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THE YEAR-ROUND CALENDAR:
A PUBLIC SCHOOL REMEDY?
“The nation recognizes its social, civic and economic strength is directly linked to the strength of its public schools. But if every child is to have an opportunity for success, every student must have a true opportunity to learn.”
John H. Jackson
President, Schott Foundation for Public Education
Video by PBS New Hour discussing possible benefits of year-round schooling, as Sycamore Elementary in Holt, Michigan undergoes the transition from a traditional academic calendar.
Perspective
Finally, I mutter to myself, as I plop down on the cool leather sofa after that achingly long last day of school. Almost three months await me in which I can sit back and erase even the most remote thoughts of school.
I continue to lay in my sunlit living room, eyes closed, my mind racing as I anticipate my upcoming family trip to Italy. It will be refreshing to introduce the country to my boyfriend and visit relatives without the constant looming stress of assignments that come with the condensed school year. I begin to picture us in Venice, the sound of the gondolier’s oar sifting through the water as we approach the Grand Canal. Everything is just right. The calm is almost overwhelming as I slowly drift into a blissful dose…
But not everyone is lucky enough to experience summer in the carefree, leisurely way that financially sound families are used to. Long breaks pose many dangers to economically disadvantaged students, which are often overlooked.
When the fast-paced school year ends, a long summer ahead for impoverished families coincides with struggles relating to nutrition, social and physical activity, academic inconsistency, and supervision.
Certain American school districts within the past few decades have begun to notice the harm in long summer breaks, and consequently, the number of year-long academic calendars in the United States has been gradually increasing.
Studies have proven that extensive summer breaks in impoverished regions hinder students in many aspects. While the proposition for a twelve-month academic schedule with short, frequent breaks has surfaced, such a method is not relatively popular in the nation.
However, if the damage induced on young disadvantaged students by traditional summer breaks remains ignored, these children and families may be deprived of proper child care, financial support, and physical, social, and academic advancement throughout the long summer months.
Though the transition to year-round schooling may be a challenge for financially struggling districts, long-term benefits may outweigh the risks; several strategies to such a method can be tailored to each district’s needs.
Year-round school calendars have the potential to better the lives of disadvantaged students in many ways, and one approach in particular could most ably aid struggling families and school systems in maneuvering barriers to achieving a year-round calendar.
Traditional long summer breaks create severe issues for financially struggling students and families; year-long academic calendars propose solutions regarding physical health, social activity, academic proficiency, overall child care, and financial efficiency for communities and members of the school districts into which they are implemented.
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