Tuesday, May 10, 2011
No More Summers (post #30)
A recent op-ed article by LZ Granderson of ESPN makes a great argument in favor of ending summer vacation as we know it and go to year round school. He points out how much knowledge is lost over the summer months and how much more competitive America could be in almost every way internationally with a year round education program. The American school year is approximately 180 days long while other countries have a 220 day year. What do students do with their summer any way? Play video games? Watch TV? Get in trouble? Granderson may be oversimplifying things but it is difficult to argue against greater student success from more days of classroom instruction. The irony here is that it looks like budget issues may make California shorten the school year further at a time when the world economy requires we must be as competitive as possible. Seniors, you are almost done and don't need to worry about losing your last summer, what do you think? Would school be more effective in preparing you for your future if there was more of it? Are there other issues you would attempt to change first? How would you make your high school educational experience more valuable?
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personally i CANNOT wait to graduate and get out of high school, i hate it. adding more school wont really help the people who already don't care, do drugs, drink, are truant, or don't do homework, and it would cost more. not all people are off getting into trouble over the summer, that's a stereotyped generalization of our generation, i spent my summer doing homework, working out, and looking for a job. SUCH A TROUBLE MAKER. issues that i would change first: make classes apply to the real world, teach knowledge that would be useful and relevant, not just structuring classes around tests that determine if a teacher keeps their job, have an end of the year survey for high GPA students (academically oriented and active students who are more likely to take the survey seriously) that describes how well the teacher did, and then balance that with teacher surveys. i would also change the system to where academically advanced students are not held back by the lack of teacher effort because of the attention being focused on special cases, some of which are not going to improve (chronic druggies, drinkers, party-ers and those that are completely apathetic). to make the high school experience more enriching? i cant think of anything, i view the entire thing as just another long stepping stone to hurry through to get on with my life and finally be given the right to the responsibilities I've been ready to handle for a long time now.
ReplyDeletemy parting words:
"high school sucks, and despite what people keep telling me, i WONT miss it. there's nothing to miss, the only things that change will be where my classes are held, when, and with who, just like the transition from middle school to high school, nothing to miss."
As a senior i couldnt be more anxious to get out of high school and get on to furthering my education. I think that if even bringing up considering increasing the school days to make school year round, wouldnt be something many people would be interested in. People have lives past the whole video game, watching tv, "typical teen life" people already dont even want to go to school and summer time is vactaioning time, i would be extremely pist off if my vacation was decreased even by a week! Therefore, i think that increasing school days for students wouldnt have too much of a positive effect for future preparation. There are several people that do just fine with 180 days of school, theyre still receiving quality education and learning the proper material. On another note, theres countless of brilliant minds out there that im sure would hate to have their vaction reduced to "prepare them for the future", they're probably already prepared and are going to do just fine in the real world.
ReplyDeleteChristina Luna
Bauer
I think that there definately is a problem with the amount of schooling we get. Now that I am older and a senior I don't worry about it much but I do think that he is right. We lose a lot of knowledge over the summer and sometimes never gain it back. But the big problem here is that we don't even have enough money to keep the kids in school for the 180 days so how do they exspect more. Another thing is getting the kids to go. I think if there was year round school more kids would drop out because they would be so overwhelmed and lacking a break
ReplyDeleteSteffanie Eisenga
Sloan
Per.5
I like knowing that I live in the greatest country in the world. This won't stay true unless America's future citizens are educated and can compete with the rest of the world so I believe that we should switch to year-round schooling. It's an investment into the future.
ReplyDeleteSloan Per. 3
Bauer Per. 4
I agree that a lot of knowledge gained by students during a school year is lost throughout the summer. However, I don't believe that MORE school is the solution necessarily. A lot of students procrastinate in their classes, cramming for tests and then forgetting the material completely. I believe an effective solution would be to have the same amount of school days, but space them out differently. A year round system might be beneficial if there were extended breaks in between quarters. Why not give students a two week quarter break and three weeks to a month off at the end of a semester? School could go through the summer but since lessons would be taught at a steady pace students would absorb more information in the long run.
