|
Post by dualmaestra on Aug 8, 2015 20:53:16 GMT
Our school looked into it...here is what the board had wanted.... I would teach "x" weeks. At the end of my time I had to pack up my stuff because it was all going to be put on carts, moved to storage. Once I was out a new teacher would take the room for "x" weeks. She would teach.... I return, my stuff comes out of storage, I set up the room, teach, then pack up, storage and the cycle continues. At any level this was a nightmare. Think of an Elementary classroom teacher and her stuff. Another reason it hasn't worked in my district is that the buildings are not air conditioned. I've never done it but under different circumstances I think it would be a good thing. Had to do this and it was horrible. 4 teachers were grouped, 1 for each track. One was a "rover". When A track/teacher was off, the rover went into that room. When A came back, B went off-track and rover moved into B's room, etc.But we had overcrowding and it had to be done
|
|
|
Post by RiverIsis on Aug 8, 2015 20:53:44 GMT
I am thankful dd did not have year round schooling, though, as homeschoolers, I admit we did continue some schooling in the summer which helped lighten the load a bit during the year. Summers gave her a time to explore other avenues more deeply than can normally be done when school is in session. My complaint with the current test based system is that after the state testing is over then the kids have the school testing so have about 6 weeks of testing at the end of the school year, additionally if kids are AP they have that testing, though normally they have already topped out of the state testing at that point. In my opinion that is what is stopping exploration not the school year set up. Indeed my kids started school in England and the last month of school was class trips and exploration etc.
|
|
raindancer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,095
Jun 26, 2014 20:10:29 GMT
|
Post by raindancer on Aug 8, 2015 20:54:17 GMT
Can someone please tell me why this hasn't become standard in the US yet? There are so many positives to it and I can't think of any negatives. Seems like teachers just want their summers off. But hell, who doesn't? I don't know either. We are in a year round district and it's excelling in a state that is known for failing. It just makes sense to.operate this way. I have been told that it would interfere with hunting season. Not even kidding.
|
|
|
Post by RiverIsis on Aug 8, 2015 20:55:26 GMT
That honestly makes no sense. We found we don't travel during the summer because that is when everyone else is off! We love having breaks when all the other schools are in, less crowds, less heat - but those are still tourism dollars. It's not just travel. Seasonal businesses like amusement parks and water parks depend on high schoolers to work the season and on kids being out of school to have season passes. The beach tourist towns here are only open during the season. They make all of their money May-August and then a lot of the businesses there closed the rest of the year. As I said, every time this is brought up here, businesses lobby heavily against it. I'm not concerned about it happening here. I live in a big tourist area. It still works. The tourist/business industry is overstating its case.
|
|
raindancer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,095
Jun 26, 2014 20:10:29 GMT
|
Post by raindancer on Aug 8, 2015 20:56:37 GMT
I am opposed to year round school for a number of reasons, chief among them at the moment is the stress that students are under. If my ds had to be under the amount of pressure year round that he was under this past school year, he would lose his marbles. The time to be a kid is so short, I would rather just let them be kids. It is less stressful to take frequent breaks and to keep up on the gains instead of trying to come back from all that time off. Study after study has shown this to be true.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 23:38:07 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2015 20:57:05 GMT
I am opposed to year round school for a number of reasons, chief among them at the moment is the stress that students are under. If my ds had to be under the amount of pressure year round that he was under this past school year, he would lose his marbles. The time to be a kid is so short, I would rather just let them be kids. It is less stressful to take frequent breaks and to keep up on the gains instead of trying to come back from all that time off. Study after study has shown this to be true. This isn't true for all kids, though. I hate it when the system has to play to the lowest common denominator.
|
|
|
Post by RiverIsis on Aug 8, 2015 20:58:24 GMT
Can someone please tell me why this hasn't become standard in the US yet? There are so many positives to it and I can't think of any negatives. Seems like teachers just want their summers off. But hell, who doesn't? I don't know either. We are in a year round district and it's excelling in a state that is known for failing. It just makes sense to.operate this way. I have been told that it would interfere with hunting season. Not even kidding. SMH I know some districts have their breaks scheduled for hunting season. People are just looking for excuses.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 23:38:07 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2015 21:28:18 GMT
My son would have done well with year round schooling. He was good and rested in July doing stuff and playing with friends. In August he was bored and ready to do something else. He didn't do sleep away camp (even though I tried for years to get him to go). He did swimming lessons and oodles of camps. The bottom line is he was BORED.
There are 5 year round schools in the province.
