Get Schooled

By Jeff

July 23, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this

Parents think that year round schooling means that their kids won’t have daycare during the 3 week breaks at various points in the year. a) That shows EXACTLY what they think of schools in the first place - free babysitting. b) What they fail to realize is that the daycare providers will change to match what the schools do - they will have to, to survive as a business.

The bigger problem is the tourism lobby that thinks that it HAS to have cheap teenage labor during the summer to survive. What they fail to realize is two fold: a) Smarter teenagers means less complaints and more money. b) There are THOUSANDS of people that AVOID certain areas during the “tourist” season SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THEY HATE THE CROWDS. Why not have a YEAR ROUND “tourist season” which is FAR more steady than having just 2-3 months to make the money to keep your business afloat all year???

By Dana from GaDOE

July 23, 2007 11:37 AM | Link to this

There are actually more year-round schools than those in Atlanta and Muscogee. There are some systems that are completely year-round. (Atlanta and Muscogee’s year-round calendars are indentified because they are different than most of the rest of the system)

For instance, Taliferro County started school on July 12 and doesn’t end until early June. There’s a few other systems that have year-round programs too.

You can see all the start and end dates here.

By HB

July 23, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this

Jeff, you are right that the tourism argument has been overblown. For New England coastal towns, it’s a valid argument, but Georgia’s weather does allow for year-round tourism. And yes, teenage labor helps in busy months, but college labor is even better as they can do jobs that under-18s cannot by law (ability serve alcohol in resturants is a big deal).

Very few systems have gone to a true year-round schedule, but many have shortened summer to 6 to 8 weeks and shifted to earlier months. This has actually been a good thing for GA tourist areas. College break more closely lines up with family vacation season now. College workers used to arrive before business picked up and left while things were still busy — now they are available when they are most needed. The tourist season is longer and less frantic with Georgians trickling to the coast in early May and leaving by late July while out of staters continue to visit through Labor Day. May used to be absolutely dead on St. Simons — not anymore. August, though, is still bustling, just a little less crowded.

By Lee

July 23, 2007 11:44 AM | Link to this

We’ve blogged this topic to death before. There are advantages and disadvantages to both (traditional vs. year round) schedules. Let the local school board listen to their constituents and set their policy accordingly.

What this debate really centers around is that educrats keep trying to find the magic elixer that will cure all their problems.

Ain’t gonna happen. No such thing.

Year round schedule won’t fix 50+ years of social experimentation - which is the root cause of most of education’s problems.

By Dana from GaDOE

July 23, 2007 11:44 AM | Link to this

Sorry…the link in my previous post doesn’t work. User error…

Try this

By Bridget Gutierrez

July 23, 2007 12:05 PM | Link to this

Hey, Dana. Thanks for the clarification. Can you tell us how many Georgia systems operate year-round schools?

By lynn d

July 23, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this

It isn’t the calendar, but the number of days that make some difference (as Lee points out — it isn’t going to fix all the issues.)

Most of these schools are still only attending 180 days. Research shows that for some students 220 days will make an improvement in student achievement.

By Jeff

July 23, 2007 1:05 PM | Link to this

Lee:

Particularly on the last sentence, here’s a big AMEN!!

lynn:

“Research-based” is a pot of steaming hot cow patty. “Research” can prove whatever one wants it to… (I can even use some types of research to “prove” that the world is, in fact, FLAT!)

By thomas

July 23, 2007 1:16 PM | Link to this

Lee is right— this is a rehashed topic. We discussed it all before. Therefore I see no need to beat a dead horse.

Here is something that might be something of interest (and a topic I don’t think has ever been discussed): How might the cohesiveness of school faculty affect student achievement? Many factors have been discussed concerning student achievement and school/community relations. But one rarely mentioned is the effects of overall school climate on student achievement.

I believe (and have seen from experience) that when a school faculty is committed to the same goals and objectives, higher student achievement is the result. Teacher teamwork is not a topic discussed very often. But I have seen it make a world of difference in the classroom.

