keep the School Calendar
Law intact. Now is certainly not the time to be lulled into inaction
because the law is in place. If NC citizens take that for granted,
they could soon find themselves without the option of a more traditional
school calendar.
Children are the future of North Carolina is a popular
slogan within the education community and is often used by elected
officials. SOS-NC supporters believe the key ingredients to a successful
adulthood for our children are a combination of education, childhood
experiences, and family environment. Please, let your voice be heard.
|