All five year-round schools teach at the elementary level and are located in Richmond, Langley, Maple Ridge and the Cariboo-Chilcotin. (This is from Global News June 27, 2014)
There are none on the Island, though.
|
|
|
Post by littlemama on Aug 8, 2015 21:37:52 GMT
I am opposed to year round school for a number of reasons, chief among them at the moment is the stress that students are under. If my ds had to be under the amount of pressure year round that he was under this past school year, he would lose his marbles. The time to be a kid is so short, I would rather just let them be kids. It is less stressful to take frequent breaks and to keep up on the gains instead of trying to come back from all that time off. Study after study has shown this to be true. Probably for elementary aged kids, but my high school junior needed a nice long break after surviving junior year curriculum.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 23:38:07 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2015 21:49:20 GMT
The U.S. Is actually near the top in number of hours spent in the classroom. I would not mind going year around. I think more breaks throughout the year and a shorter summer would be better for the kids and we would see less regression. Kids in Texas go to school for 177 days. And isn't it said that despite the fact that we have the most in class hours the United States is consistently near the bottom of the academic excellence studies a first world countries. We are doing something very wrong My only experience is with the Japanese educational system and while their's seems to be better, there are many, many things I don't like about it. Students go to school year round there. That means they start April 1, get 5 days off at the end of April-May 5. Get 3 or 4 weeks off in August where they take extra classes at school every day (like cram school except the school provides it. Keep in mind Japanese schools are made of concrete. They have no heating and snow in the winter is cold! Summer is oppressive and there is no air conditioning.) Students also go to early classes (that start at 7 am and end when school starts at 8:30) there is also the option to take extra classes after school every day unless you are in a club which goes from 3:30-7:00 pm some nights. There is supposed to be no more Saturday school, but I don't know if that is true or not. School breaks again in December for about 2 weeks which is 2 weeks of solid homework and cram school. There is time off in March but I think it's only about 2 weeks and then kids are free to do what they want. March break is the best break of the year as the weather has warmed up quite a bit, the school isn't freezing cold and people can travel if they want. Then there is the issue of cram schools which you are encouraged by the school to attend (Like Kumon but more expensive and based on your academic scores-I taught at a really good one. Those poor kids!) They can go to cram school 7 days a week depending on the cram school. The kids also have to fit in memorization of lessons and homework (we didn't generally get a lot of homework. I just remember going to class and sitting there. I didn't speak Japanese then, I couldn't read or write it either. I didn't have a school text book to look at either so I wrote letters home...yeah that was odd. I am not complaining. I learned to speak excellent Japanese and to read and write it. I just didn't learn enough to say I could read a newspaper when I was in high school. I did not get to participate in regular academic classes because Japanese people spoke like blahblabhalbhal and I just looked like a lost puppy. I attended regular classes, I just didn't participate as I couldn't speak or anything...) There are issues with missing school in Japan, too. You are allowed so many excused and unexcused absences in a year and then the governing body gets involved. School is compulsory up until age 16. There are some students who don't go to high school. They often go into trades like hair dressing, carpentry, welding etc. I don't know what the statistics are but they are VERY LOW. They call themselves a Gakureki shakai (which means an educationally based society and you rank in society is based on how much education you get at which schools.) If I said I went to Tokyo University you would assume I am a genius and only the elite of elite get to go there based on their entrance exams. If I said I went to Kyushu University (which is also an excellent university you would think I am still very intelligent). If I said I went to local pharmaceutical university near us you would think a) my dad is a doctor, b ) I am an idiot, c ) I will get married to a doctor as I will become a "pharmacist" (handing out pills at my dad's clinic/hospital at home), and d ) will produce children to become doctors. That university is for young women of means who come from high society families who know their girls will not aspire to anything other than good housewives. (This is perfectly acceptable, normal and expected).
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 23:38:07 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2015 21:54:10 GMT
It is less stressful to take frequent breaks and to keep up on the gains instead of trying to come back from all that time off. Study after study has shown this to be true. Probably for elementary aged kids, but my high school junior needed a nice long break after surviving junior year curriculum. This is why I'm more on the side of year round for younger grades K-5th or 6th and traditional for upper grades. BUT It's a giant PITA for scheduling. So as of right now, I think there are more pros to a traditional schedule for everyone. I am not referring to just parents but for school districts as well.
