Would you support a year around school calendar for FCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody said we are dumb because we had the whole summer off. That was not what that meant at all.

Research has been done and most teachers will tell you that the long summer leads to learning loss and need for remediation. Much of the first quarter of the next year is spent reviewing rather than on new topics.

I don't think any of this is easier for working parents. I have no idea where you got that impression from. Care would still need to be found, no matter how the breaks were spaced.

But for everyone bitching about our country's schools and how we are lagging behind and what not, this calendar is better for student learning. Do I think we'll actually change? Probably not. It's sad that we're so resistant to things that are proven to be effective.

I will throw out there that if we really want to have students like those Asian countries we cry about being behind, we'd have kids in school almost all year long, 6 days a week and for many more hours a day.

Not to mention the inability of our governments to invest in education that actually makes sense.

I do not support anything that doesn't improve the current number of hours kids are in school. There is not enough money to effectively teach the children for the hours they are in school now so I have no desire to pay to extend their day or year. FCPS needs to figure out how to better educate the students for the current set of hours these kids are in school before they think about extending hours.

[Anonymous]

The modified calendar doesn't extend hours, or days in school, just to be clear. It is more effective time management, though. Less learning loss would mean more can be learned.

I am not actually advocating anyone start doing what the Asians countries do, but sticking with the agrarian school calendar makes very little sense in our society.

[Anonymous]

I do think modified calendar makes more sense at elementary than at MS and HS - because of jobs, athletics, and other commitments older kids have. But, it is a good plan when it comes to helping kids retain learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The modified calendar doesn't extend hours, or days in school, just to be clear. It is more effective time management, though. Less learning loss would mean more can be learned.

I am not actually advocating anyone start doing what the Asians countries do, but sticking with the agrarian school calendar makes very little sense in our society.

They got rid of it at schools because the cost was higher. Are you new to the school system? Every year there are new parents who propose these types of changes until they realize how starved for money other areas of FCPS.

[Anonymous]

I'm against changing to "all year school".

You'll be paying a lot more for camps or childcare that would happen during the school year if it's "modified". Who would be around to run camps or be a one week here, 2 weeks there nanny? College kids are the ones that are the counselors, they wouldn't be around to run those camps.

Vacations? If several people in your office wants to take vacation during random weeks during the school year, you might not get to take vacation then, because so many parents will need to take leave to either watch their kids or because they want to go on vacation.

Swim team: families who do swim team during the summer will end up having to choose between having their kids on the swim team or taking a family vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would prefer a modified year round schedule. 2-3 weeks between 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters and a 6-8 week summer.

This would be perfect! You have the option of taking a big trip 4x per year, instead of only in summer.

Which is great if you're in the 1 percent. Sheesh! Get real!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. I totally would.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The schools in FCPS who used to have a modified calendar schedule (there were 7 of them at one point) also offered “intersessions” to students who wished to take advantage of them. These intersessions included remedial courses for those who needed them, enrichment courses, and some that were just plain fun (like scrapbooking, for instance). The courses were taught by teachers on staff, or by people who were hired to teach the sessions (like someone who knew how to do scrapbooking). There was a sliding scale fee for the sessions - free and reduced lunch students were either free or reduced, and others paid a fee to attend. They were wildly popular, and ran the same schedule as the school day - one session in the morning, the other in the afternoon. Kids could attend 1 session or both sessions.
It can be expensive, but if done right, it can also pay for itself. Schools would need someone on staff to coordinate these courses - schedule, advertise, collect fees, hire people, etc.
If these were offered, I would be all for this plan.

Do you really believe this will still happen with FCPS's budget? Our school doesn't even have paper. I would like FCPS to stop worrying about these extras and focus on the essentials which are currently lacking.

Thank you! Clearly a lot of parents of younger kids or older kids who don't know how to productively amuse themselves or work during the summer. So many more important issues that the school system has to deal with, like giving teachers cost of living raises, which they haven't had in years. A lot of them currently have jobs during the summer to make ends meet. And yet fans of year-round school expect these teachers -- the most critical part of the school system -- to embrace a schedule that's going to own even more of their lives for pauper's wages? Might want to check with them first. Empty buildings filled with students year-round might not seem as appealing.

