In a major education reform effort, six metro Atlanta schools decided to change to a yearlong academic system, distinguishing them as some of about 3,000 such schools nationwide. The schools mostly operate with the same number of class days as the standard academic model but cut summer vacation to six weeks.
While teachers, parents and students have praised Atlanta’s new system, the Bay State is more hesitant about such a change. Only five schools, including four charter schools, are year-round, and there is no effort to create more.
Opponents argue that extending the school year would take away from the time that children spend with their families in the summer. Some believe that yearlong schools would not allow students to participate in summer programs or jobs. Such a system would also require additional operating costs including air conditioning installation from the state’s already tight educational budget.
On the other hand, state teachers have not resisted this suggestion because they would like to try a different educational model, Kathy Kelley, president of the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers, told the Boston Herald. Yearlong schools do tend to boost students’ performance level because students are able to retain more material during their summer break. Advocates of this system argue that because teachers must spend the first month or two of the school year reviewing material from the previous year, a yearlong academic period would give teachers more time to spend more time on new lessons instead.
Students who participate in summer tutoring programs and classes are essentially attending school year-round. Boston requires the lowest performing students to attend summer schooling. For these students, a formal year-round structure may benefit them more than the current academic model. The state may in fact design a yearlong system especially for these students to bring them to the level of their peers, a state school official told the Boston Herald.
Although year-round schools could benefit some Bay State communities, legislators should not move to institute a yearlong system in the state’s schools. Instead, individual communities and districts should evaluate whether or not this system would work for their schools and not rule it out because it may seem too different or a little unpleasant. In some cases, yearlong schools may be the best solution.
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