|
|
|
Post by iteach3rdgrade on Aug 8, 2015 21:55:28 GMT
It's not just travel. Seasonal businesses like amusement parks and water parks depend on high schoolers to work the season and on kids being out of school to have season passes. The beach tourist towns here are only open during the season. They make all of their money May-August and then a lot of the businesses there closed the rest of the year. As I said, every time this is brought up here, businesses lobby heavily against it. I'm not concerned about it happening here. I live in a big tourist area. It still works. The tourist/business industry is overstating its case. Does your entire county and every county around it do this? I could see that schools here and there going to school all year might not affect businesses, but if the entire state did it then it might change a lot more.
|
|
ellen
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,516
Jun 30, 2014 12:52:45 GMT
|
Post by ellen on Aug 8, 2015 21:55:55 GMT
Teachers don't make the schedule. We're contracted to work a certain amount of days and the local district makes the schedule. In MN schools have to get permission from the state to start before Labor Day. The state has tried to start students before Labor Day on years when it is late and it doesn't happen because the resort industry goes crazy. Summer tourism is huge here. I don't see my state going year round because of that.
|
|
pyccku
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,817
Jun 27, 2014 23:12:07 GMT
|
Post by pyccku on Aug 8, 2015 22:04:19 GMT
The U.S. Is actually near the top in number of hours spent in the classroom. I would not mind going year around. I think more breaks throughout the year and a shorter summer would be better for the kids and we would see less regression. Kids in Texas go to school for 177 days. And isn't it said that despite the fact that we have the most in class hours the United States is consistently near the bottom of the academic excellence studies a first world countries. We are doing something very wrong We educate everyone. Don't speak English? That's fine, come on in to high school. Take the standardized test, do poorly, then we can point fingers at teachers for not working hard enough. Don't want to be educated, don't want to study? That's fine, we'll enroll you anyway. If you show up on testing day, you'll take the test and your results will affect your teachers' pay and evaluations. Have to go to school as a term of your probation? That's cool, we'll sign you up. You can come in, disrupt the class, cause trouble for the teacher - and then you can test and we can blame the teacher for poor results. In many countries, they do NOT send these types to high school. High school is for kids who are academically inclined and who WANT to be there. Those who don't get shunted into a vocational program. So we compare their test scores (of the kids who like school and tend to do well at it) with our test scores (of all kids, even those who are absent 80% of the time) and then we end up looking bad. The good students in the US are comparable to the good students anywhere. The middle to bad students - well, we can't really compare them since the middle to bad students don't make it to high school in other countries.
|
|
johnnysmom
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,682
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:33 GMT
|
Post by johnnysmom on Aug 8, 2015 22:08:20 GMT
There was talk about us going to year-round last year (we're in rural southern Michigan) but it never came to fruition. As a SAHM/WAHM I'd love it, being able to take vacations down south sometime other than during the blazing heat of the summer, having enough time on a break to enjoy each other but going back to school before we drive each other crazy......perfect! Some of the rumors of why it didn't happen had to do with child care concerns and high school kids with summer jobs.
|
|
|
Post by freecharlie on Aug 8, 2015 22:21:11 GMT
It's not just travel. Seasonal businesses like amusement parks and water parks depend on high schoolers to work the season and on kids being out of school to have season passes. The beach tourist towns here are only open during the season. They make all of their money May-August and then a lot of the businesses there closed the rest of the year. As I said, every time this is brought up here, businesses lobby heavily against it. I'm not concerned about it happening here. I live in a big tourist area. It still works. The tourist/business industry is overstating its case. I don't know what kind of touristy area you live in, but around here they Waterpark and amusement parks are only open during the summer. They could not be open without the high school seasonal workers. (Not that that would be the compelling reason against year round). For those with two tracks, it does increase. Cost because buses and lunches must then run for both (or all three) tracks. Which is why districts typically only do that if there is an overcrowding issue.
|
|
pyccku
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,817
Jun 27, 2014 23:12:07 GMT
|
Post by pyccku on Aug 8, 2015 22:22:10 GMT
Oh, and I personally would LOVE to have a year round schedule - even though it would pretty much kill my chances to do the summer job that I've had for the past two years.
3 weeks off in spring, fall and winter when it's beautiful? Less time off when it's super hot and all of the tourist destinations are crowded? I'd love that.
Our district has discussed it from time to time. Each time, it gets shot down. Not by the teachers - we have NO control over the schedule whatsoever. The parents don't want it for whatever reason.
