When I was in the classroom, just a few years ago, I always looked forward to Thanksgiving. Sure, it represents the first significant (and well-deserved) holiday break from school, but that wasn’t the only reason. For me, Thanksgiving represented the psychological half-way point of the school year. Once Thanksgiving passes, it seemed to me, the year starts to really fly by and before I knew it, Spring was upon me. I realize, of course, that Thanksgiving is a fair bit shy of the actual, chronological midpoint, but it always seemed like half the year was over upon its colorful and self-indulgent arrival.
But it occurs to me that this feeling could change in the event that the resurgent talk of year-round schooling becomes a reality. What gets me about all this talk is that the proponents of year-round schooling – most often people not in education – act as though extending the school year will, by itself, increase student learning and improve sagging student achievement.
I’ve read the recent NAEP report and I know we’re not doing so well, overall, as a nation in an increasingly flat world. But more of a bad thing is not a good thing. It’s just…well….more of a bad thing. That’s like going to a really bad restaurant which serves really bad food and somehow feeling good about the experience because the portions were really large.
I would like to know from my readers what you think about year-round schooling. And while you’re responding, tell me: Does Thanksgiving feel like the psychological half-way point to you? dven.
Year round schooling is not so much an extension of the school year as a redistribution. Students don’t go to school any more days, they just go on a different schedule so the days on and off school are more evenly distributed throughout the year and there is no long break in the summer. At least that has been the case in the places where I have taught and observed year round schools in North Carolina and Virginia.
I don’t have any strong feelings about year round schools. Sometimes they are necessary to alleviate over crowding and that is helpful. I think they are like traditional schools: if the teaching is good then the students benefit, if the teaching is bad then the students suffer.
I dont see why high schools dont structure their years similar to colleges. Sept – May. And then have a Summer Semester for people either needing remediation or wishing to move on in the curriculum. This would also facilitate the possibility of high school students taking classes for college credit at local community colleges. As far as I can tell, the major issue is not how long they are in school for, but rather how many times is the continuity of class interrupted for various bureaucratic reasons.