Which Schools will have extended school year in 2016-2017?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they provide any details on how the program will work? Will the calendar be the regular calendar plus more time added on, or is it a totally different calendar? What will happen to teachers who don't want to work in the summer?

It is the regular calendar with time added and breaks in October and (I think) February. There will be intercession classes during parts of those breaks and spring break but I find remember the specifics about intercession. School will start the 2nd week of August and dismiss at the end of the second week in July. We will still follow winter break, spring break and the various PD days. Teachers will move to an 11 month calendar. If there we teachers who don't want to continue on that schedule, I assume they'll find new positions, but I haven't heard that that will be the case at Cooke.

That's brutal. We would change schools.

PP here. Why? What do your kids usually do during the summer? I ask because my kid goes to camp all summer, except for the couple weeks we go on vacation. So I just don't really see it as all that much different. It's an extra 20 days total.

There's a big difference between doing summer camp with arts and crafts, swimming, etc. and doing worksheets all day in the heat of summer.

Did they announce that it would be worksheets? There are other more fun ways to teach that help retain / reinforce what was learned during the year.

If it's similar to the extended day options, then it sounds like it will be enrichment activities rather than straight academics. That seems like a great way to keep the low-income kids at these school engaged over the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they provide any details on how the program will work? Will the calendar be the regular calendar plus more time added on, or is it a totally different calendar? What will happen to teachers who don't want to work in the summer?

It is the regular calendar with time added and breaks in October and (I think) February. There will be intercession classes during parts of those breaks and spring break but I find remember the specifics about intercession. School will start the 2nd week of August and dismiss at the end of the second week in July. We will still follow winter break, spring break and the various PD days. Teachers will move to an 11 month calendar. If there we teachers who don't want to continue on that schedule, I assume they'll find new positions, but I haven't heard that that will be the case at Cooke.

That's brutal. We would change schools.

PP here. Why? What do your kids usually do during the summer? I ask because my kid goes to camp all summer, except for the couple weeks we go on vacation. So I just don't really see it as all that much different. It's an extra 20 days total.

There's a big difference between doing summer camp with arts and crafts, swimming, etc. and doing worksheets all day in the heat of summer.

Did they announce that it would be worksheets? There are other more fun ways to teach that help retain / reinforce what was learned during the year.

If it's similar to the extended day options, then it sounds like it will be enrichment activities rather than straight academics. That seems like a great way to keep the low-income kids at these school engaged over the summer.

Everything I hear about extended day is that it is a burnout machine. I think this will be less of a problem with extended year since it actually means more frequent breaks.

[Anonymous]

All low-tier schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they provide any details on how the program will work? Will the calendar be the regular calendar plus more time added on, or is it a totally different calendar? What will happen to teachers who don't want to work in the summer?

It is the regular calendar with time added and breaks in October and (I think) February. There will be intercession classes during parts of those breaks and spring break but I find remember the specifics about intercession. School will start the 2nd week of August and dismiss at the end of the second week in July. We will still follow winter break, spring break and the various PD days. Teachers will move to an 11 month calendar. If there we teachers who don't want to continue on that schedule, I assume they'll find new positions, but I haven't heard that that will be the case at Cooke.

That's brutal. We would change schools.

PP here. Why? What do your kids usually do during the summer? I ask because my kid goes to camp all summer, except for the couple weeks we go on vacation. So I just don't really see it as all that much different. It's an extra 20 days total.

There's a big difference between doing summer camp with arts and crafts, swimming, etc. and doing worksheets all day in the heat of summer.

Did they announce that it would be worksheets? There are other more fun ways to teach that help retain / reinforce what was learned during the year.

If it's similar to the extended day options, then it sounds like it will be enrichment activities rather than straight academics. That seems like a great way to keep the low-income kids at these school engaged over the summer.

Everything I hear about extended day is that it is a burnout machine. I think this will be less of a problem with extended year since it actually means more frequent breaks.

