Parents try to reclaim summer.

Save our summers! 'Tis the rallying cry heard round the nation as districts push school start dates into early August. The outcry is particularly loud in Florida where the state legislature is weighing two proposals that would prevent schools from opening more than seven days before Labor Day. But is preserving summer the best way to teach kids?

Florida school starts have crept into early August, partly to maximize instructional time before standardized testing. But parents are frustrated.

The calendar is out of whack, says Miami-Dade parent Sherry Sturner. School closes in mid-May, and kids return in early August at the height of hurricane season. Parents complain about sweltering classrooms and buses, yet most schools are air-conditioned, according to the Florida Department of Education. Sturner formed Save Our Summers to preserve the traditional summer break.

Parents may get their way; the Florida legislature will vote on the bills by May, which could push start dates to late August in the 2007-08 school year. Florida districts aren't the only ones feeling the heat.

North Carolina, Texas, Minnesota and Wisconsin have passed legislation restricting early start dates. Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Pennsylvania will consider proposals.

The focus on a long vacation may be short-sighted. The National Association for Year-Round Education claims the traditional agrarian calendar with a three-month summer break has not met students' needs for decades. A balanced calendar with a shorter summer vacation and more frequent breaks can prevent summer learning loss and reduce review time.