The idea that teachers are the ones calling the shots here is laughable. It's kind of funny to me how many people think that we have that sort of power. I've had several students come in to me this week and ask why I put them in a particular class or why I am not teaching second year French this year. One asked if I had done them a favor of putting them in the class that their friends from last year were in. I just laughed and told them that has nothing at all to do with me. I make a wish list in April of what I'd like to teach in August and maybe - just maybe - I might get some small part of my wish granted. Nobody asks me for any input on student placement or scheduling, but they all think I have this special power and control.
|
|
|
Post by Darcy Collins on Aug 8, 2015 22:25:17 GMT
Here in the UK State schools have 195 days of school, 190 days pupil attendance and 5 teacher training days (Inset days). The school year consists of three terms, Autumn, Spring and Summer. Each Term is spilt into two half terms with a week off mid term, ie after six/seven weeks. So the school year starts in Sept, first half term late Oct, two weeks off at Christmas, second half term in late Feb, two weeks at Easter, third half term in June, last day in school usually around 22/23rd July. Then six or so weeks of until the new school year starts. Guess what, this arrangement gets complaints from parents because travel companies raise prices to coincide with all the holidays. The Govt are getting tough on parents that take children out of school in school time. I'd like this schedule. I think the US is too weighted to fewer instructional days with longer hours. Each state is different but most are around 170 days. I was shocked when we moved from CA to CO when our kids were in early elementary. It went from 180 days to 160 - but the minimum hours were LONGER. It made for some really long days for a first grader. I think especially in early elementary school they lose too much over the summer, and an 8AM to 3 PM schedule is too long to actually be productive. I think there would be less burnout for everyone and more consistent learning if there were more school days and fewer hours in school.
|
|
kate
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,528
Location: The city that doesn't sleep
Site Supporter
Jun 26, 2014 3:30:05 GMT
|
Post by kate on Aug 8, 2015 22:25:52 GMT
Around here, summer camps are BIG business. Kids as young as 8 years old are sent away for 8 weeks. I can't imagine what would happen to these and the other aforementioned summer businesses if school were year-round.
As a teacher, I do like the idea of year-round school. I wonder (as others have also) what would happen to all the summer masters programs for teachers...
|
|
|
Post by mztfied on Aug 8, 2015 22:27:24 GMT
My kids are 48 and 43. Both went to year round in elementary. So this concept has been around for a very long time. It has it's up sides and it's down sides.
When my oldest graduated to jr. high then we had one child in year round and one in regular. That was a challenge. But was not an unworkable situation.
One of the drawbacks was that each time the track would end and then begin again there was that full week of "getting back into the groove" thing. Some kids adapted very well and fell right back into the process while some just had a difficult time making the transition each 6 weeks. It was easy to see which kids thrived and which did not.
Many parents struggled to find day care for that off time. We were in a rural area where day care was sparse. Today day care is more available.
|
|
|
Post by maryland on Aug 8, 2015 22:28:53 GMT
When DD was in preschool last year (in the same building as the grade school, which had a similar schedule), it floored me by how often the kids were off. They started in early September, had time off in October for conferences. Time off in November for Thanksgiving. Time off in Dec-Jan for winter break. Time off in February for President's Day. Time off in March for spring break. Time off in April for Easter. And then preschool ended in mid-May. It was insane. I don't remember ever having that much time off of school when I was a kid! Keep in mind that we were paying for preschool, and we paid the same amount every month whether the kids were in school every week or not. We took a family vacation in December before Christmas so we ended up paying for a whole month of preschool even though she was only in school for one week. With DD going to kindergarten this fall, she will still have several days off EVERY month of the school year. I work from home so I can work around it, but if I didn't it would be very frustrating. First day of school is Aug. 31st, last day of school is June 3rd. Our calendar this coming year:
School starts Sept 2nd.
Labor Day Sept 7th (this year is weird, school usually starts after Labor Day) Oct 22nd and 23rd (conferences) Nov 11th (middle of week this year, Veterans Day) Nov 25,26,27 Thanksgiving Dec 21st - Jan 3rd Winter Break Jan 18 MLK Day, 29th (Semester Break, not usually on a Friday usually in the middle of the week) Feb 15th (Presidents Day) April 4th-8th (Spring Break) May 30th (Memorial Day)
June 15th (Last Day of School)
We have a similar schedule. School starts around Aug. 27th and gets out June 4th. We also seem to have a lot of time off during the school year. Almost a week at Thanksgiving, 2 weeks at Christmas, a few days off in April, and lots of 3 day weekends. I am very happy with our schedule. Although I wish we just had less time off at Thanksgiving and Christmas and started later. It just seems like they hardly go to school between Thanksgiving and New Years and maybe we could take a few of those days and use them in Oct., Feb. or March. But compared to other districts, ours is great!
