If President Obama had any hope of recovering his approval rating among teens, he probably just lost it when he announced support for making children go to school longer each day and each year. The reasoning given is that schoolchildren in other developed nations have longer school years, and are learning more than Americans.
"Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas," the president said earlier this year. "Not with Malia and Sasha, not in my family, and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom."This is not a new idea. When I was in high school, they were talking about year-round schooling and experimenting with alternative school schedules. Very few showed any concrete results. Then again, it does seem strange that we're still observing school schedules based on the corn harvest in parts of the country where you can't find a corn stalk.
"Our school calendar is based upon the agrarian economy and not too many of our kids are working the fields today," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
7 comments:
Here in Ca, we can barely keep the lights on in our school. I have been out of paper since the beginning of school. So how are we supposed to pay for that, when we can't even afford to educate our children now? And let's make sure we don't take away the free breakfasts and lunches. While we're at it, let's just go ahead and offer free housing at every school site. The more we try to do, the less effective we become. What happened to all the after school programs? Budget cuts eliminated them I'm assuming.
I think it's a fairly good plan if only to reduce the summer brain-drain. My teacher friends tell me they have to spend most - if not all - of September re-teaching things just so they can start with current year curriculum. I don't know if longer days are actually going to help, but definitely a year long school year with several two or three week breaks makes more sense.
There are school systems in Florida that go all year round. They go for 4-6 weeks of school and then get 1-2 weeks off. I think it is a pretty good idea. I know I also had the summer brain drain. I didn't pick up a book or pencil for 8 - 10 solid weeks. I don't think It necessarily means more school, the vacation time is split up in a better way. I know for some parents who both work full time... baby sitting can become a nightmare. Another thing that happened a few times, the school ended up shutting down for a week in Jan. and Feb due to severe illness in school. Hey, maybe with that kind of scheduling they could squeeze in recess and gym in the same day, everyday... what a concept.
When it comes to the issue of making the school year longer i am strongly against it. I feel that students need the time given to them after school and during summer vacation to develope their comuncation skills, fing a hobbie, and discover what their intrests are. School is long as it is.
I am curently an eigth grade student and i know what its like to go to school (obvousily). Sure macking the school year sounds like a grand idea but a longer school day or year is NOT the answer. what the president and every other person who is for this idea have failed to realize is that when are kids suppost to find time to spcialize? what about all the kids who have no speeking skills what so ever??? well im here to tell you that if those kids become social rejects because all they did was go to school, do homework, eat, sleep, then do it all over again then this kid may be smart but he/she is going to fail busness interviews. think sbout you are interviewing this young buisness man and he wants a job at your busness that requires comunacition skills if he can not talk to you in an interview then how can you expect him/her to comunacate to his or her boss, coworkers, or customers??? also are family econemy is going to change drasticaly because who wants to marry somebody who cant talk verry well withought sounding dumb, cant make friends, and makes a fool of him self in a public setting?? the next reson why this whole "brilent idea" will not work is because if all i do is learn then when do i get to go shopping? when do i get to do scrap booking? when can i go skiing? swimming? cheerleading? dancing? I think that you can see where i am going with this. my point is I have no time to do what i love. do you think that professional athlets just became good at what they do? do you think that some talent farry just swooped in and blessed michael jordan with the ability to be a good basketball player??? maby, but i serously dout it! no, most people get good at what they do by practicing. I often find my brother outside practicing basketball and mabey he is the next michael jordan, mabey, and mabey not, but we will never no unless he practices. so he NEEDS time to practice! witch brings me to my next point, Phisical fitness!!!! if i sit in a chair all day lisning to a teacher then how am i staying fit?? yea i dont know eather! and finaly if everyone in the entire country onaly gets out of school at certain times during the summer than beaches, hotels, amusment parks, even your local swimming pools buisness income is going to change drasticaly. all of these places that i have listed will be verry busy on the weeks that people are out because thats the onaly time that people can go. who wants to waight in a long line for hours just to ride a two min. ride at disney worled??? um... NO! so as you are deciding what side you are on, for school years being longer or against it, please take into consideration the things that i have talked about here.
