A few weeks ago I picked up a book from our home "library" to peruse during one of those fabulous Minnesota experiences - a snow day. My wife's Great Aunt, Elizabeth Lynch, has always been one of my heroes - she was raised on an Iowa farm, taught in a one-room schoolhouse and eventually got her degree in Special Education when the State of Iowa required the one-room schoolhouse teachers obtain a Bachelor's Degree. She taught well into her 60s and started writing books in her 80s. She was taking college-level creative writing courses in her early 90s. She is my poster child for a "life-long learner!"
I came across a story in her book "More Chips" that caused me to think about school reform, specifically regarding our academic calendar. She writes about a corn husking "vacation" that Iowa schoolchildren took in early November. She goes into detail about this two-week "vacation" and how students were thrilled to return to school after it was over. Aunt Liz is in her mid-90s now and I am sure the corn husking "vacation" went away in the 1950s.
Our school calendars tend to be governed by many things. In my experience, academic considerations are rarely among them. In Minnesota, our legislature takes valuable time (just about) every two years to debate if we should be allowed to start school before Labor Day. This is an economic concern. Our state has a vibrant summer tourism industry that relies on those last weeks of summer to make ends meet. However, few could argue that starting school before or after Labor Day impacts academic performance. We still have many school districts across this nation that operate on a calendar built for the agrarian age. There are pockets of change. I have come to appreciate an approach that includes a block of time, say nine weeks, for all students. The 10th week is used for remediation of students and professional development for teachers. Everyone has the next two weeks off. Like your summer vacation? A six week summer vacation is still part of this model.
In my opinion, changing the manner which educational services are delivered is critical in boosting student opportunities. Wouldn't it be great if we can have more frequent opportunities for deep remediation of students who are struggling in small group settings? What about enrichment opportunities for higher level students?
Minnesota is starting to flirt with this idea. House File 443 would provide some funding for schools willing to try alternative schedules. It will be a challenging road to take in our state. There are real obstacles - primarily financial. We would need to pay teachers more (I think this is a benefit) and many of our schools would need to add climate control systems. There are many schools that have done this. I came across Valleyview Elementary School in Lakeland, Florida where there are five different cohorts of students, each with a different calendar that follows a year-round form. There have been many discussions and attempts at year-round school calendars. Some successful, some not so successful. I think it is time to take a serious, broader look at this as a school reform that can have a positive impact on a large number of our students.
In order to compete in the "flat" world, our current approach to the school year needs to go the way of the corn husking "vacation."
Does your district employ year-round school calendars? If so, how is it working? Suggestions for others?
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