Many “high performing” schools have a faculty that works well together and everyone is focused on a common goal. Consequently one of the factors that “struggling” schools have in common is the division among faculty. Often times the solution given for these schools is to adopt yet another “instructional program” or increasing supervision and regulation of teachers and staff.

I think one of the “programs” that should be tried in the struggling schools is first creating an environment of teamwork and mutual respect. Like I’ve said before, I have worked in a variety of environments. Some of the best were ones in which the staff of the school was “like a family.” Everyone was “in this thing together.” It didn’t matter if you were a bus driver, teacher, lunchroom monitor, or parapro. Everyone had the same goals for the children.

In EVERY school I have ever worked, the actual makeup up the staff was virtually identical. The people had mostly the same skill, ability level, and education. It was the attitudes of the people and the teamwork factor that made the difference in the classroom, working with students and the parents. It also rolled over out into the community. The goodwill that existed in the school reciprocated goodwill from the community in return.

Is this a valid theory? I think so. Everybody talked about everything else in regards to student achievement and “struggling schools” and NONE OF IT SEEMS TO HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE. I think one of the topics worthy of discussion is teacher attitude- towards students, parents, and other faculty members. Good education does start with the teacher, does it not?

What do you think?

By thomas

July 23, 2007 1:30 PM | Link to this

Another topic I just have to comment on is the teaching of reading— something I real EXTREMELY strongly about (having seen SO many children failed by the current system).

There is an article by the teaching of reading and Reading First by the Weekly Standard (http://www.weeklystandard.com/Utilities/printer_preview.asp?idArticle=13850&R=1143716CE7).

One of the things mentioned in the article is that “whole language clearly appealed because it allowed teachers to do essentially what they liked in their reading classes, and it relieved them of the arduous work of ensuring that their students had mastered specific literacy skills.” SO TRUE. SO VERY TRUE.

Read the article. It gives you food for thought.

Another blog critical thinking edcuators should read from time tot ime is http://d-edreckoning.blogspot.com/. Lots of sound, thought-provoking discussion.

By Attn: Clayton Parents

July 23, 2007 1:33 PM | Link to this

I would say that education does start with the teacher…and the teaching conditions that teacher works under.

Simply put, you cannot have good learning conditions until you have good teaching conditions.

Barbara Pulliam, the superintendent in Clayton is about to find out the hard way that teachers have absolutely had it with the poor teaching conditions.

Since Bridget has explained that the AJC has no Clayton education reporter, this seems as good a place as any to post this: look for a big announcement out of Clayton County’s school board tonight…

By wwww

July 23, 2007 1:41 PM | Link to this

AMEN at 1:16 Thomas. I work in a high performing school, but the overall morale is not good. There is a lot of division among staff, and in the end, that certainly does not benefit anyone - especially the students.

By sweet tea

July 23, 2007 1:49 PM | Link to this

How about an experiment….Let’s make YRS put its money where its mouth is. Each school district converts a few schools to YRS but makes attendance at those schools voluntary.

Let’s see how many people sign up for it. Then, let’s see what the results look like.

However, why impose something so nutty on families who don’t want it?

Part of the problem is that public school administrators and bureaucrats are under the odd impression that all that matters in the world are K-12 test scores and K-12 “education.” Public schools only provide a fraction of the things that my kids need to know to be successful, happy adults. What they do provide is important, but it’s a small part of the package that my kids need.

A summer of reasonable length is crucial to my kids. It is a time that they can learn who they are and what their limits are. They usually learn in the summer that they are capable of a lot more than they ever imagined. Public schools can’t provide them with this type of exposure.

I don’t mean to be snotty, but, truthfully, I could not send my children to a school on a year around schedule. I would have to pull them and go to another school or home school. Sounds bratty, I know, but it’s the truth.

Extended summers are just too important to our family and to them.

By Jeff

July 23, 2007 1:54 PM | Link to this

sweet tea:

YRS gives you MORE freedom and MORE non-school educational opportunities, NOT LESS.