That's not the case at the title I schools my friends' kids attend. They get enrichment activities during extended day, things that the west of the park schools have as an option after school (but that you usually have to pay for).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they provide any details on how the program will work? Will the calendar be the regular calendar plus more time added on, or is it a totally different calendar? What will happen to teachers who don't want to work in the summer?

It is the regular calendar with time added and breaks in October and (I think) February. There will be intercession classes during parts of those breaks and spring break but I find remember the specifics about intercession. School will start the 2nd week of August and dismiss at the end of the second week in July. We will still follow winter break, spring break and the various PD days. Teachers will move to an 11 month calendar. If there we teachers who don't want to continue on that schedule, I assume they'll find new positions, but I haven't heard that that will be the case at Cooke.

That's brutal. We would change schools.

PP here. Why? What do your kids usually do during the summer? I ask because my kid goes to camp all summer, except for the couple weeks we go on vacation. So I just don't really see it as all that much different. It's an extra 20 days total.

There's a big difference between doing summer camp with arts and crafts, swimming, etc. and doing worksheets all day in the heat of summer.

Did they announce that it would be worksheets? There are other more fun ways to teach that help retain / reinforce what was learned during the year.

If it's similar to the extended day options, then it sounds like it will be enrichment activities rather than straight academics. That seems like a great way to keep the low-income kids at these school engaged over the summer.

Cooke parent here. I will report back more when I get the full download from our principal. However, a couple of points:

1) The kids do arts and crafts during school now. They do not sit around doing worksheets all day in the dead of winter, so I cannot imagine why they would be sitting around doing worksheets in the heat of summer.

2) In years past, we have had groups of students go to the pool at Marie Reed for swimming lessons. I will be asking if that is a program that could be incorporated into the summer PE program, because I too would like my daughter to swim regularly.

3) We already have extended day for the upper grades. This can be enrichment such as Lego robotics or assistance with academics, depending on the student, the grade level, etc. This was our first year with extended day, so I'm holding back my judgment until the year is over, but from what I have observed, it has been going well and will be something that we continue and expand the program down into the lower grades. My child is in kindergarten, so I can only comment on what I've seen when in the school, what parents of older children have told me, and what teachers have told me.

4) I think it's important to note that while there are children in DCPS who go to snazzy summer camps with horseback riding and swimming and yoga and pottery and such, there are also a lot of children in DCPS - particularly in the schools that are part of this pilot program and the schools who are part of the early PK action cohort - for whom that is not the case. We are an upper middle class family with one child who generally attends YMCA camp. Last summer, she did some swimming, but she also did a fair number of worksheets or art projects that were not particularly impressive (printed out sheets from coloring books with markers, not basketweaving). The kids who are part of this program will probably be getting more enrichment opportunities (as well as a more stable academic life, reliably available nutritious meals, and social supports) than they might get otherwise. I am definitely sensitive to the potential class issues that may arise from this kind of switch, but my belief based on my experience with DCPS for the last 3 years and also my experience working with social service agencies in DC is that those issues already exist and this could help alleviate some of them by closing the achievement gap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they provide any details on how the program will work? Will the calendar be the regular calendar plus more time added on, or is it a totally different calendar? What will happen to teachers who don't want to work in the summer?

It is the regular calendar with time added and breaks in October and (I think) February. There will be intercession classes during parts of those breaks and spring break but I find remember the specifics about intercession. School will start the 2nd week of August and dismiss at the end of the second week in July. We will still follow winter break, spring break and the various PD days. Teachers will move to an 11 month calendar. If there we teachers who don't want to continue on that schedule, I assume they'll find new positions, but I haven't heard that that will be the case at Cooke.

That's brutal. We would change schools.

PP here. Why? What do your kids usually do during the summer? I ask because my kid goes to camp all summer, except for the couple weeks we go on vacation. So I just don't really see it as all that much different. It's an extra 20 days total.

There's a big difference between doing summer camp with arts and crafts, swimming, etc. and doing worksheets all day in the heat of summer.

Did they announce that it would be worksheets? There are other more fun ways to teach that help retain / reinforce what was learned during the year.

If it's similar to the extended day options, then it sounds like it will be enrichment activities rather than straight academics. That seems like a great way to keep the low-income kids at these school engaged over the summer.