ReplyDeleteDevin Smith, Mr. Bauer, P.1.
Obviously more schooling would be beneficial to having students learn more. It would be easier for students to retain information and do better in school, if they care about school in the first place. I don't think switching would make us more competitively close to other countries in terms of education though. We will never have the most structured or best education system, no matter what the government pulls. I think having money to change the school systems is what they need to focus on right now. High school would have been more valuable if there were classes that pertained to what we may be doing in the real world because, to sum up my four years of high school, I learned a lot of things I will never a) think about b) remember c) use. Ever.
ReplyDeleteending summers?! this is the break that the students get from the stressful year of school and to get even more prepared for the next year. Taking this away from students all over is an outrage that they should not have to go through. Sure, there could be more knowlege aquired if there were more hours of school and months, but school isnt everything. Life and experiences out of school are as/or even MORE important for teens and young people growing up. Taking this away is taking away experiences of a fun childhood and teenage years that one will never get back. IM SO glad to get out of highschool and all this school bs(excuse me). the stress is enough to drive anyone crazy.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the quantity of school days we need but more rigorous education strategies packed in to what we already have. Yes, over summer we do lose a lot of what we learned but to be honest, after we take a test on something, we tend to forget about it anyway.
ReplyDeleteI understand the points being made in favor of a year round school but not if there was a 220 day school year. If the regular 180 day year was kept but there was only a 3-4 day school week, then a year round school year would have a better chance of being put into effect
ReplyDeleteI am so relieved this school year is finally coming to an end. Eventhough I enjoy the Summer break we get at the end of each year, I have to agree that we do forget alot of what we've learned during that time period. However, students do get a break from all the stress of school and taking that away could really affect them. It could lead to less work being done and more misbehaving.
ReplyDeleteGuadalupe Velasquez, Sloan, Period 1
I personally love my summer break and many other breaks through out the school year like many other of my peers. But school would be more effective in preparing young people for their future if there was more of it. From what I hear and read, young people who are in school longer, for example schools in Asia, seem to be more intelligent and have higher success due to more and longer education. I'm not too sure on other issues I would attempt to change first. There are a lot of issues in my opinion with the school, but it seems nearly impossible to manage with the way students are today. I would make your high school educational experience more valuable by just being more involved with school clubs and sports along with keeping up my grades.
ReplyDeleteChrissy Vue
Sloan
Period 3
Students would be more prepared for the real world if there were more days of instruction. On the other hand, many students work very hard during the school year so that they can have some time off and enjoy their summer vacation. For some, the summer break serves as an incentive to do well in school. If schools switch to the year-round system, students might be less motivated to succeed.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is not how much education we get via how many school days there are. The problem is the mentality of the students. A lot of students in America just don't care anymore, and it's getting a lot easier to become stupider, less healthy, and lazier. Most kids these days in America just don't want to learn anything anymore. We've got more to entertain us, so why learn anything? I personally would have liked high school a lot more if there were more class choices and maybe more of something for everyone. A longer school year does not bother me as long as the environment is one in which students can actually learn. Maybe if America took a page from the Japanese education system and had an overall stricter education system with more school days, students would learn the material and actually retain the information taught to them.
ReplyDeleteBrian S.
Per. 4 Sloan
I believe more schooling would be beneficial because students acknowledged more. Also it be easier for students to hold more information and do better in school. Doing this would be a pro agruement. However I don't think switching would make us more competitively closer to other countries in terms of educational wise.
ReplyDeleteSantiago Naranjo Diaz
Period 3
Mr. Sloan
If i were still a high school student i would love to have a longer summer, but now that i am graduating and about to go to a private college, i don't believe that high school has prepared me enough for college. So i dont believe a longer summer will benefit anyone or anything, students will loose what they have learned and sacrafice more things that are necessary to learn to prepare them for college
ReplyDeleteTrista Dowdy
Sloan per 5
Extending the school year would be beneficial to the U.S., but not very many people would be happy with this change. I personally wouldnt, i love my summer break. But even if i did agree i dont see how they would make it work with all these budget cuts.
