Throughout America there are multiple types of schooling offered to students. There is private school, public school, homeschooling—endless options and opportunities. Yet many of these different forms of school are in attendance at different times. For example in Southern California public schools begin school towards the end of August or early September, whereas public schools begin up to a month earlier. This not only puts public school students at a disadvantage, but it also is less efficient.

For advanced students who wish to take advanced placement classes, AP tests are in May. They are at the same time every year across the country. By private schools opening their doors a month earlier than public schools they are giving their students an extra month to learn the material as well as to prepare for the test. This puts public school advanced students at an extreme disadvantage. Not only will they have to be solely responsible for a larger amount of material without the aid of a teacher, but they will also be learning the material in a more high intense and stressful environment. An environment like this is far less conducive to academic prosperity than a low stress environment is.

On top of the lack of time to prepare for AP tests, once they take their exams in May advanced placement students are left doing nothing in their classes, whereas private schools are released to summer soon after AP exams. This is not only a waste of time for the students in these classes, but also a waste of the governments money which is paying these teachers to practically baby sit students while they twiddle their thumbs and text eachother for 6 hours a day for a month. Zyra Rehman (11) says she “thinks it’s ridiculous and so ill planned that we just sit around for a whole month.” This is a common theme with many of the students who attend public schools and are in advanced placement classes.

Although there is issues with both schedules, in terms of advanced placement classes private schools definitely have the right idea. Beginning school in late July or early August and ending it in Late May is the most reasonable schedule to be implemented. By giving students more time to learn and study it is practically guaranteeing better results, as well as putting the governments money to good use.