How About Year Round Education

With this new world that we’ve been warned was coming for many many years, is now here. With it comes the new reality for all parents of school age children. School is a delicate situation for not only families but the staff as well. One parent mentioned to me last week before our school was closed, “how can they not think about the kids and how they are going to be effected by closing their school. They are just putting children in unsafe learning environments and not thinking of their well being!” To which I replied, “how about the staff who are not only older but also have their own families that they have care for”, the conversation ended at that point. 

Looking back at that interaction, the real question is, how are we going to move forward with the new world, which honestly, WE HAVE CREATED! One thought I’ve had since the many discussions of closing schools. Maybe we need rethink school schedules. For over a hundred years, generations have become accustomed to the standard of “summers off". Now I will admit, since entering the public school system 7 years ago, I was one of those parents who have grown comfortable with the school schedule that I grew up with. After living in this environment of forced no-school, I am really considering the idea of year-round-school. 

Think about it, what if we really considered moving to a year round calendar. This would mean local governments can really analyze the data of how viruses spread within a single community. With this data we can then focus on a school schedule that allows parents the ability to keep not just kids with compromised immune systems but all children and even the elderly. Now I know some people will argue that parents will just leave their kids with grandparents. But think about that. Grandparents having been taking care of grandkids for generations. What’s hard or dangerous is when grandparents caring for kids after school. That’s when they run into a risk a caregiver. A child being cared for grandparent all day in their home doesn’t pose the same risk. 

Having a year round schedule also affords different break schedules for different parts of the country. Which for place like Disneyland and Disney World is godsend. Have you ever been to either of those places in the middle of summer or spring break. Trust me, pass on those times of year. Our first trip with our oldest was when she was 4 and we went in the middle of July. HUGE MISTAKE. That’s a blog post in itself. Back to year round school. I wouldn’t mind seeing Ski Week turn into Ski month, maybe in March. Then we can do away with this whole idea of Spring Break. I’d much rather have the month off, that way families can stagger their travel plans. 

I do see the downside of this change, the staff end of this equation could be an issue for those with children themselves. Although most teacher parents have their children in the same school, district or neighboring district. All in all it could be a win, win situation for all those involved. And if you come after me about what about the district office. Most offices run year round. To be honest, a year round option could potentially help teachers move towards a year round salary. Overall this move will need a lot of planning. 

As a parent a year round option gives parents more options when it comes to travel and even at home education. In 7 summers of being in public education, doing home education during the summer, DOES NOT WORK! Schedules are so erratic because parents have to struggle with organizing 8-10 weeks of activities, camps and so on. Now the downside of summer break reducing for 4-6 weeks does pose a problem for the “going away for camp” tradition, but again we are trying to smash this idea of “tradition” from the start. 

Regardless of what we choose moving forward. Change is what is needed. We weren’t ready and Bill Gates told us that exact statement,  back in 2015. Did we listen? No! We trusted our government to act and sadly the lone person tasked for leading this agenda, is not concerned, educated or even self aware enough to realize the cost and toll their inaction will cause. So looking at things like year round school, is important. Even more important is how change will not only help us but be a test for our society.