Everything I hear about extended day is that it is a burnout machine. I think this will be less of a problem with extended year since it actually means more frequent breaks.

That's not the case at the title I schools my friends' kids attend. They get enrichment activities during extended day, things that the west of the park schools have as an option after school (but that you usually have to pay for).

I'm PP - I, too, have heard about good things that happen in extended day, but I have also heard that it is a huge drain on staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they provide any details on how the program will work? Will the calendar be the regular calendar plus more time added on, or is it a totally different calendar? What will happen to teachers who don't want to work in the summer?

It is the regular calendar with time added and breaks in October and (I think) February. There will be intercession classes during parts of those breaks and spring break but I find remember the specifics about intercession. School will start the 2nd week of August and dismiss at the end of the second week in July. We will still follow winter break, spring break and the various PD days. Teachers will move to an 11 month calendar. If there we teachers who don't want to continue on that schedule, I assume they'll find new positions, but I haven't heard that that will be the case at Cooke.

That's brutal. We would change schools.

PP here. Why? What do your kids usually do during the summer? I ask because my kid goes to camp all summer, except for the couple weeks we go on vacation. So I just don't really see it as all that much different. It's an extra 20 days total.

There's a big difference between doing summer camp with arts and crafts, swimming, etc. and doing worksheets all day in the heat of summer.

Did they announce that it would be worksheets? There are other more fun ways to teach that help retain / reinforce what was learned during the year.

If it's similar to the extended day options, then it sounds like it will be enrichment activities rather than straight academics. That seems like a great way to keep the low-income kids at these school engaged over the summer.

Cooke parent here. I will report back more when I get the full download from our principal. However, a couple of points:

1) The kids do arts and crafts during school now. They do not sit around doing worksheets all day in the dead of winter, so I cannot imagine why they would be sitting around doing worksheets in the heat of summer.

2) In years past, we have had groups of students go to the pool at Marie Reed for swimming lessons. I will be asking if that is a program that could be incorporated into the summer PE program, because I too would like my daughter to swim regularly.

3) We already have extended day for the upper grades. This can be enrichment such as Lego robotics or assistance with academics, depending on the student, the grade level, etc. This was our first year with extended day, so I'm holding back my judgment until the year is over, but from what I have observed, it has been going well and will be something that we continue and expand the program down into the lower grades. My child is in kindergarten, so I can only comment on what I've seen when in the school, what parents of older children have told me, and what teachers have told me.

4) I think it's important to note that while there are children in DCPS who go to snazzy summer camps with horseback riding and swimming and yoga and pottery and such, there are also a lot of children in DCPS - particularly in the schools that are part of this pilot program and the schools who are part of the early PK action cohort - for whom that is not the case. We are an upper middle class family with one child who generally attends YMCA camp. Last summer, she did some swimming, but she also did a fair number of worksheets or art projects that were not particularly impressive (printed out sheets from coloring books with markers, not basketweaving). The kids who are part of this program will probably be getting more enrichment opportunities (as well as a more stable academic life, reliably available nutritious meals, and social supports) than they might get otherwise. I am definitely sensitive to the potential class issues that may arise from this kind of switch, but my belief based on my experience with DCPS for the last 3 years and also my experience working with social service agencies in DC is that those issues already exist and this could help alleviate some of them by closing the achievement gap.

I sure hope that is the case. It would be interesting to hear how this is being implemented at Raymond. Although I could not find anything on their website. But if the primary focus is on raising the competencies of these lower performing schools, which is how this program is being touted, then I highly doubt that the extended year will be structured to give kids more enrichment activities. Yes, they may get additional enrichment activities by virtue of having a longer year, but the primary focus is going to be academics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how the H.D. Cooke parents feel about this. I'm only asking about that school because I've seen some talk on this site about that school.

Will the school loose its momentum because of extended day?

I wouldnt want my kid in an extended year program so I would definitely think twice. I think there is merit to this but really only for the kids falling behind. I would rather put my kid in a fun summer camp or go on vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they provide any details on how the program will work? Will the calendar be the regular calendar plus more time added on, or is it a totally different calendar? What will happen to teachers who don't want to work in the summer?

