Set release schedule a bit off?

I've been playing, judging, and organizing magic for a while now, and in that time I've gotten used to the pacing of sets being released, and of all the tournaments that go with them. As many of us did, I noticed the official announcement of the release of Magic 2012 - and thought nothing of it.

But sometime afterwards I realized that M12, like M11 and M10 before it, was the Third set release in a callendar year, the Summer release. Meaning that it becomes legal half a year before the printed date (as in the year 2011 for M11) and even more confusing - it cycles out of standard with the Fall release of the printed date. Thus the set stops being legal before the callendar year printed on the cards is done.

This struck me as a bit odd. Wouldn't it benefit WotC, their customers in general and casual/new players specifically if the core set for 2011 actually was legal for all of 2011? I'm no expert, but it seems like it would. If only there were some way the core set could be the fourth (fall) set of the callendar year, and cycle out of standard ... say with the first (winter) set release of the year after it's printed date.

This is possible if they simply, change the release schedule a bit such that core sets release in the fall. As a way to transition/ease the player base into this new schedule, a stand-alone set could be introduced into standard.

I fully expect this half-brained idea to be picked apart, so may the picking commense.