ReplyDeletemonica salazar
mr. slaon
p4
Of course it would be more effective in preparing me for my future if there was school all year around. I think that we should have more days of school in a year, but not have it have it all year. But then again most students dont care about their education and there really isn't any money for schools to go all year around.
ReplyDeleteTaking away the summer for students would not be fun. Summer is a much needed break so students can relax. Having more school days will be hard for the govt because of the budget cuts. I dont see this happening soon if we can barely afford i80 days of school.
ReplyDeleteEven though I don't believe more school would help anything, I do believe possibly going to school year-round would indeed prove to be advantageous. It is true that we lose a lot over summer and the beginning/ending of the school years tend to not be so good because of the summer vacation. Give students a few month-long breaks or maybe even three day weekends and maybe they'll agree to such a year-long kind of schedule. I do not believe staying in school "more"/longer would be of any help as it would just make students want to drop out even more and those who actually do well in school, will now start to consider doing the same. When there is no reward to working day in and day out doing homework and studying for quizzes, there's not much motivation to do so. I know many only continue to push themselves because they think, "only ten more days" or whatever the case may be. With no summer or breaks, there will be little inspiration and NO long-term improvements for our country.
ReplyDelete--Sloan
AP Econ, Period 3
Kids need summer to be KIDS have fun and do stuff with their friends. I guarntee if you would go back in time and ask that lil wayne wannabe if he would like no summer vacations he would call you crazy. I also Really doubt teachers would even want to do this. Most teachers become teachers because they like to have summers off. Having a summer vacation gives you something to look forward to at the end of every year. Not just getting slammed immediately with another school year to go through. i just think this is a dumb idea i would deffinately want my kids to have a summer vacation.
ReplyDeletejake beilby
Summer is a time for kids who do work and get good grades get rewarded with a break from all the stress and homework, taking away summer would probably result in more and more kids droping out of school. and how would that better the future of this world?
ReplyDeleteBrooke Hubert <3
I believe that school would be far more efficient in preparation for the real world if there was more of it. Some other issues i think should be fixed/adjusted is the annual school district budget. Before anything can be done, the budget must be adjusted so that there is room for expansion. Considering my 'High School Experience' is nearly over, there is no reason to attempt to better it.
ReplyDeleteNow for the real answer. In my opinion, there is a point where someone is 'ready' for the real world and when they are just straight out not prepared at all. I personally do not enjoy school. I always enjoy summer, spring, winter break because i get away from school. Although, during these times, i don't think about school very often and i'll admit, i forget about some things that are taught. I think it would FAR increase the educational knowledge and capabilities of the US children if there was a shorter summer vacation.
John Skinner
Mr. Sloan P.4
karina ramos mr sloan period 1
ReplyDeletei think that if they would want to add 40 more days of school then do it i think education is more better than anything. this is a positive arguement because if this can help our country then we should do it. but i think that this will be hard to accomplish with all the cuts that states are having. summer is fun to have it can give us a little break. but we definetly dont want school everyday!
i think that this is a bad idea. if student were to go to school all year round they will get burnt out faster and more likely to have more drop outs. students really wouldnt have something ot look forward between school years. this would be to much people need breaks from work and school. the government is already cutting down on school budgets and doing tis wouldnt help.
ReplyDeleteerika oropeza
p.4
mr.sloan
I am done with school in just a short amount of time so it will not matter to me if they change it or not. Cuts are being made all around and im sure it wont be long when they start making classes online instead of students even having to go to school.
ReplyDeleteSpencer Pellandini
Sloan
P.1
In my opinion having no break sounds horrible but it probably would be for the best. During the summer teens dont spend it learning or doing anything that has to do with school and that does put us behind.If other students from other countries have 220 days of school we can do it also. Its not like we'll be in school for the rest of our lives.Its just for some time.But also some students will get tierd of being in school for so long and probably drop out early.