It is the regular calendar with time added and breaks in October and (I think) February. There will be intercession classes during parts of those breaks and spring break but I find remember the specifics about intercession. School will start the 2nd week of August and dismiss at the end of the second week in July. We will still follow winter break, spring break and the various PD days. Teachers will move to an 11 month calendar. If there we teachers who don't want to continue on that schedule, I assume they'll find new positions, but I haven't heard that that will be the case at Cooke.

That's brutal. We would change schools.

PP here. Why? What do your kids usually do during the summer? I ask because my kid goes to camp all summer, except for the couple weeks we go on vacation. So I just don't really see it as all that much different. It's an extra 20 days total.

There's a big difference between doing summer camp with arts and crafts, swimming, etc. and doing worksheets all day in the heat of summer.

Did they announce that it would be worksheets? There are other more fun ways to teach that help retain / reinforce what was learned during the year.

If it's similar to the extended day options, then it sounds like it will be enrichment activities rather than straight academics. That seems like a great way to keep the low-income kids at these school engaged over the summer.

Cooke parent here. I will report back more when I get the full download from our principal. However, a couple of points:

1) The kids do arts and crafts during school now. They do not sit around doing worksheets all day in the dead of winter, so I cannot imagine why they would be sitting around doing worksheets in the heat of summer.

2) In years past, we have had groups of students go to the pool at Marie Reed for swimming lessons. I will be asking if that is a program that could be incorporated into the summer PE program, because I too would like my daughter to swim regularly.

3) We already have extended day for the upper grades. This can be enrichment such as Lego robotics or assistance with academics, depending on the student, the grade level, etc. This was our first year with extended day, so I'm holding back my judgment until the year is over, but from what I have observed, it has been going well and will be something that we continue and expand the program down into the lower grades. My child is in kindergarten, so I can only comment on what I've seen when in the school, what parents of older children have told me, and what teachers have told me.

4) I think it's important to note that while there are children in DCPS who go to snazzy summer camps with horseback riding and swimming and yoga and pottery and such, there are also a lot of children in DCPS - particularly in the schools that are part of this pilot program and the schools who are part of the early PK action cohort - for whom that is not the case. We are an upper middle class family with one child who generally attends YMCA camp. Last summer, she did some swimming, but she also did a fair number of worksheets or art projects that were not particularly impressive (printed out sheets from coloring books with markers, not basketweaving). The kids who are part of this program will probably be getting more enrichment opportunities (as well as a more stable academic life, reliably available nutritious meals, and social supports) than they might get otherwise. I am definitely sensitive to the potential class issues that may arise from this kind of switch, but my belief based on my experience with DCPS for the last 3 years and also my experience working with social service agencies in DC is that those issues already exist and this could help alleviate some of them by closing the achievement gap.

Parents should be able to opt out of the extended year. It is to serve the struggling kids. If your kid isn't strugglng then an extra month of school is not needed when there are other ways of enriching your kids life. And if I prefer my kid to be at camp and horesback riding in July then that should be my choice. Why penalize all the kids>?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they provide any details on how the program will work? Will the calendar be the regular calendar plus more time added on, or is it a totally different calendar? What will happen to teachers who don't want to work in the summer?

It is the regular calendar with time added and breaks in October and (I think) February. There will be intercession classes during parts of those breaks and spring break but I find remember the specifics about intercession. School will start the 2nd week of August and dismiss at the end of the second week in July. We will still follow winter break, spring break and the various PD days. Teachers will move to an 11 month calendar. If there we teachers who don't want to continue on that schedule, I assume they'll find new positions, but I haven't heard that that will be the case at Cooke.

That's brutal. We would change schools.

PP here. Why? What do your kids usually do during the summer? I ask because my kid goes to camp all summer, except for the couple weeks we go on vacation. So I just don't really see it as all that much different. It's an extra 20 days total.

There's a big difference between doing summer camp with arts and crafts, swimming, etc. and doing worksheets all day in the heat of summer.

