I live in NJ. We are overcrowded, overtaxed and underappreciated by the rest of the country. Despite its national reputation, New Jersey actually earns its nickname as the Garden State. Here in South Jersey we are busy preserving our open spaces to ensure quality of life for current and future residents. How many future residents, however, is now in doubt. A recent report out of Rutgers University shows that NJ had a loss of 231,565 residents between 2002 and 2006. We were fourth behind California, Louisiana and New York for lost population. Most of the fleeing population ended up in Florida, Pennsylvania (our immediate neighbor to the west) and North Carolina. What does this say about New Jersey? Well, it's in the company of the two biggest "blue" states - high taxing and highly liberal who are also bleeding population.  There is no question that property taxes, car insurance and the cost of living overall are all too high in New Jersey. Our govenor (the obnoxious and egotistic Jon Corzine - use the seat belt you a**!) seems to see only one solution to the state's budget woes - raise taxes! What a novel approach for a Democrat. In order to pay for a property tax "rebate" Corzine and the Democratic-controlled state legislature raised the sales tax from 6% to 7%. They take from one pocket to give to the other. Do they think we don't realize what they are doing?

I have lived in NJ since I was five (minus college and law school). All my family still lives here. We are closely attached to our church, our school, our town and our friends. We have no plans to leave New Jersey despite the rising cost of living here because our quality of life depends upon these attachments we have made. I suggested to my engineer husband that maybe we should flee to North Carolina like nearly 30,000 other former New Jerseyans. As an excellent electrical engineer he would have no trouble finding work in the research triangle. We would find another parochial school for our children and become active in a nice parish down there. I'm sure they even have karate in N.C. (my husband is about to test for black belt). Our taxes are sure to be lower and the house you can get for your money is impressive. Despite the obvious positives to such a move, we won't do it. We live in New Jersey - for good or bad. That's just the way it is. 

So, I read this Washington Post article, (h.t. NRO) about the antiquated summer vacation in the American education system. 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/11/AR2006071100871.html?sub=AR

His basic premise is that the current schedule of taking off the summer was designed in the mid-19th century and doesn't reflect the realities and needs of today's students and families. There is certainly some truth to that. According to the research, inner city and minority students are the least well-served by the current situation. He is also careful to note that any changes to the system should be made locally, not nationally. Of course, all the usual suspects are implicated in why a change will not be immediately forthcoming.

As a stay-at-home parent, the summer recess doesn't negatively effect me in the way it does families with two full-time working parents. The child care conundrum is a big problem for some people. But what does effect most students is the brain-drain of the summer break. It's generally understood that nearly the entire first trimester of the school year is devoted to reviewing that material the students ostensibly learned the previous year but forgot over the summer. This seems like a colossal waste of time. Of course, my children would take legal action to divorce themselves from me if I were to even suggest the elimination of summer vacation. I attempt to prevent the brain drain by encouraging them to read books and do some math worksheets but I hate to be the wet blanket that interrupts their Nintendo DS playing and Cartoon Network watching.

Personally, I think that if there wasn't already so much invested in the idea of a long summer recess, the better solution would be a shorter summer break (maybe six weeks) with longer inter-semester breaks throughout the school year. Having a longer break between semesters or trimesters, say three weeks, would give students a nice break in the middle of the school year and families a chance to take vacations at different times of the year. It would also limit the summer brain drain and make learning a year-round endeavor. It may even give two-income families more options when it comes to child care (such as parents alternating weeks off to be home with their kids).

It's just a thought, and not an original one, I know. But far be it from me to take on the Teachers' Unions, 150 years of educational history, and my kids in one fell swoop.

OK, I think I got the bugs worked out (spelling errors, typos, etc. . .) So, what to say . . . what to say. . . Hey, how about that train bombing in India? Boy, that was bad, huh? Let's see  . . . , what to say . . . I got nothin'. I'm going to bed and will hopefully have something quite smart and thought-provoking to say in the a.m. Good night!

Hi Everyone (you know who you are). This is the first entry in my new blog. It ain't much but I'm hoping to gain a following of five or six people. That's if I can teach mom and dad how to locate me on the web. I figure I can make the three boys log on once a day and read my rantings but I have a little time before the little girl can read so my traffic will be limitied for a year or so. Well, that's about it for my first post. Hope it was memorable. Make sure to bookmark this site and stop by often. And blogroll me!