(WXYZ) — Last Sunday, Corewell Health handed out free backpacks to children here on Campus Martius. I took the opportunity to ask parents when the best time to start school is: before or after Labor Day?
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“I guess as a kid I wanted it to start after Labor Day, but now that I’m a mom myself, I’d rather it start before Labor Day,” says Cashia Kemp, a mother of four.
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“After that, definitely,” says Elena Ault, mother of two children. “Because that way they can get started right away, instead of having to take breaks in between.”
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“I’m ready anytime they come back. It’s all about the kids,” says Lisa Canty, grandmother of seven-year-old Lacy, who agrees that school will start after Labor Day.
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Elena’s children, Masimo, five, and Valentino, four, also wanted to wait until after Labor Day to start. Here in Southeast Michigan, some school districts open before Labor Day and some after. So I asked the parents, wouldn’t it be better if we all worked together?
“No, not really, because for some people it works if it starts before and for some people it works if it starts after,” Cashia said.
“You know, one teacher actually gave me a different perspective and said that if everyone started at the same time, it would be difficult for everyone to take a break or find people to step in. I never saw it that way,” Elena says.
Lisa, an educator who starts work this week, explains the benefits of starting work both before and after Labor Day.
“The advantages are that school starts earlier and we can prepare our classrooms for the incoming students. The advantages after that are that the children have longer holidays,” said Lisa.
“So what’s the downside to starting school before Labor Day?” I asked Elena.
“Aside from the consequence, maybe if we are not ready, if summer does not feel like it is over yet and you have to send your children to school,” Elena said.
And the downside of starting after Labor Day?
“I don’t really see any. It feels like fall starts after Labor Day,” Elena said.
In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter when school starts?
“No,” Cashia said. “You just need to know the date so you can be prepared.”
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