Did they announce that it would be worksheets? There are other more fun ways to teach that help retain / reinforce what was learned during the year.

If it's similar to the extended day options, then it sounds like it will be enrichment activities rather than straight academics. That seems like a great way to keep the low-income kids at these school engaged over the summer.

Cooke parent here. I will report back more when I get the full download from our principal. However, a couple of points:

1) The kids do arts and crafts during school now. They do not sit around doing worksheets all day in the dead of winter, so I cannot imagine why they would be sitting around doing worksheets in the heat of summer.

2) In years past, we have had groups of students go to the pool at Marie Reed for swimming lessons. I will be asking if that is a program that could be incorporated into the summer PE program, because I too would like my daughter to swim regularly.

3) We already have extended day for the upper grades. This can be enrichment such as Lego robotics or assistance with academics, depending on the student, the grade level, etc. This was our first year with extended day, so I'm holding back my judgment until the year is over, but from what I have observed, it has been going well and will be something that we continue and expand the program down into the lower grades. My child is in kindergarten, so I can only comment on what I've seen when in the school, what parents of older children have told me, and what teachers have told me.

4) I think it's important to note that while there are children in DCPS who go to snazzy summer camps with horseback riding and swimming and yoga and pottery and such, there are also a lot of children in DCPS - particularly in the schools that are part of this pilot program and the schools who are part of the early PK action cohort - for whom that is not the case. We are an upper middle class family with one child who generally attends YMCA camp. Last summer, she did some swimming, but she also did a fair number of worksheets or art projects that were not particularly impressive (printed out sheets from coloring books with markers, not basketweaving). The kids who are part of this program will probably be getting more enrichment opportunities (as well as a more stable academic life, reliably available nutritious meals, and social supports) than they might get otherwise. I am definitely sensitive to the potential class issues that may arise from this kind of switch, but my belief based on my experience with DCPS for the last 3 years and also my experience working with social service agencies in DC is that those issues already exist and this could help alleviate some of them by closing the achievement gap.

Parents should be able to opt out of the extended year. It is to serve the struggling kids. If your kid isn't strugglng then an extra month of school is not needed when there are other ways of enriching your kids life. And if I prefer my kid to be at camp and horesback riding in July then that should be my choice. Why penalize all the kids>?

PP here. For starters, "extended year" isn't some thing where instruction occurs at my school the same way it occurs at the school down the block for 180 days of the year and then there is this extra added bit called "extended year." The only way to opt out is to choose a different school, which is your option in DCPS to the extent that it's possible. Our neighborhood schools all have different characteristics, and we do not necessarily get to opt out of all of them.

I for one do not see this as penalizing the kids. As I said in my original post, I think it will have benefits for all children, not just the ones who need extra assistance. I am choosing not to see it as something that is there to serve the struggling kids, but as a structural change to the school community that will be beneficial for everyone.

[Anonymous]

I am really surprised they could do this without a union vote -

"Davis said Bowser and Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson made their decision without consulting any of the four unions that represent school workers in the District. She said the WTU has submitted a complaint about the process."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/the-school-year-is-about-to-get-longer-for-thousands-of-dc-schoolchildren/2016/02/03/e2de8128-ca29-11e5-88ff-e2d1b4289c2f_story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am really surprised they could do this without a union vote -

"Davis said Bowser and Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson made their decision without consulting any of the four unions that represent school workers in the District. She said the WTU has submitted a complaint about the process."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/the-school-year-is-about-to-get-longer-for-thousands-of-dc-schoolchildren/2016/02/03/e2de8128-ca29-11e5-88ff-e2d1b4289c2f_story.html

they can't. It will not go forward as planned. This needs to be negotiated directly with WTU.

[Anonymous]

Extending the school day or school does not improve test scores or instruction. The school day just needs to be maximized more and kids that need more help get direct instruction. With teachers teaching to the "middle" no one is winning and time is being wasted.