ReplyDeletetania hinojosa
sloan p5
No summer?! What the! Come on. Let's be real. Some of the most successful people out there went to a school and enjoyed their summers and lived like us! It's all about how they do in school that prepares them, rather than how much of it.
ReplyDeleteDaniel Ruiz
Sloan Per. 5
There are things about people and their lives that have made them come to both love and hate their highschool life. Be we are teens. We look forward to the two month break we get with just our friends and family. We say to ourselves "ive worked hard enough to need and get this" whether we have or not. Taking it away would ruin any spirit students would have to even attend school. Summer is what kids look forward to. If theres no vacation theres no spirit, no spirit no caring about the rest of the things and school just becomes a bigger hassle.
ReplyDeleteJoeliane muegge, sloan, p. 5
Jacob Farrar
ReplyDeleteBauer 4th
I think that a shorter more intence school year would be best. Not that i dont mind it, but there is alot of wasted time in the day. Also i think that we need to help those who want it. I am sorry if i offend u, but the school waste alot of time on trouble makers who dont even want to be there, instead, we can use the money to have those who want to be there better. There seams no be no punishment for kids who dont do homework or dont show up to class. Like vereything else, schools can be better, but no one really cares that much to do anything about it and if they do they are considered haters.
I personally think it would be best if summers were cut short mainly because by the time we are already alteast three weeks into our summer a lot of people forget what we had learned the school year. It would be really good to cut summers but it would suck for the kids who would have to experience that. Its for the best and we all want what's best for our children and each other.
ReplyDeleteAdilene Vazquez
Sloan Period Onee
i think that we shouldnt have to go to school all year long because kids need a break and im pretty sure everyone ejoys thier summer vacation and it doesnt mean that we lose everything we learned that year it just means that we'l be refreashed and ready to do school work when we get back.
ReplyDeleteClarisa Carrillo
Sloan
Per.4
I don't think extending the year will make a difference. I think it's fine the way it is. I also agree that we should have a year round program with more breaks in between. If we had a shorter summer I think students would feel so burnt out from school and have less motivation to improve.
ReplyDeleteVictor Alvarez
Sloan 5
Maria Perez
ReplyDeleteSloan Per.4
I believe that making the school year longer is unnecessary, because that would only make the students tired from school, and would cause them to try less. If the school year were the same, the students would try harder to do their best in a shorter amount of time. The break that they get now makes them feel better, so by the time school came again, they would be excited to go back.
As it is now, us kids aren't even happy with the amount of school we go to now..making it longer would only encourage more truancies, drop-outs, and just flat-out not caring because it would be so overwhelming. I honestly thinik if he's so concerned about schooling he should look at WHAT is being taught. The classes now with the exception of a few, aren't really that realistic. Most grades are based on random books, things we will never see again, and students are already bored with the curriculum. If the classes appealed more to what we want to do with our lives, i think school in general would be more successful.
ReplyDeleteDanielle Barros
Sloan p.4
I do believe that when we go on summer vacation the we really do lose Knowledge but they cant take summer away it the only real break we got and any way I've heard the they might extend summer.
ReplyDeleteRicardo Villalpando
pr5
sloan
well i really could care less because i'm graduating but i don't think its fair to the other kids any i don't think that summer vacation makes a difference it all depends on the kid .
ReplyDeleterichard manzo
sloan pr5
Well for me and other AP students as well summer wasn't a big break from school because we had summer projects which kept us reading and writing. Kids deserve their summer vacation as do teachers. Its not like they lose total knowledge of all subjects in school so I don't think its that bad.
ReplyDelete-G.Lathipanya Sloan P2
I think 40 more days of school wouldn't be that bad if there was less homework and less to stress so about so students who are active in sports and clubs could dedicate more time to them. If this also includes colleges, I think if they took the requirement of general ed units off, then people could move on to getting their dream career earlier. I don't think more general education is needed, because students have been taking it since first grade. It should only be needed for certain majors that relate to the class.
ReplyDeleteMelody Morphis
Mr. Sloan
per. 1
P.S. I tried blogging on Wed, I believe, but when I finished responding the blog site stopped working, so I couldn't submit anything and I didn't have time to check yesterday if it was working or not. Can you please give me points for this blog?