|
|
likescarrots
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,879
Aug 16, 2014 17:52:53 GMT
|
Post by likescarrots on Aug 8, 2015 22:35:44 GMT
I'm loling at people saying 'ac is easy to install' - AC is actually extremely expensive to install as a climate control system, and if you're talking about putting ac units in each window, that is both extremely inefficient and again, expensive.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 1, 2024 23:38:07 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2015 22:38:04 GMT
My kids were in a year round public school ten years ago. It worked very well. Tradtitional or year round they had 180 days of school. Just breaks were allocated on a different schedule with longer breaks mid spring and mid fall. No reason to raise salaries. No more days were worked than on the traditional schedule.
|
|
|
Post by freecharlie on Aug 8, 2015 22:42:01 GMT
I'm loling at people saying 'ac is easy to install' - AC is actually extremely expensive to install as a climate control system, and if you're talking about putting ac units in each window, that is both extremely inefficient and again, expensive. our high school dates to 1928. There is no adding ac to that part of the building. The next part of the building was built in the 60s. Can't add it to that part either. The part built I the 80s has ac. The windows on the bottom floor are not allowed to have windows ac due to security.
|
|
|
Post by gar on Aug 8, 2015 22:42:59 GMT
Around here, summer camps are BIG business. Kids as young as 8 years old are sent away for 8 weeks. I can't imagine what would happen to these and the other aforementioned summer businesses if school were year-round. As a teacher, I do like the idea of year-round school. I wonder (as others have also) what would happen to all the summer masters programs for teachers... Those businesses would operate for 4 weeks at Easter, 6 weeks in summer etc etc like they do in the Uk. It would be a big transition though certainly.
|
|
|
Post by SockMonkey on Aug 8, 2015 22:46:12 GMT
I'm a teacher and I'm totally open to year round school. I would love breaks at different points in the year as opposed to one long summer. I think it'd be more difficult for working parents who need to find daycare solutions than an inconvenience for teachers. I also think that some of the opinions of "how school should work" that have been shared here are pretty interesting. I have some opinions about how LOTS of systems should work, but I'm not an expert on them, so I typically don't weigh in. But, everyone is an" expert" when it comes to school. Because they went to school. I've been to the dentist, but I certainly could not perform a root canal.
|
|
|
Post by chrissypie on Aug 8, 2015 23:06:16 GMT
I'm very happy with the system we have in Australia - in my state, we have 5 weeks break over summer (Christmas), then 2 weeks each in April, July and September/October. So that is four 10-week terms. We're usually hanging out for a break after 10 weeks!
Working parents that I know utilise grandparents and family friends; take turns taking annual leave during school holidays; or send their kids to "vacation care" (day-care for school-aged kids).
I guess it's really just what you're used to, though, in most cases! This system would be unimaginable to some.
|
|
|
Post by myshelly on Aug 8, 2015 23:08:45 GMT
Around here, summer camps are BIG business. Kids as young as 8 years old are sent away for 8 weeks. I can't imagine what would happen to these and the other aforementioned summer businesses if school were year-round. As a teacher, I do like the idea of year-round school. I wonder (as others have also) what would happen to all the summer masters programs for teachers... Those businesses would operate for 4 weeks at Easter, 6 weeks in summer etc etc like they do in the Uk. It would be a big transition though certainly. That wouldn't work for waterparks, though, which are a huge business here.
|
|
raindancer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,095
Jun 26, 2014 20:10:29 GMT
|
Post by raindancer on Aug 8, 2015 23:27:40 GMT
It is less stressful to take frequent breaks and to keep up on the gains instead of trying to come back from all that time off. Study after study has shown this to be true. Probably for elementary aged kids, but my high school junior needed a nice long break after surviving junior year curriculum. Your anecdotes don't mean much. And since you don't have year round school how would you compare it? Our high schools are year round as well. Our high schools do exceltionally well too. The data simply doesn't support your comments.
|
|
|
Post by peasapie on Aug 8, 2015 23:28:46 GMT
The thought of year round school is horrifying to me. Are you an urban person or rural? You aren't taking into account kids helping on the farm during the busy time of year. Three months off? Not here. We go to end of June and start beginning of September. We have choice of a year round school or September to June school. Both are used. Neither is better than the other in general, but may be better for parents. However I've not met a kid yet at the year round school that likes sitting in class in August. They hate it. I'm of the other persuasion. Shorten the year even more, get rid of the crappy "filler", I hate it, my kid hates it. My son detests school, no part of it is enjoyed. None. I can't imagine forcing him to go 11 months of the year. He needs the summer to regroup. His personality is so different. Have you considered homeschooling?
|
|