Why do many/most agree that the quality of education needs to be improved and yet many oppose one of the issues that can help improve the process? Why don't we advocate our particular school system go to some sort of different schedule?

 

I heard today that some systems go 6 then off 2. Parents of such systems called in saying how well it worked and that their kids actually liked it better knowing they had an upcoming 2-week break.

 

It solves the age-old issue of the first month of the school system being nothing more than a review of last year.

 

Why would you oppose this? What am I missing?

In addition to the recreational time the summer provides, I would throw out that finding child care for 2 week periods is much more difficult than for an extended period during the summer.

There would be no more summer school for students who are behind to catch back up.

Teachers who make very little can get a summer job, but a two week job would be tough to find.

Two weeks off would have kids "relearning" everything for the first week they are back in school. The more breaks, the less continuity.

 

I am simply presenting the other side of the argument. I can see it both ways and I'm not sure which way is best.

Why do many/most agree that the quality of education needs to be improved and yet many oppose one of the issues that can help improve the process? Why don't we advocate our particular school system go to some sort of different schedule?

 

I heard today that some systems go 6 then off 2. Parents of such systems called in saying how well it worked and that their kids actually liked it better knowing they had an upcoming 2-week break.

 

It solves the age-old issue of the first month of the school system being nothing more than a review of last year.

 

Why would you oppose this? What am I missing?

 

I agree. Though, I think most of the opposition would be in the form of costs.

We could solve a lot of problems if kids started school at age 3 or so. Kids would never know the difference and they would be learning during the most important time for brain development that they ever get.

America has tried many so-called reforms in the last 50 years and yet we have students that are worse off than their parents or grandparents. We may hand out more diplomas, but many of these students are functionally illiterate. What matters most is the effort students put into school when there are there. Too many, and my experience is at the high school level, they expect to be given good grades for minimal, poor quality work or they just come to school to socialize.

And a question I have, is why so many make it to high school and read poorly or not at all? Why are these students promoted to the next level and cannot read? I believe it is because of the so-called reforms that are failures and have left our students worse off. Going more days will not cure that. We used to teach students to read in with long summer breaks and it still can be done.

I'm of the opinion that with 6 weeks on and 2 weeks off, a lot of "re-learning" would be happening every 8 weeks.

I think it has more to do with what's being taught and how it's taught. bugatti gave a perfect example in the Mexican drowning thread.

America has tried many so-called reforms in the last 50 years .

 

Such as?

I'm of the opinion that with 6 weeks on and 2 weeks off, a lot of "re-learning" would be happening every 8 weeks.

 

Explain.

As long as Phineas and Ferb still get their 104 days of summer vacation my boys and I will do just fine.

Practically everyone in this country, including me, have that 180 day school year burned in our brains. What I mean is taking all those days out of school isnt needed anymore because our early education system was based on the agrarian calender and kids were needed to work the farms at home. I dont have any figures in front of me but a slew of countries attend school much more than 180 days. Japan and the Scandinavian countries come to mind. What the point of this is that a 6 week on does not necessarily have to be followed with 2-3 weeks off. Im not arguing for nor against any of the systems...Im just playing devil's advocate. Going to school more days would equal more money, the majority going to teachers in higher salaries. You cant have people work more than their contracted days without compensation, so teachers, figure out what you make per day and start adding. More money means higher taxes and we know that would go over like a lead baloon. We had a speaker at some prof. dev. I was taking had been to Sweden and gave us a complete breakdown of how they did things and, I'll admit, it sounded pretty good!!

Here is a link showing how one advocate would set up the calendar:

 

http://www.nayre.org/calendar_comparison.htm

Summer school, teachers continuing education, construction and cleaning/maintaining the buildings are 3 main ones for the long summer break.

 

Students use that time to make up the credits they have lost during the school year. There are some ways around this by using the time between quarters to make up the work lost that quarter.

 

Teachers use the summer months to complete coursework for the required master's degree while also picking up the administration degrees that are required for principal, dpp, counselor, superintendent, etc, etc.

 

Summer time is when serious construction, renovation can be done that could not be done in 2 weeks. Pendleton's two elementary schools is having major overhauls including a whole new roof put on both. That could not be done with students in the building or during the two weeks off.

 

The buildings need serious cleaning and maintaining to keep them in good shape. Waxing, painting, general fixing, deep cleaning all need time to complete. And not only the buildings but buses, too.

 

Also, if you are spending a great deal of time in class during hot summer months, you will see an increase in your utility bills. Summer time, you will not see the air conditioning being used much in the buildings as it would if students were in the building.

Explain.

 

New math, block scheduling, the entire Ky. Education Reform Act, various methods of teaching reading other than phonics, self-esteem programs and the variations on the school calendar. After trying out new methods, they are eventually dropped and schools go back to the old tried and true ways, but much damage is done before that happens. Although for some reason reading is suffering big time.

 

Add phase electives and modular scheduling to the list.

Edited July 21, 200917 yr by bballfamily
Additional comment

Summer school, teachers continuing education, construction and cleaning/maintaining the buildings are 3 main ones for the long summer break.

 

Students use that time to make up the credits they have lost during the school year. There are some ways around this by using the time between quarters to make up the work lost that quarter.

 

Teachers use the summer months to complete coursework for the required master's degree while also picking up the administration degrees that are required for principal, dpp, counselor, superintendent, etc, etc.

 

Summer time is when serious construction, renovation can be done that could not be done in 2 weeks. Pendleton's two elementary schools is having major overhauls including a whole new roof put on both. That could not be done with students in the building or during the two weeks off.

 

The buildings need serious cleaning and maintaining to keep them in good shape. Waxing, painting, general fixing, deep cleaning all need time to complete. And not only the buildings but buses, too.

 

Also, if you are spending a great deal of time in class during hot summer months, you will see an increase in your utility bills. Summer time, you will not see the air conditioning being used much in the buildings as it would if students were in the building.

 

Well said.