WaPo: <Brigid Schulte — The Case for Year-Round School – washingtonpost.com
I think year round school is a great idea. I did what I would consider year round school starting in fifth grade or so. First it was working and participating in a summer hot lunch program that my mom organized, then I worked the kitchen there doing all sorts of services (I still love to cook). Later, in high school it was a more organized and official program sponsored by the federal government. The program was called Upward Bound (A TRIO organization, which is a federal program for 1st generation college students who are also low income).
I engaged advanced calc, SAT Prep, dissected a pig fetus (I did nothing of the sort at regular high school) and learned computer skills and other cool stuff (this is paired frequently with job training and placement, a residential program, college visits and other extracurricular activities).
I’m not convinced that summer break is all that helpful (it was for me ONLY when I needed to work through college…not that I loved construction that much). Certainly I support the year-round schooling. In fact, make the days longer too! As long as the content and teachers are good, the difference will only be better prepared and enthusiastic students.
If school’s not a place to learn “CPR, calligraphy, Japanese, rollerblading and how to make art like Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock,” where is that place?