By Dana at GaDOE

July 23, 2007 2:25 PM | Link to this

Bridget,

There are 19 school systems or partial school systems that will have started school by the end of this week. It’s likely many of those school systems are using, at least, a balanced schedule (like 9 weeks on, two weeks off). Rockdale starts July 30 and is on a “balanced” calendar.

Calendars are a completely local decision, so the state does not have any mandates about this, except that students have to go to school for 180 days at least.

lynn d — in some year-round systems, the two week breaks between sessions includes a week for enrichment or remediation, essentially adding days to the school year.

On the issue of calendars, there is one system — Savannah/Chatham — that is starting after labor day this year.

By Johnathan Taylor

July 23, 2007 2:28 PM | Link to this

I think that year-round school is not a good idea at all. Students go to school for 180 days out of the year. I think that they should have and enjoy their summer breaks no matter how long they are.

By WhatWillBridgetDo?

July 23, 2007 2:40 PM | Link to this

Maybe Dana would care to comment on a REAL issue. Falsified discipline data. Can Dana explain why the GaDOE has nothing to say when a school reports no “serious offenses” but the police records show that they came to the same school over FIFTY times for offenses such as assault and battery?

Where is the GaDOE on this? Where is Kathy Cox on this?

By catlady

July 23, 2007 2:43 PM | Link to this

thomas, one thing I would take issue with from your article: the claim that RF raises kids comprehension. Now, I know this is an “Aunty Em” story, but in my county (RF for 4 yrs) we have seen “fluency” ie, how many words you can recognize in a set amount of time, increase, but no increase in student comprenhension. In fact, kids who have been “reared” their whole academic lives on RF have much poorer comprehension than those who only suffered through one or two years of RF (at our school). This is especially true of our lower SES kids. And, isn’t the point of reading to UNDERSTAND what is being communicated? Our kids can call words like whirling dervishes, but cannot tell you one thing that the paragraph said. Measuring children’s success by DIBELS, rather than an unbiased, comprehension-focused test, is, at best, naive. Sort of like letting the fox count the hens in the chickenhouse. What we have seen in our county is an exponential increase in the number of kids who need interventions since the advent of RF.

Back to topic: Seems like our county just about has year round school. The kids who are at risk (an ever-higher number, see above) qualify for 4 weeks of summer school, so the children have only 5 weeks to “go to pot” before the school year starts all over.

By John

July 23, 2007 2:48 PM | Link to this

School is meant to prepare you for the working world where there are no summer vacations. The year round idea is great for preparing kids for the responsibility they will eventually have to take for their lives.

By Bridget Gutierrez

July 23, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this

Hey, Dana. Thanks for the information.

I thought “balanced” calendars were different from “year-round” schedules.

For example, in Rockdale, even though they are starting early, they still get out in May. Whereas, the children in year-round schools in Atlanta will actually be attending school every month of the year.

By Disgusting

July 23, 2007 3:04 PM | Link to this

Educational institutions are only as good as their teachers. Ga. Public Schools could go to 24/7 schooling with hopes of bringing up test scores, but as long as there are substandard teachers, there will always be low test scores.

It amazes me how, for decades, students have succeeded educationally, while going on to post secondary institutions and succeeding there as well - ultimately becoming productive members of society, all without the “benefit” of year-round schooling.

Require more of the teachers. Then, and only then, will you see the students succeed.

By Dana from GaDOE

July 23, 2007 3:08 PM | Link to this

Bridget,

Strictly speaking, you’re right. They are different.

But when people talk about “year-round school,” they are often talking about balanced calendars. Year-round school is kind of a misnomer. Even Taliferro County and the schools in Atlanta and Muscogee don’t go “year-round” — they have a six-week break.

I am not aware of any public school in Georgia where students don’t get an extended summer break.

