Reply to Would you support 200 day school year?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]For those who didn’t read the link, it was not a district wide change, it was a pilot at two schools, one of which was 97% free and reduced lunch. It’s clearly targeting a specific student population.[/quote]

It was so successful, they are expanding it. It makes sense to target those who need more help first but imagine how successful smart kids could be with extra days in school. I don't get parents who say 11 weeks of summer just aren't enough.[/quote]

Richmond Public Schools have more than 66% free and reduced lunch, three times the rate of Arlington and Loudoun. It’s targeting low income students who lose the most in a long summer.[/quote]

There are APS elementary schools with more than 66% of the kids on free and reduced lunch though.  It would make sense to institute this program for those schools.  Isn't part of the justification for segregating the schools that it's easier to provide services?  I know transportation is the biggest piece of it, but I also thought they had high-needs schools to focus resources there (even though they don't necessarily advertise that fact).[/quote]

Sure, let's make the poor kids and the non-poor kids in school with them go longer than the rich kids in other schools. And nevermind about the handful of poor kids in the wealthy schools who won't get the extra days. Perhaps we should segregate our schools better so that only poor kids are in any given school and only affluent kids are in any given school. After all, no low-income kids are high performing students and no affluent kids are low-performing.[/quote]

I'm surprised by the tone of your post.  I don't think the APS boundaries are just or right- notice my use of the word "segregation" in the post.   But this is what APS has done and they aren't going to change it.  I am fine if APS allocates the additional money to give these kids more resources at the elementary level, whether it's framed as school or summer camp with some core academics.  This would probably also help families who may not have the money for camp or childcare during the summer.  [/quote]

Perhaps I am misreading the focus of your comments. I thought it was regarding year-round school and implementing that only for the title I schools where the poor kids are. If not, then please clarify for me what you were referring to. Otherwise, my comment response remains the same. Not every student in an APS Title I school is poor. Not every poor kid needs extra academic help. Some wealthy kids need more academic help. Some middle class students are ESL students. [/quote]

I would support year- round school district-wide, but if there are limited resources, I would support focusing those resources on the schools with the highest percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch or the schools with the lowest test scores.  However you want to frame that.  This isn't unusual.  Title 1 schools get extra resources because much of the population needs them.  So yes the students in Title 1 schools will get more resources than the "poor" students in non-Title 1 schools.  In some schools, once a certain threshold of low income students is met, free breakfast and lunch is offered to everyone.

My post isn't a knock on anyone, it's the best approximation that we have to funnel resources where they are needed.  In my ideal world no schools would have concentrated poverty, but that's not our current reality.  If there was some kind of opt-out for summer school, maybe that's appropriate.  But I also think plenty of poor kids sit home all summer in food insecure homes without adult supervision because their parents are working and I think you would be surprised at how many families would welcome a structured summer program for the younger kids.  I think the greatest impact/need would be at the elementary level.  OF COURSE i understand that students may benefit from this at other grade levels  but in APS the greatest disparity is in the elementary schools.  If there is budget money for more schools or grades, that's wonderful![/quote]

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