Perhaps the next thread we can start would ask if people support magical school buses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The schools in FCPS who used to have a modified calendar schedule (there were 7 of them at one point) also offered “intersessions” to students who wished to take advantage of them. These intersessions included remedial courses for those who needed them, enrichment courses, and some that were just plain fun (like scrapbooking, for instance). The courses were taught by teachers on staff, or by people who were hired to teach the sessions (like someone who knew how to do scrapbooking). There was a sliding scale fee for the sessions - free and reduced lunch students were either free or reduced, and others paid a fee to attend. They were wildly popular, and ran the same schedule as the school day - one session in the morning, the other in the afternoon. Kids could attend 1 session or both sessions.
It can be expensive, but if done right, it can also pay for itself. Schools would need someone on staff to coordinate these courses - schedule, advertise, collect fees, hire people, etc.
If these were offered, I would be all for this plan.

Do you really believe this will still happen with FCPS's budget? Our school doesn't even have paper. I would like FCPS to stop worrying about these extras and focus on the essentials which are currently lacking.

Since when does the budget matter? It certainly didn't stop FCPS from changing the daily bus schedules at a cost of $5M we don't have so that high schoolers wouldn't have to start at 7:20 a.m. (like they've been doing since 1990 when I was a sophomore). Clearly, the early start times muddled my brain because I think a shorter summer break and extended breaks throughout the year make sense from a knowledge-retention standpoint.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't want 180 days spread all through the year but I would absolutely support a 230-250 day school year, shrinking the summer break to 3 weeks or so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok these post are all from a working parents perspective. No I do not support it. I do support cutting the winter break and getting out of school in early June. Summer is June July and August. These kids are in school to long. They are not adults in the working world and that time will come for them soon enough. Stop trying to conform the schools to the working world. It wasn't that way for you and it shouldent be that way for the kids today. WTF are you trying to do to these kids. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. This is so wrong. Why did you have children if you do not want to spend time with them? Cut back on your spending and spend some time raising your children. They will be adults soon enough!

But that's what the school system is based on. When the country was an agrarian society, school ended in the summer so the kids could assist in the the farms. How many kids are needed are needed in FCPS to work in the fields today? Why shouldn't the school systems change to be more inline with today's working society?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody said we are dumb because we had the whole summer off. That was not what that meant at all.

Research has been done and most teachers will tell you that the long summer leads to learning loss and need for remediation. Much of the first quarter of the next year is spent reviewing rather than on new topics.

I don't think any of this is easier for working parents. I have no idea where you got that impression from. Care would still need to be found, no matter how the breaks were spaced.

But for everyone bitching about our country's schools and how we are lagging behind and what not, this calendar is better for student learning. Do I think we'll actually change? Probably not. It's sad that we're so resistant to things that are proven to be effective.

I will throw out there that if we really want to have students like those Asian countries we cry about being behind, we'd have kids in school almost all year long, 6 days a week and for many more hours a day.

Not to mention the inability of our governments to invest in education that actually makes sense.

And don't forget after school time in cram schools. Best start saving for the therapy bills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't want 180 days spread all through the year but I would absolutely support a 230-250 day school year, shrinking the summer break to 3 weeks or so.

Because neither you nor your kids know what to do with yourselves when someone isn't planning your days out for you? Absurd!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The schools in FCPS who used to have a modified calendar schedule (there were 7 of them at one point) also offered “intersessions” to students who wished to take advantage of them. These intersessions included remedial courses for those who needed them, enrichment courses, and some that were just plain fun (like scrapbooking, for instance). The courses were taught by teachers on staff, or by people who were hired to teach the sessions (like someone who knew how to do scrapbooking). There was a sliding scale fee for the sessions - free and reduced lunch students were either free or reduced, and others paid a fee to attend. They were wildly popular, and ran the same schedule as the school day - one session in the morning, the other in the afternoon. Kids could attend 1 session or both sessions.
It can be expensive, but if done right, it can also pay for itself. Schools would need someone on staff to coordinate these courses - schedule, advertise, collect fees, hire people, etc.
If these were offered, I would be all for this plan.

Do you really believe this will still happen with FCPS's budget? Our school doesn't even have paper. I would like FCPS to stop worrying about these extras and focus on the essentials which are currently lacking.

Since when does the budget matter? It certainly didn't stop FCPS from changing the daily bus schedules at a cost of $5M we don't have so that high schoolers wouldn't have to start at 7:20 a.m. (like they've been doing since 1990 when I was a sophomore). Clearly, the early start times muddled my brain because I think a shorter summer break and extended breaks throughout the year make sense from a knowledge-retention standpoint.

At least you realize it. Just because you survived ridiculous start times doesn't mean they're healthy.

[Anonymous]

No, I don't, and I WOHM.

I never understood the issues with "learning retention." Are 21st-century kids born with shorter memories? We all had summer vacations, and I don't recall hand-wringing about it back then.