Thursday, September 2, 2010
LABOR DAY Weekend
Growing up in the North, Labor Day weekend meant the end of summer, the end of wearing white and yes the thoughts of GOING BACK to SCHOOL! Then I became a teacher in the SOUTH so there was a different meaning; a long weekend after the start of school. There are now many thoughts and discussions about year-round school or 6 weeks on and 6 weeks off so not to rot a student's mind. Would love to hear what other educators think?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Personally, I loved when school started after Labor Day, but maybe that is because my early education was in the suburban north. It allowed for a full two months of summer and most importantly for me…camp in Vermont! Historically, children have the summer off so they could work in the fields, but is that still necessary in the 21st Century?
According to the National Association for Year-Round Education there has been an increase in year round schools over the past fifteen years. However, the research on the effectiveness for student achievement is inconclusive. Are schools increasing days for student learning or are they only rearranging the calendar and saving money? Change is always difficult, but maybe the NAYR and the National Education Commission on Time and Learning should do more conclusive research on the effects of achievement and the budget.
As part of their study, I think they need to take the climate into consideration. Our summers are becoming hotter and longer due to global warming. Are schools considering the cost and the toll it takes on students, teachers and staff working in 90-degree weather? I don’t think so.
Change is always difficult. If we go to year round schools, I hope the educators think it through carefully and make a thoughtful, educationally sound decision.
Post a Comment