Deacon923
Scooter Banks
Fact is, urban schools in America in the 19th century had year round school.
Fact is, urban schools in America in the 19th century had year round school.
sailor, cite a source for your facts.
I bet Sophocles got a summer break.
I thought the models I had seen for year round education included a larger "summer break" of 4-6 weeks and a longer "winter break" as well.
You could still have camps.
1. Make assertion about education that defies reform
2. Fail to back up with data
3. Repeat
All the above-mentioned initiatives and mandates have had the obvious effect of removing teachers from their classrooms for significant amounts of time and fracturing their concentration and ability to teach. There were many days last year when I felt I had hardly spent any time in the classroom. It was my assistant teacher with whom the children were more familiar. She was more in the role of classroom teacher. I was more in the role of data collector.
The negative impact of all of this on a classroom of young children (or children of any age) is substantial, and obvious to many classroom teachers. Teachers everywhere are seeing an increase in behavior problems that make classrooms and schools feel less safe, and learning less able to take place. Children are screaming out for help. They are under too much pressure and it is just no longer possible to meet the social and emotional needs of our youngest children. They are suffering because of this.
I encourage all to read this story.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/03/23/kindergarten-teacher-my-job-is-now-about-tests-and-data-not-children-i-quit/
TL;DR: Kindergarten teacher lists all the dozens of mandates requiring her to constantly assess and test her kindergarten students instead of actually teaching them, all of which directly conflicts with all credible research on how 4, 5, and 6 year olds learn best. These paragraphs are a pretty good summary:
From many years ago, Milton Friedman's opinion still rings true today, and afterward he defends his position against the teacher establishment of the time. Very interesting all the way around.
It would have been a tragedy if he didn't.