by C. R. Kwiat

Created on: March 06, 2010

The days where the kid is needed on the farm to help their parents during the summer is over, so why do we still have the huge break? I’m a teacher going on her twelve or thirteenth year of teaching at the high school level (yes, I’ve lost count) who has worked closely with both middle and high school students. I love my summer breaks, as does every student I know. Why? Because there aren’t enough little breaks throughout the school year. I used to work in a district that gave the students at least one day off every month, and now I  work in an even more clueless district that sometimes gives students a half day per month…if they’re lucky.

Here’s what we should do. Go to year-round school with three large breaks throughout the year. Three weeks will give students enough time to have a real break. Families can go on annual vacations, children can go to their week-long scout camps or help their parents with extra projects around the house, teachers can rethink their lesson plans, and we all can rejuvenate our minds and motivation. In Texas, some administrative officials seem to think the students will learn more if they’re in class longer. I was shocked after moving from Arizona to Texas that students have to spend so much more time in the classroom on a daily basis, then come home to spend their evening on homework. In the case of education, less is better. A sleeping child does not learn. Do not start the school day so dang early! I have students who have to wake up at five-thirty to catch a school bus at six. They’re dead on their feet for most of the day. Many of them are simply night owls who don’t go to sleep until one in the morning; I even have students with jobs who need the money and so work until three in the morning! A start time of anywhere between 8:30 and 9 is sufficient. I’ve had classes that started at 7:10; and currently my middle school son’s school begins at 7:30.

Buses dictate quite a bit about when schools start, and they simply shouldn’t. Because the middle school starts at 7:30, the high school doesn’t start until 8:30…which means that the high school gets out at 4:00. Many high school students need to get a job to help support their family. Good luck getting a job with reasonable hours. They may as well get out of school earlier to go to work, because their minds certainly aren’t working in the classroom.

By the end of the day, students are burned out and simply aren’t thinking any more. Most school districts have figured this out at least. They plan for the core courses in the morning and the electives in the afternoon, and this seems to work well.

Let’s get smart about education. Shorter school days with a later start and earlier release, and let’s spread the breaks out throughout the year. This should improve students’ performance and make us more competitive with other countries.

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