I am curently an eigth grade student and i know what its like to go to school (obvousily). Sure macking the school year sounds like a grand idea but a longer school day or year is NOT the answer. what the president and every other person who is for this idea have failed to realize is that when are kids suppost to find time to spcialize? what about all the kids who have no speeking skills what so ever??? well im here to tell you that if those kids become social rejects because all they did was go to school, do homework, eat, sleep, then do it all over again then this kid may be smart but he/she is going to fail busness interviews. think sbout you are interviewing this young buisness man and he wants a job at your busness that requires comunacition skills if he can not talk to you in an interview then how can you expect him/her to comunacate to his or her boss, coworkers, or customers??? also are family econemy is going to change drasticaly because who wants to marry somebody who cant talk verry well withought sounding dumb, cant make friends, and makes a fool of him self in a public setting?? the next reson why this whole "brilent idea" will not work is because if all i do is learn then when do i get to go shopping? when do i get to do scrap booking? when can i go skiing? swimming? cheerleading? dancing? I think that you can see where i am going with this. my point is I have no time to do what i love. do you think that professional athlets just became good at what they do? do you think that some talent farry just swooped in and blessed michael jordan with the ability to be a good basketball player??? maby, but i serously dout it! no, most people get good at what they do by practicing. I often find my brother outside practicing basketball and mabey he is the next michael jordan, mabey, and mabey not, but we will never no unless he practices. so he NEEDS time to practice! witch brings me to my next point, Phisical fitness!!!! if i sit in a chair all day lisning to a teacher then how am i staying fit?? yea i dont know eather! and finaly if everyone in the entire country onaly gets out of school at certain times during the summer than beaches, hotels, amusment parks, even your local swimming pools buisness income is going to change drasticaly. all of these places that i have listed will be verry busy on the weeks that people are out because thats the onaly time that people can go. who wants to waight in a long line for hours just to ride a two min. ride at disney worled??? um... NO! so as you are deciding what side you are on, for school years being longer or against it, please take into consideration the things that i have talked about here.
I am curently an eigth grade student and i know what its like to go to school (obvousily). Sure macking the school year sounds like a grand idea but a longer school day or year is NOT the answer. what the president and every other person who is for this idea have failed to realize is that when are kids suppost to find time to spcialize? what about all the kids who have no speeking skills what so ever??? well im here to tell you that if those kids become social rejects because all they did was go to school, do homework, eat, sleep, then do it all over again then this kid may be smart but he/she is going to fail busness interviews. think sbout you are interviewing this young buisness man and he wants a job at your busness that requires comunacition skills if he can not talk to you in an interview then how can you expect him/her to comunacate to his or her boss, coworkers, or customers??? also are family econemy is going to change drasticaly because who wants to marry somebody who cant talk verry well withought sounding dumb, cant make friends, and makes a fool of him self in a public setting?? the next reson why this whole "brilent idea" will not work is because if all i do is learn then when do i get to go shopping? when do i get to do scrap booking? when can i go skiing? swimming? cheerleading? dancing? I think that you can see where i am going with this. my point is I have no time to do what i love. do you think that professional athlets just became good at what they do? do you think that some talent farry just swooped in and blessed michael jordan with the ability to be a good basketball player??? maby, but i serously dout it! no, most people get good at what they do by practicing. I often find my brother outside practicing basketball and mabey he is the next michael jordan, mabey, and mabey not, but we will never no unless he practices. so he NEEDS time to practice! witch brings me to my next point, Phisical fitness!!!! if i sit in a chair all day lisning to a teacher then how am i staying fit?? yea i dont know eather! and finaly if everyone in the entire country onaly gets out of school at certain times during the summer than beaches, hotels, amusment parks, even your local swimming pools buisness income is going to change drasticaly. all of these places that i have listed will be verry busy on the weeks that people are out because thats the onaly time that people can go. who wants to waight in a long line for hours just to ride a two min. ride at disney worled??? um... NO! so as you are deciding what side you are on, for school years being longer or against it, please take into consideration the things that i have talked about here.
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