By mmm

July 23, 2007 3:23 PM | Link to this

My charter school has tried a more “balanced” schedule because that is how IB is typically done in Europe. i.e. a “unit”, followed by a week off and then everyone starts the next topic with less burn out.

I liked that week off in October and Feb. but there have been some definate problems when the rest of the district is not doing what you are. First, we want to start the same time as everyone else, but then the weeks off mean that when CRCT testing rolls around in the spring, our kids have had two weeks fewer class days prior to testing. Then our last week of school overlaps the district summer school schedule. The net effect is that we are finding that we are slowly being pulled back to the same calendar as everyone else. Although, our district actually decided that they wanted an almost week long Feb. break last year—-so maybe we have been pulling them toward being more like us instead.

By thomas

July 23, 2007 3:26 PM | Link to this

For the record- ALL SCHOOLS, REGARDLESS OF CALENDAR, ARE IN SESSION 180 DAYS. The difference lies in how those 180 days are spread out. I am all for a “balanced calendar”, where the regular school year is lengthened by a week or two to permit additional breaks during the school year. Clayton, Henry, and Fayette are just a few systems with balanced calendars. I believe their students start a week before and end a week after other systems. But they have a week off for Thanksgiving and a week off for “Winter Break” (in February around President’s Day). I hear the people there love it.

Both students and teachers burnout during the long grind of the school year. More breaks allow everyone time to refresh.

The only people I hear crying about school calendars are a few supposedly rich people who claim that starting school anytime in August ruins their vacations. I don’t understand why these rich big wigs and “soccer moms” can’t take these vactions in June and July. These people have 2 and 1/2 whole months to do whatever they want to do.

Personally I don’t think the big issue is about school schedules at all. I think it about having something else to complain and b__ about. Surprisingly many parents, EVEN MIDDLE CLASS ONES, are dissatisified with schools today in general. I believe that some of them find school restrictive and obstructive. YOU CAN CERTAINLY BE PERTURBED AT SCHOOLS IF YOU WANT TO DO THINGS YOUR WAY AND AN INSTITUTION TELLS YOU THAT YOU HAVE TO ABIDE BY THEIR RULES.

Another example- Back to school shopping. Look at all the people b__ing and gripping over having to spend some pennies on school supplies. Yet these same people will spend HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS of dollars so that their kid can compete in the fashion show at school. Some of these kids dress better than I do.

I guess school today is more of a social exercise than an academic and intellectual one. What a shame.

By WhatWillBridgetDo?

July 23, 2007 3:43 PM | Link to this

Just like I thought: a GaDOE mouthpiece comes on here to shill about a relatively “benign” issue, but confront him with the failure of GaDOE to deal with a MASSIVE underreporting of discipline incidents (which has a FAR greater impact on learning than the school calander) and he goes totally mute.

Typical Georgia educrat. Spineless. Gutless. Useless. And we wonder why Georgia continues to be a bottom feeder on any legitimate assessment of education in the United States.

And is it any wonder Bridget gives him a free pass, as he used to work for this newspaper?

By John

July 23, 2007 3:48 PM | Link to this

Good arguments both ways, but here is a thought. Those students going on to college will eventually have to face a 15 week semester plus final exams. That is the basic scheme in most every post-secondary institution from the smallest junior college to Harvard Medical College. The chance that that will ever change at the college level is virtually zero; the chance it will change at the college level on the advice of secondary school educators is literally zero. If students are conditioned for thirteen years to go strong for 10 weeks and then enjoy a break, they will be in for a rude awakening 10 weeks into their first college semester. They won’t have the stamina to keep going. The traditional system works well for colleges and universities and it has worked well for generations of primary and secondary school students. Granted, it doesn’t work for all students, but neither has anything else that has been tried. I doubt YRS is the panacea advocates think it is. Long summers are good. The Governors Honors Program was the best thing my son was ever involved in.

By thomas

July 23, 2007 3:55 PM | Link to this

Catlady,

I am a FIRM believer in the five tenets of reading as defined by the National Reading Panel. Every reader should learn these CRUCIAL components of reading.