If schools are extending days and years, then the time should go to real, organized extracurricular activities such as sports, music, chess, science, technology and the like. Extracurricular activities with paid staff. These types of activities give students an incentive to excel. These type of activities just shouldn't be limited to high school boys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they provide any details on how the program will work? Will the calendar be the regular calendar plus more time added on, or is it a totally different calendar? What will happen to teachers who don't want to work in the summer?

It is the regular calendar with time added and breaks in October and (I think) February. There will be intercession classes during parts of those breaks and spring break but I find remember the specifics about intercession. School will start the 2nd week of August and dismiss at the end of the second week in July. We will still follow winter break, spring break and the various PD days. Teachers will move to an 11 month calendar. If there we teachers who don't want to continue on that schedule, I assume they'll find new positions, but I haven't heard that that will be the case at Cooke.

That's brutal. We would change schools.

PP here. Why? What do your kids usually do during the summer? I ask because my kid goes to camp all summer, except for the couple weeks we go on vacation. So I just don't really see it as all that much different. It's an extra 20 days total.

There's a big difference between doing summer camp with arts and crafts, swimming, etc. and doing worksheets all day in the heat of summer.

Did they announce that it would be worksheets? There are other more fun ways to teach that help retain / reinforce what was learned during the year.

If it's similar to the extended day options, then it sounds like it will be enrichment activities rather than straight academics. That seems like a great way to keep the low-income kids at these school engaged over the summer.

Cooke parent here. I will report back more when I get the full download from our principal. However, a couple of points:

1) The kids do arts and crafts during school now. They do not sit around doing worksheets all day in the dead of winter, so I cannot imagine why they would be sitting around doing worksheets in the heat of summer.

2) In years past, we have had groups of students go to the pool at Marie Reed for swimming lessons. I will be asking if that is a program that could be incorporated into the summer PE program, because I too would like my daughter to swim regularly.

3) We already have extended day for the upper grades. This can be enrichment such as Lego robotics or assistance with academics, depending on the student, the grade level, etc. This was our first year with extended day, so I'm holding back my judgment until the year is over, but from what I have observed, it has been going well and will be something that we continue and expand the program down into the lower grades. My child is in kindergarten, so I can only comment on what I've seen when in the school, what parents of older children have told me, and what teachers have told me.

4) I think it's important to note that while there are children in DCPS who go to snazzy summer camps with horseback riding and swimming and yoga and pottery and such, there are also a lot of children in DCPS - particularly in the schools that are part of this pilot program and the schools who are part of the early PK action cohort - for whom that is not the case. We are an upper middle class family with one child who generally attends YMCA camp. Last summer, she did some swimming, but she also did a fair number of worksheets or art projects that were not particularly impressive (printed out sheets from coloring books with markers, not basketweaving). The kids who are part of this program will probably be getting more enrichment opportunities (as well as a more stable academic life, reliably available nutritious meals, and social supports) than they might get otherwise. I am definitely sensitive to the potential class issues that may arise from this kind of switch, but my belief based on my experience with DCPS for the last 3 years and also my experience working with social service agencies in DC is that those issues already exist and this could help alleviate some of them by closing the achievement gap.

Parents should be able to opt out of the extended year. It is to serve the struggling kids. If your kid isn't strugglng then an extra month of school is not needed when there are other ways of enriching your kids life. And if I prefer my kid to be at camp and horesback riding in July then that should be my choice. Why penalize all the kids>?

PP here. For starters, "extended year" isn't some thing where instruction occurs at my school the same way it occurs at the school down the block for 180 days of the year and then there is this extra added bit called "extended year." The only way to opt out is to choose a different school, which is your option in DCPS to the extent that it's possible. Our neighborhood schools all have different characteristics, and we do not necessarily get to opt out of all of them.

I for one do not see this as penalizing the kids. As I said in my original post, I think it will have benefits for all children, not just the ones who need extra assistance. I am choosing not to see it as something that is there to serve the struggling kids, but as a structural change to the school community that will be beneficial for everyone.

Wake up and smell the coffee. If this is meant to be beneficial for everyone and not to serve struggling kids, why are all the selected schools Title I schools that are struggling. I don't see this being implemented in Ward 3. Come on people!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did they provide any details on how the program will work? Will the calendar be the regular calendar plus more time added on, or is it a totally different calendar? What will happen to teachers who don't want to work in the summer?

