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Friday, July 13, 2007
The Myth Of Summer Vacation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was reading a story by my colleague Laura Diamond earlier this week about how Gwinnett County registers its international students when this sentence stopped me cold: “The new school year begins Aug. 13.”
Excuse me? Only four measly weeks left ‘til the start of school?
There’s been so much education news lately — CRCT scores, AYP reports, debate over the high school graduation rules, a major Supreme Court decision on segregation, and the state’s new voucher program — I feel like the school year never ended.
The same day I read Laura’s story, my co-worker was talking about how her son’s day care center has been closed for vacation for two weeks. After only a few days, he was already antsy, asking: “Mommy, school?” As in, when can I go back to school?
Boy, when I was a kid summer was my refuge. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed school. But spending my days playing Pom-Pom at Glyndon pool, walking to Friendly’s to get ice cream and hanging out at my grandma’s house — those were halcyon days.
Every year, I have grand delusions that I’ll get some downtime during the summer months to regroup, refresh, relax. It never happens. So, despite all the complaints from teachers that I read here, I’m really starting to think that maybe teaching really is the best profession — at least for the summer vacation.