The problem your school and students (and many other schools) are having is that the basic phonics/fluency component is being emphasized for too long. Ideally phonemic awareness and phonics are taught in kindergarten. By the end of first grade, the child should be able to decode well. Fluency instruction can continue in grades 2 and 3, but it is on more difficult text.

One of the problems with RF is the use of scripted programs such as Direct Instruction. DI is a good program, when used PROPERLY. This, and other programs like it, are not really effective when used as a WHOLESALE, SCHOOLWIDE READING PROGRAM.

Reading First was designed for grades K-2. When used properly, it works wonders. Several years ago I took an extensive course in reading instruction. The program, designed by the USDOE, was for using the five tenets of reading to teach BELOW LEVEL SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS. In fact, the offical name of the program is SERP— Special Education Reading Project.

By the time students get to second and third grade, they should be beyond the point of phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency. This is the point where you are teaching vocabulary, comprehension, metacognitive reading strategies, literature, and beyond. Nobody should be using RF on fourth and fifth graders wholesale. You would use it on students who had some kind of a problem.

Most of the stuff I learned from the program, AND THAT I USE TO THIS DAY, was meant for the very earliest readers- K-2, SPED, and ESOL. That is what it was meant for, not widespread use in all classes K-5.

I became so passionate about reading because I encountered numerous kids who, after being in school (in many cases, the same school) for 3, 4, and 5 years, could not decode or read fluently. Nor could they spell. They could sight read. But if they encountered a word they have never seen before, watch out!!!! And their fluently was horrible. Reading aloud was a sad sight. I learned that whole language (and in a few cases, lazy teachers) was the cause of all of this.

Another EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT ARTICLE on the Whole Language Hi Jinks going on today (so telling, that I have it saved on my computer).

http://www.edexcellence.net/foundation/publication/publication.cfm?id=367

The report discusses the fallacies of “Four Blocks”, “Reading Recovery”, “Balanced Literacy” and other silly nonsense that schools implement today. This explains a little bit of why (after four and five years of school), our children can’t read.

By Nickie

July 23, 2007 4:26 PM | Link to this

I want to address a different aspect of the calendar- those children of divorced parents whose parens live in cities far distant from Atlanta. I know how this affects the kids. I was one of them. I lived with my Dad and went to school in his hometown and spent the summers with my Mom nearly 2500 miles away. They both loved me. They both wanted me. We had from Memorial Day to just after Labor Day off and this is the time I saw my Mom. Not all parents car afford to send a child (or children) on 2 or 3 trips a year across the country no matter how hard they try. I was lucky. My stepdad was a military officer and I go to live in and see a number of different parts of this country during my growing up years. This is not a small group of children and their needs should be taken into consideration.

By Rachel

July 23, 2007 5:04 PM | Link to this

I have a friend that was recently forced into YRS after moving to Wake County (Raleigh) North Carolina.

Her bigggest complaint about YRS is that is just a solution by the school system not to build more schools to accomodate the growth in that particular area. YRS was not promoted as a way to ensure a better education for the children, but to solve a problem created by the local school board.

I don’t see a problem with YRS overall. The problem, as someone mentioned earlier, is the differing schedules that can occur. When you have a children spanning different grades with no guarantee that they will have the same schedule, this tends to prove disfunctional.

Trying to schedule time to visit these NC friends proves to be very difficult. Most of their friends and family are on a traditional schedule - and they always seem to be the ones that can’t join us.

By melinda

July 23, 2007 5:28 PM | Link to this

Thomas, you are very wrong about the people opposed to year around schooling. We used to live in a year around schooling district and had to move because we are regular, working parents(not rich) and we could not find childcare during the four 2-3 week breaks that our school had.

The only place that could take care of our kids was the school system itself. They had to go to school to a poorly staffed “daycamp.” The “teachers” at that camp were temp employees who couldn’t get jobs doing anything else. It was horrible. The kids who needed remediation got teachers and tutors, but the kids who were not in remediation were stuck playing board games and hanging out on the playground with all of these temp staff members that I had never seen before. it was NOT enriching at all.