It is the regular calendar with time added and breaks in October and (I think) February. There will be intercession classes during parts of those breaks and spring break but I find remember the specifics about intercession. School will start the 2nd week of August and dismiss at the end of the second week in July. We will still follow winter break, spring break and the various PD days. Teachers will move to an 11 month calendar. If there we teachers who don't want to continue on that schedule, I assume they'll find new positions, but I haven't heard that that will be the case at Cooke.

That's brutal. We would change schools.

PP here. Why? What do your kids usually do during the summer? I ask because my kid goes to camp all summer, except for the couple weeks we go on vacation. So I just don't really see it as all that much different. It's an extra 20 days total.

There's a big difference between doing summer camp with arts and crafts, swimming, etc. and doing worksheets all day in the heat of summer.

Did they announce that it would be worksheets? There are other more fun ways to teach that help retain / reinforce what was learned during the year.

If it's similar to the extended day options, then it sounds like it will be enrichment activities rather than straight academics. That seems like a great way to keep the low-income kids at these school engaged over the summer.

Cooke parent here. I will report back more when I get the full download from our principal. However, a couple of points:

1) The kids do arts and crafts during school now. They do not sit around doing worksheets all day in the dead of winter, so I cannot imagine why they would be sitting around doing worksheets in the heat of summer.

2) In years past, we have had groups of students go to the pool at Marie Reed for swimming lessons. I will be asking if that is a program that could be incorporated into the summer PE program, because I too would like my daughter to swim regularly.

3) We already have extended day for the upper grades. This can be enrichment such as Lego robotics or assistance with academics, depending on the student, the grade level, etc. This was our first year with extended day, so I'm holding back my judgment until the year is over, but from what I have observed, it has been going well and will be something that we continue and expand the program down into the lower grades. My child is in kindergarten, so I can only comment on what I've seen when in the school, what parents of older children have told me, and what teachers have told me.

4) I think it's important to note that while there are children in DCPS who go to snazzy summer camps with horseback riding and swimming and yoga and pottery and such, there are also a lot of children in DCPS - particularly in the schools that are part of this pilot program and the schools who are part of the early PK action cohort - for whom that is not the case. We are an upper middle class family with one child who generally attends YMCA camp. Last summer, she did some swimming, but she also did a fair number of worksheets or art projects that were not particularly impressive (printed out sheets from coloring books with markers, not basketweaving). The kids who are part of this program will probably be getting more enrichment opportunities (as well as a more stable academic life, reliably available nutritious meals, and social supports) than they might get otherwise. I am definitely sensitive to the potential class issues that may arise from this kind of switch, but my belief based on my experience with DCPS for the last 3 years and also my experience working with social service agencies in DC is that those issues already exist and this could help alleviate some of them by closing the achievement gap.

Parents should be able to opt out of the extended year. It is to serve the struggling kids. If your kid isn't strugglng then an extra month of school is not needed when there are other ways of enriching your kids life. And if I prefer my kid to be at camp and horesback riding in July then that should be my choice. Why penalize all the kids>?

PP here. For starters, "extended year" isn't some thing where instruction occurs at my school the same way it occurs at the school down the block for 180 days of the year and then there is this extra added bit called "extended year." The only way to opt out is to choose a different school, which is your option in DCPS to the extent that it's possible. Our neighborhood schools all have different characteristics, and we do not necessarily get to opt out of all of them.

I for one do not see this as penalizing the kids. As I said in my original post, I think it will have benefits for all children, not just the ones who need extra assistance. I am choosing not to see it as something that is there to serve the struggling kids, but as a structural change to the school community that will be beneficial for everyone.

Wake up and smell the coffee. If this is meant to be beneficial for everyone and not to serve struggling kids, why are all the selected schools Title I schools that are struggling. I don't see this being implemented in Ward 3. Come on people!

Yeah! Why doesn't the city focus more on Ward 3 kids! They're so underprivileged!

/sarcasm