I do think that having school year around would help keep children learning more but not help us remeber what we have learned before.Adding more days onto the school schedual is a bad idea. Kids don't want to go to school as is so adding more days may make the grades go down. Most people don't remeber what they learned in the begginging of the year for finals so how would more information help?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I don’t really have a problem with not having to worry about no summer vacations since its my last year, but I do think that the other grades would not like it if they had to go to school year around or with no summer break. It gives us or the students time off from all the hard work that they have had to deal with and also it would give them some time to spend with their family if they decide to go on a road trip or something so I don’t think that they should take the whole summer break away.
ReplyDeleteAniscia Silva
Sloan
per 5
Of course schools that have longer study times are much better off than those that don't, and have much better test scores then most schools, but thats because all kids do in year round schools is study! I believe schools should be left just the way they are and just have better standards if that is possible, too much school of course would overwhelm students and eventually cause some type of problems, whereas having a few months off from school will give students a chance to enjoy their summer vacation.
ReplyDeleteBrian Leiva
Mr. Sloan
Period 5
I 5think if we make the days longer then yes we will get more education done but then there will be the kids that will still not care at all about what they are doing in school..
ReplyDeleteamanda Eckroth
ReplyDeleteper.1
sloan
I 5think if we make the days longer then yes we will get more education done but then there will be the kids that will still not care at all about what they are doing in school
The educational infrastructure of this nation is crumbling. The United States is no longer competitive as Asian and European countries surpass us. Should we eliminate summers? Yes. Do we have the money? No. Besides, kids today have no interest in their future.(Sloan P.3/Bauer P.4)
ReplyDeleteYea it would be better for everyones future if they make school year around but I don't see that happening anytime soon with the money problems we have here in california
ReplyDeleteThomas Shelton
P.4
Mr.Sloan
Year Round school is far different then the summer break version. For instance, you get somethings like 3 weeks for Christmas, and 2 weeks for Easter break. Also you get a few weeks off in the summer. Where it lacks one huge summer break you get more out of the breaks you do get.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, having graduated a few years ago I would not advocate year round school unless it allowed me to graduate faster. Not have to spend as many years in high school. Otherwise I'm sticking with the extended summer.
Yes I agree that while in school we learn lots of new things, and over breaks and vacations, those things we once learned seem to slip in and out your ears like nothing. I remember in elementary school we had tracks, which meant 4 months in school and then two months out. That method, though confusing, was actually pretty efficient.
ReplyDeleteSloan P|2
i think making schools year round is a very thought out idea but i believe the students will have too much of a problem going to school year round. I believe that some students will petition and fight against this plan. There is a point proven that students lose their knowledge over summer break but I believe this will generate lower test scores because students don't want to be in school longer than they already are.
ReplyDeleteEJ Keller
Sloan
Per.4
Increasing the school year seems reasonable with the United States lacking in the education department in comparison to other countries. I also wouldn't mind supporting this measure because I am graduating from high school(hopefully). If the idea had been implemented in my freshman year I would be devastated. I believe those who are stellar students might benefit, but those who don't care will persist in their not caring manners, just for a longer time.
ReplyDeleteMarklin Nixon
Mr. Sloan Economic Period
i think that having no summer would get a lot of negatives but its true that during the summer evrything is lost because they are enjoying it.but some students are already prepared enough with just 180 days of school and wouldnt need to go on a year round program. even if we did some students would still not care about school.
ReplyDeleteI think round break is worse. I would rather have a big summer break than a lot of mini breaks. Because if you have breaks throughout the year you will forget things you were supposed to be studying. In the middle of answering or lesson. I think you should learn it all take the final then have a break.
ReplyDeleteI think that extending the school year could be beneficial to the U.S., but not a lot of people would be happy with this change if they do extended. I personally wouldn't, because i like having summer break. But even if people do agree i don't see how they would make it work with all the budget cuts the are making.
ReplyDeleteStephanie A
Mr.Sloan
Per.4