One of them was let go because he came to work under the influence of alcohol. These are the only types of people that you can find to work little 2-3 week jobs here and there during the school year.

In the summer, college kids are out of school and available to staff daycamps and to babysit for children. During all of the YRS three week breaks - there was no one around because the college kids were in school. It was nearly impossible to find childcare.

My understanding about YRS is just the opposite of yours, Thomas, because I have lived it. The rich families with stay-at-home mothers loved YRS and their kids came back to school bragging about all the trips to the Carribean or Colorado. My husband and I had to alternate taking vacation days to care for our children so we didn’t even have a full week off for the summer break by the time the school year was up.

We moved three years ago because of year around schools. Too bad we moved, our district converted back to the regular school schedule last year because of complaints from WORKING parents.

YRS is great for the rich, it is a nightmare for someone who has to work and can’t take weeks off… unless they have a year around nanny.

By elementaryhistoryteacher

July 23, 2007 6:12 PM | Link to this

Thomas you make several valid points especially about the posts over at D-EdReckoning. I have him on my own blogroll and he links to me as well.

A few years ago Carroll County experiemented with a calendar that was not YRS but we ended up with a full week for a Fall break in October, a week for Thanksgiving, and two during December. It was great. Going to the beach in October was wonderful. We began the year around the first of August and ended at the end of May.

Every year our local afterschool programs and centers change their calendar to fit the school calendar. I have no doubt that they would change their hours of operation to meet YRS if it came to that. They need the money…..

That being said state law mandates 180 days. It’s what we do with it that matters. I see far too many interuptions in my school day that don’t include academics and I’m not speaking of recess ( I like it).

Bottom line….year round school won’t work without parental support.

By XYZ

July 23, 2007 6:49 PM | Link to this

All year school would be a plus for everyone! We go to school 9 weeks with an interim period of professional learning for teachers and remediation for those students who need it. Then a three week period of rest and relaxation. Both teachers and students come back refreshed and rested. Kids still go the 180 days required by law. As a teacher, I have been for this for years. Every season would include some time off! Sounds good to me! Once explained to kids, they seem to grasp how cool this schedule could be!

By Tony

July 23, 2007 7:08 PM | Link to this

Year round school should be decided by the community. The state should not legislate beginning times (the tourism lobby) and the Feds certainly have no jurisdiction there. Communities are best equipped to make decisions regarding the school calendar.

To Thomas - Most of your information to Catlady was on the mark until you provided the link to the “Hi-Jinks” article. That material is one of the most self-serving articles being passed off as scholarly that I have ever seen. The author promotes the use of tools that she and the company that employees her profit from. Please spare us from Moats’ baloney!

By rob

July 24, 2007 9:03 AM | Link to this

Keep the booger factories enrolled in government indoctrination centers locked up year round so the transfer to the penal systems will be less of a shock to thier systems. HA- Government education what a oxymoron. Childern in govt schools are educated only enough to pay taxes and obey, those who don’t fall in line, see above. The only answer you will ever hear to fix the problems from teachers unions or school officials is: MO MONEY, MO MONEY, MO MONEY. We spend more and more, they get dumber and dumber and the jails keep filling. Yet another social experiment which has run its course and should be terminated. Each parent pay for thier child’s education at a school of thier choice and all of this hand wringing will be over with. Education of YOUR childern is not my resposibility (financially or otherwise). If you cannot support it don’t have it.

By Jeff

July 24, 2007 9:25 AM | Link to this

melinda:

YRS will NOT work on a school-by-school level. It MUST be the ENTIRE system to be effective. This way, the child care providers have two options: modify their own business practices to meet what the schools are doing, or go out of business. You already see this happening when schools bump up the last day of school. What do the child care providers do? Bump up the day their sessions begin. Same on the other end: When the first day of school begins, child care providers bump up the last day of their sessions as well.

