by Nicholas Stitt

Created on: May 18, 2008

From 1997 to 2001, I spent seven hours per day in everyone's favorite leisure time thief, high school. Don't misunderstand; I loved high school. I loved the learning part best, spending more time chatting with teachers after classes than I did goofing off with friends-well, until the weekend, that is. But even with my comparably short 180 day per year education, I picked up a lot.

A real lot. And I'll bet others did too.

Every week I heard some comment on America's worthlessness in education, and how every other country had longer school years, and they were all a whole lot smarter and better and if only we'd keep our kids here in summer and of course, our teenage bodies would groan and wince at the thought of having to spend June, July, and August HERE of all places. What about our jobs? What about our families? What about naps on the beach for heaven's sake?

Soon the conversation morphed into some drabble only the adults could understand, like "tax increases," "job openings," and "beach parties without the students." Last I cared to check things, discussion points were left unfinished.

Maybe it's just the kid in me, but I don't think a longer school year is a good idea. Wait, wait that's the adult in me saying it's a bad idea, and for good reason. Not because I want to respect the "freedom of childhood" or teacher's vacations or summer jobs or the economy. But we just don't need more than a 180 school days per year.

For plenty of aspiring students, school is a crunch. Those that take eight semesters of math, chemistry, or biology know what I'm talking about; a stack of homework nightly and college credit exams to study for around each turn. It's maddening, but the work needs to be done. Students who pull through are well rewarded. A good friend of mine cranked her brains during her senior year of high school, and entered college on a Sophomore status. She saved around 15,000 dollars.

If a dedicated student can do all that in 180 class days, a longer school year would just slow us down. Now, I understand an extended year could equate to trimesters instead of two semesters per "year," and additional classes could be taken in the summer months. But currently, the hardest of the students do that already, and going above and beyond the limit should be an option, not a mandate.

Students who want to proceed at the normal pace should be free to do so, and just like real life, students who powerhouse to the top will earn their benefits.

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