I passed a friend today whose wife is a schoolteacher. “Is this her first day?” I asked. “Yep,” he replied rolling his eyes, “and it’s going to be a long night.” “She has stories already, huh?” He laughed and nodded, walking on.
Yes, today is the day dreaded by just about everyone except the parents of the midget miscreants. Busses full of children with enough sugar in their system to kill a horse clog roadways as impatient drivers try to make it to work without running over someone.
I take the cynical view because I am one of those impatient drivers who have to crawl past three schools on my way to work.
I have never understood why we still have summer break. It hangs on like the buggy-whip industry, a leftover relic of a bygone area of letting children return to the farms and help their parents in the harvest. Instead of picking cotton, shucking corn, or harvesting wheat in the blazing hot sun (oh, for the good ol’ days), children frolic in public pools and mope around the house in utter boredom, losing what little they learned in the previous year.
Instead of stopping the senseless practice of the summer break, those concerned institute summer reading programs. It sounds good, but the last thing the average schoolchild wants to do is replace one book with another. I always enjoyed reading programs, but I was a unique child anyway. My geek-o-meter reached near toxic levels when I asked for Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 10th Edition for my 12th birthday.
Some of you know I was homeschooled. It’s not a fact I brag about, but I feel myself privileged to have customized tutoring. Each year at my school (which, oddly enough, had the same teacher every year), we worked year round. But don’t feel sorry for me: we well made up for the lack of vacation days by taking them periodically throughout the year.
Perhaps West Virginia should do the same. Instead of an extended break of over two months, why not spread the time out? A lengthy hiatus would be nice during the spring and fall and principals would not have any difficulty meeting the 180 days required.
It makes sense to me, but so does free ice cream on Fridays and no taxes ever and no one is doing that either. I’m off my soapbox: resume your lives, citizens.
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Comments
Just think if it was year round you would have to crawl past those schools every day….
I have 2 little ones, and I like the break in the summer, but like you said, they do tend to forget much of what they learned over that break, which is close to 3 months. I think 2 would be plenty, with an extended break around Christmas. Then with all of the other days off they have during the year, and there are a lot (ISE and OSE days), there’s plenty of time off.
As a teacher, I use the summer to take classes at my own expense (required by the state) and to upgrade my skills. I also work during the summer teaching students at camps, etc. During this time I actually earn more $$ per month than I do in the classroom and I also obtain technology items for the school. The trainings that I attend are invaluable and impact students learning.
During my ten years of teaching (science) this was the only summer I actually had a week off. During ALL of the other summers I am in class from the day school is out until the day school starts.
Oh, what did I do on the first day of school? I gave my students a test - yes, it does count. We are expected to have high expectations -and I do.
What could the kids do during the summer? We have numerous summer camps - some FREE of charge for students to learn about science, art, etc. Churches have summer camps as well. The opportunities abound - think about our own GOP youth camp for starters. I doubt the school can really teach the things our youth learn from the Bahnsen’s at GOP camp. Nor can the students conduct unique research the way they do at GSMS or GHA.
Additionally, if we were to go year round, the opportunities for my research would have been impossible to attend. I have earned two masters degrees in education -all during the summer. Here is a small list of the research I have conducted:
1.) Advanced Placement course training.
2.) Solar Astronomy Research (U. of Arizona)
3.) Radio Astronomy Research (WVU)
4.) Molecular chemical modeling (Boston U.)
5.) Oceanography (U. of Rhode Island)
6.) Fulbright exchange to Japan
7.) Rotary exchange to Argentina
8.) Techonology training in Problem Based Learning
9.) TI fast track participant
10.) Designing web based lessons for teachers and students (WVU, Wheeling Jesuit U., etc.)
Oh, and most of these opportunities paid a stipend AND room & board - pretty good deal for a teacher who makes very little $$. My summer monthly income dwarfs my school year monthly income!
Perhaps others need to be informed of the opportunities for TEACHERS and STUDENTS - maybe this would better impact education.
Year round school will not work for one reason: SPORT SCHEDULES. The other “real” reason? WVEA will go crazier than they are on this topic.
If I can still get my state, national, and international trainings I currently do during the summer, I will vote FOR your proposal!
My son goes to one of the year round schools in Kanawha County and I love it. I am not a teacher so I work year around and this schedule gives me options for vacation. It has also been great for my child’s retention of previous year instruction.
Will,
Come on dude,…raise the bar even more.
Make it just like the real work world,…school is 52 weeks/yr with 10 official holidays and 2 weeks vacation that can be used in increments as small as 4 hours.
Carey & Will,
I agree, but are you willing to pay teachers for the extra days? We do not get paid for the summer. We ONLY get paid for 200 days. 180 days with students, five teacher prep days on either end, and the five IS days with 10 days vacation…
Man, is this interesting! So-called Republicans (otherwise known as “small-government Democrats”) showing how they really don’t value small-government and individual freedom, but how they value the “goodies” and “benefits” that “democracy” gives them.
I’m for strict separation of school and state. Just like “separation of church and state” where government is not allowed to establish a state religion. I’m for preventing government from establishing a state education.
If you doubt the benefits of such a policy, just look at the results that we have from the opposite policy of full-scale government schools:
(1) Most of the kids can’t read or understand what they read.
(2) Most of the kids can’t think coherently.
(3) Most of the kids are being indoctrinated with socialist pap promulgated by the so-called “liberal elite” that runs the government schools, much to the dismay of the so-called “conservative Republicans” who continue to send thier offspring to government schools.
(4) Most of the teachers (WVEA) are interested PRIMARILY in their own pocketbooks and retirement checks, not educating kids.
Conversely, REAL Republicns would pull their kids out of government schools, refuse to be taxed to support government schools, and get their kids a REAL education.
We need new amendments to both the WV State Constitiution and the US Constitution that ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITS governmental intervention with education in any way.
We also need another amendment to get government out of our private and business lives. What we need is a policy that states: Peoploe can do anything that’s peaceful, honest, non-agressive, non-fraudulent, etc.
Who are these “tax-consumers” that prey upon the productive members of society to their hearts’ (and their pockebook’s delight)
ABOLISH GOVERNMENT EDUCATION ALTOGETHER !
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