What makes you think that they wouldn’t also adjust to YRS???

By Shon

July 24, 2007 9:50 AM | Link to this

I agree with Jeff’s comment that daycares will conform to the year round schedule, which accommodate both parties envolved. As being the mother of 3 school aged kids, I think the traditional schedule is better becasue the students need that break and it is up to the parents to make sure that their child(ren) are still engaged in some sort of learning activities. We do not want to tire out our kids and have them get bored with school and that’s what I think will happen if they are constantly there. I do believe that the “powers that be” need to have open forums so that parents and educators can both express their feelings and/or concerns about the schedule as well as all of the tests (the ones that are required to move on to the next grade).

Besides, the summer is when a lot of families are able to take vacation and spend that time with their children, which is also needed. I work at a major university in GA and it is so hard to get away, even for a week, during the fall and spring semesters and summer is about the only time that it is slow enough to be able to take enough time to spend with my children. I like the current schedule and it will be interesting to see what happens.

By bone

July 24, 2007 9:53 AM | Link to this

YRS is a great idea. The quarter could really be intense and the students would benefit from having a little time to decompress afterwards. A three week break would give everyone a chance to relax & also work as an incentive: students who don’t complete their requirements during the regular quarter would be able to come back early from their break for extra help.

By Ernest

July 24, 2007 12:00 PM | Link to this

Props should go to Attn: Clayton Parents for their post @ 1:33 on 7/23. They indicated something big would come out of the Clayton school board meeting and it did. Goes to show there are a LOT of insightful posters on this blog.

By thomas

July 24, 2007 12:31 PM | Link to this

Tony,

The Hi-Jinks article was insightful because it shone a light on the failings and fallacies of “Four Blocks”, “Balanced Literacy”, and “Guided Reading”. In and of themselves, some of the things done during that kind of reading instruction is sound. But you need more than that to properly teach children reading and writing. For all intents and purposes, “Four Blocks” and “Balanced Literacy” are instructional frameworks that would probably work best with older, more successful readers and writers.

The reason some people jump on that bandwagon is because, for one, they were taught in ed school that all the old methods/ strategies/ techniques/ pedagogy of school were evil. Secondly these “progressive, new age, modern, student centered, cutting edge” programs/philosophies/frameworks like “balanced literacy” allow the teacher BROAD freedom to do whatever he or she pleases. In addition, there are no really set rules that the teacher has to follow. They can get away with not providing direct, explict instruction. The teacher can stand around (it’s not in vogue to sit at a teacher’s desk now.) and look at students do “hands-on activities”. Or she sit on her behind in front of a group of students seated on the floor and read aloud and ask dumb, obvious, leading questions, then call that reading instruction.

I have watched grown men and women play games and do whatever they liked in the classroom and the children went to hades. Some of the so-called “educated”, “cutting edge”, “progressive” teachers were the worst.

A return to the old standards and ways is in order.

By jim d

July 26, 2007 8:19 AM | Link to this

Geez, leave y’all for a few days and you hit on one of my favorite topics. Good thing I guess—as the regulars here already know my position on YRS.

Dana from GaDOE , Let me point out that what you refer to as a balanced schedule IS a form of YRS. There are a wide variety of year-round scheduling plans: the 45-15 plan (45 school days attendance followed by 15 school days of vacation); the similar 60-20 plan; the 60-15 plan (which provides a common July vacation for all tracks); the Concept 6 plan (six terms of 43 days each); the Concept 8 plan (eight six-week blocks); the quarter plan (four twelve-week periods); the quinmester plan (five nine-week terms); and a number of other flexible plans.

The most common schedules were 90-30; 60-20; 45-15; 60-15; and Concept 6. To my knowledge, there no Concept 8 schools, and fully half of all year-round schools are single-track. Each scheduling plan has the potential to provide opportunity for learning benefits to students; multi-track arrangements (which I favor) also can increase school capacities by 33 percent or more (Merrell, 1980).