We need universal summer school

[Anonymous]

I am not worried about academics. I mean, I am but we're just going to have to get the kids in there and see.

But I think the real value of some kind of universal summer school program through DCPS would be in helping kids reacclimate to school and to allow schools to focus on some of the mental health and behavioral issues before September and the academics/testing/etc. get center stage again. I don't think it would have to be full time over the summer (and that's probably not realistic). But particularly for younger kids, doing say a two week immersive program for all kids PK4-5 over the summer where they reconnect with the classroom and with peers, and do some orientation exercises. I think it would also help schools identify the kids who really need more help to readjust, both socioemotionally and academically, and to prepare for that in the fall.

Could also be a couple days a week, or outdoor programs. I don't know, but I do think something would help. Focus on the socioemotional stuff and as academic issues are identified, those kids could be tracked into programs designed to remediate lost learning (especially for literacy, omg I'm worried about these ECE and early elementary kids and literacy).

We need to start thinking about this holistically. And don't just think about your own child, think about the classroom of children. Think about the kids who never show up to DL, the ones who obviously have little adult supervision at home. All these kids are going back to the classrooms. Everyone will be impacted.

[Anonymous]

To catch up after COVID-19 yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not worried about academics. I mean, I am but we're just going to have to get the kids in there and see.

But I think the real value of some kind of universal summer school program through DCPS would be in helping kids reacclimate to school and to allow schools to focus on some of the mental health and behavioral issues before September and the academics/testing/etc. get center stage again. I don't think it would have to be full time over the summer (and that's probably not realistic). But particularly for younger kids, doing say a two week immersive program for all kids PK4-5 over the summer where they reconnect with the classroom and with peers, and do some orientation exercises. I think it would also help schools identify the kids who really need more help to readjust, both socioemotionally and academically, and to prepare for that in the fall.

Could also be a couple days a week, or outdoor programs. I don't know, but I do think something would help. Focus on the socioemotional stuff and as academic issues are identified, those kids could be tracked into programs designed to remediate lost learning (especially for literacy, omg I'm worried about these ECE and early elementary kids and literacy).

We need to start thinking about this holistically. And don't just think about your own child, think about the classroom of children. Think about the kids who never show up to DL, the ones who obviously have little adult supervision at home. All these kids are going back to the classrooms. Everyone will be impacted.

+1

Thank you for this. People don’t realize that just because their kid is academically on grade level and can behave in the classroom doesn’t mean other kids are prepared to. Some elementary school kids will have been alone or in the care of a middle school or high school sibling all day for the past year. The transition back to school will not be easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need universal do over. Everyone repeats this grade. No exceptions.

?? My kids aren't behind. I'm been homeschooling them and I know they are right on target to complete their grades on time this year. I intend to put them back into school when it opens, and no way do I want them to repeat things I have already taught them so well.

[Anonymous]

No thanks. My kids do not seem to be falling behind. They are looking forward to the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not worried about academics. I mean, I am but we're just going to have to get the kids in there and see.

But I think the real value of some kind of universal summer school program through DCPS would be in helping kids reacclimate to school and to allow schools to focus on some of the mental health and behavioral issues before September and the academics/testing/etc. get center stage again. I don't think it would have to be full time over the summer (and that's probably not realistic). But particularly for younger kids, doing say a two week immersive program for all kids PK4-5 over the summer where they reconnect with the classroom and with peers, and do some orientation exercises. I think it would also help schools identify the kids who really need more help to readjust, both socioemotionally and academically, and to prepare for that in the fall.

Could also be a couple days a week, or outdoor programs. I don't know, but I do think something would help. Focus on the socioemotional stuff and as academic issues are identified, those kids could be tracked into programs designed to remediate lost learning (especially for literacy, omg I'm worried about these ECE and early elementary kids and literacy).

We need to start thinking about this holistically. And don't just think about your own child, think about the classroom of children. Think about the kids who never show up to DL, the ones who obviously have little adult supervision at home. All these kids are going back to the classrooms. Everyone will be impacted.

Most kids don't start school until kindergarten? It's not like they've missed anything -- they would acclimate during kindergarten just like they always would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not worried about academics. I mean, I am but we're just going to have to get the kids in there and see.

But I think the real value of some kind of universal summer school program through DCPS would be in helping kids reacclimate to school and to allow schools to focus on some of the mental health and behavioral issues before September and the academics/testing/etc. get center stage again. I don't think it would have to be full time over the summer (and that's probably not realistic). But particularly for younger kids, doing say a two week immersive program for all kids PK4-5 over the summer where they reconnect with the classroom and with peers, and do some orientation exercises. I think it would also help schools identify the kids who really need more help to readjust, both socioemotionally and academically, and to prepare for that in the fall.

Could also be a couple days a week, or outdoor programs. I don't know, but I do think something would help. Focus on the socioemotional stuff and as academic issues are identified, those kids could be tracked into programs designed to remediate lost learning (especially for literacy, omg I'm worried about these ECE and early elementary kids and literacy).

We need to start thinking about this holistically. And don't just think about your own child, think about the classroom of children. Think about the kids who never show up to DL, the ones who obviously have little adult supervision at home. All these kids are going back to the classrooms. Everyone will be impacted.

Most kids don't start school until kindergarten? It's not like they've missed anything -- they would acclimate during kindergarten just like they always would.

+1. PK3 and PK4 are optional. School is required beginning in kindergarten.

Honestly, kids, especially this young, will acclimate just fine if allowed to joyfully acclimate. However, if parents are super stressed about their kids ability to acclimate, then naturally the kids will have trouble. If anyone needs a "summer school" to learn how to work with adults again, it's the parents, not the kids.

[Anonymous]

Worried about high school students — being u prepared for college or career. They do not have time to catch-up the way an elementary or ECE student does.

[Anonymous]

Wondering why we can’t trust parents, teachers and (in the case of older students) students to make decisions about summer school would be a negative or positive for individual students.

I don’t really feel very involved either way. Whether or not summer school is mandatory, no way will my HS student agree to attend school over the summer, after an exhausting school year of distance learning.

If this summer scheme works for other students, awesome.

[Anonymous]

People need to stop thinking about our current situation as normal but with distance learning. That's not what's happening.

Of course there will be many more mental health and behavioral issues when kids are in person again. Think about the kids most likely to have behavioral issues in a "normal" school year. It's kids with less stable home lives, whose families have inadequate childcare, who may not be getting sufficient adult supervision and interaction, who lack peer socialization. During non-Covid times, that's a substantial minority of kids. Now? It might be the majority of kids in DCPS. Including many kids from middle class families that normally function pretty well but are now taxed to their limit.

Most families did not form pods. Most families with elementary age kids (including PK kids) cannot afford to replace public school with quality childcare. Parents either had to just figure it out at home on their own, or find childcare they could afford, which may or may not have been particularly good. And a lot of people adopted short term solutions because we were assured schools would be going to hybrid or moving to in person at some point. Those short term solutions weren't great, but families figured, "Well, it's just a couple months." Well a couple months turned into a full year. A full year in inadequate childcare will absolutely cause behavioral and mental health issues in a kid. Yes, they are resilient. But they are also human. And everyone knows how much kids are impacted by their environment.

The idea that we're just going to throw the very diverse community of public school kids back into classrooms together in September and it will work itself out is insane. And in schools that are already overcrowded, already struggle just to meet the needs of existing SN and IEP kids? Plus add in the fact that many kids will be facing serious deficiencies in fundamentals like literacy... we are setting ourselves up for failure.

So yes, DCPS should absolutely be looking at summer 2021 and creating programs that will help re-acclimate kids to the classroom, as well as to help them identify the kids who are going to need more support, whether it's academic or social-emotional, moving into the school year. I'm not sure why anyone would opposed such a plan. Even if your kid doesn't need it, it seems obvious to me that many other kids will, and I want my child going back to a classroom in which all the kids are being properly supported. Just selfishly, that's what I want (though I also actually care about these kids who have been most negatively impacted by school closures).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need universal do over. Everyone repeats this grade. No exceptions.

Heck no! That’s crazy.

No way I’m letting my kid repeat. Yes, second grade has been a waste but she is smart and we can support her enough to get her up to speed very quickly for third.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need universal do over. Everyone repeats this grade. No exceptions.

Heck no! That’s crazy.

No way I’m letting my kid repeat. Yes, second grade has been a waste but she is smart and we can support her enough to get her up to speed very quickly for third.

Yeah the idea of my 7 year old (November bday) in kindergarten makes me want to cry. Pretty sure he’ll catch up in person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People need to stop thinking about our current situation as normal but with distance learning. That's not what's happening.

Of course there will be many more mental health and behavioral issues when kids are in person again. Think about the kids most likely to have behavioral issues in a "normal" school year. It's kids with less stable home lives, whose families have inadequate childcare, who may not be getting sufficient adult supervision and interaction, who lack peer socialization. During non-Covid times, that's a substantial minority of kids. Now? It might be the majority of kids in DCPS. Including many kids from middle class families that normally function pretty well but are now taxed to their limit.

Most families did not form pods. Most families with elementary age kids (including PK kids) cannot afford to replace public school with quality childcare. Parents either had to just figure it out at home on their own, or find childcare they could afford, which may or may not have been particularly good. And a lot of people adopted short term solutions because we were assured schools would be going to hybrid or moving to in person at some point. Those short term solutions weren't great, but families figured, "Well, it's just a couple months." Well a couple months turned into a full year. A full year in inadequate childcare will absolutely cause behavioral and mental health issues in a kid. Yes, they are resilient. But they are also human. And everyone knows how much kids are impacted by their environment.

The idea that we're just going to throw the very diverse community of public school kids back into classrooms together in September and it will work itself out is insane. And in schools that are already overcrowded, already struggle just to meet the needs of existing SN and IEP kids? Plus add in the fact that many kids will be facing serious deficiencies in fundamentals like literacy... we are setting ourselves up for failure.

So yes, DCPS should absolutely be looking at summer 2021 and creating programs that will help re-acclimate kids to the classroom, as well as to help them identify the kids who are going to need more support, whether it's academic or social-emotional, moving into the school year. I'm not sure why anyone would opposed such a plan. Even if your kid doesn't need it, it seems obvious to me that many other kids will, and I want my child going back to a classroom in which all the kids are being properly supported. Just selfishly, that's what I want (though I also actually care about these kids who have been most negatively impacted by school closures).

This. We have been in Germany since the summer, and the social workers at our elementary school have told me that they have been observing a lot of behavioral problems among the kids after their return to full-time school in the fall. And that was after only a couple of months of full closure and then another month of hybrid before their six-week summer. They said they had heard this from other social workers at other schools as well. It will be worse the in US when schools will have been closed for over a year. To argue that kids will just absorb this long hiatus in their normal education and socialization without consequences is wishful thinking or denial.

[Anonymous]

I’d be fine with a full-time program, but hard pass on anything part-time. I need full-time childcare for my kid so I can work. I’m not passing up on full-time camp for part-time summer school.

[Anonymous]

Unlike PP, I would prefer a part-time summer school for my children. I don't want them in school full-time in the summer. That just sounds horrible.