It's About Time
When Ernest Hemingway said, “Time is all we have,” he probably wasn’t thinking about the length of the school year. But while two bills were reviewed by the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee earlier this week, his words may have been ringing in the minds of some.
Sen. Peter Mills, R-Skowhegan, sponsor of a bill to extend the school year by ten days, told the committee Tuesday that it was needed for students’ benefit. Another bill, sponsored by Rep. Linda Valentino, D-Saco, would mandate that classes begin after Labor Day in order to ensure that young workers would be available to work in the tourism industry for the last weekend of the traditional summer vacation, according to an article in the March 15, 2007 Bangor Daily News.
Our students already have a much shorter school year than those who are living in many of the world’s other wealthiest nations. “ Many of the countries where students outscored ours have instructional calendars that are 3-4 weeks longer each year than that provided for American students” according to “U.S. Students Need a Longer School Year” by William Bainbridge.
The average Maine school calendar is generally 175 days when in-service days are deducted. The MSAD #46 calendar shows 176 student days, plus 4 teacher workshop days, such as March 16. According to Bainbridge, “The traditional calendars, distributed annually by nearly all U.S. school systems in the spring, were never intended to be driven by educational priorities” making the “three month break in the summer”….”a barrier to student achievement.”
Shouldn’t more time equal more learning? Apparently not, according to some. Rep. Valentino’s bill “ensures that the tourism industry would get the maximum days in summer” by requiring that classes begin after Labor Day.
“Pam Cahill, representing the Maine Innkeepers Association, reminded the committee that Vacationland had a short season and that every day of summer was important to the bottom line. She said there was very little time in summer to maximize business and student earning,” according to the BDN article.
Unless students’ aspirations are limited to working in the service sector of the tourism industry, shouldn’t society be more interested in maximizing student learning? Other than Senator Mills and Jack McKee, former state Board of Education member, who else was advocating for the best interests of the students?
Dick Derost, executive director of the Maine Principals Association, reportedly spoke in opposition to the Valentino bill for several reasons, “the primary one being that students were better equipped to handle school work at the beginning of the year than when June rolls around and their thoughts turn to summer.”
Perhaps Mr. Derost more accurately described the feelings of his constituents, Maine Principals, than that of students. The MPA obviously opposes extending the school year into the summer, while the Valentino bill mandates a later school start leaving no opportunity for increasing student learning.
One of the most common complaints I’ve heard from teachers is that there is not enough time to cover everything. Shouldn't we be working towards an eventual year-round school calendar for the benefit of all students?
In school jargon we talk about the desire to inspire “life-long learners.” Life-long seems like a long time.
Shouldn’t we be willing to sacrifice, and provide additional time to do just that?
Sen. Peter Mills, R-Skowhegan, sponsor of a bill to extend the school year by ten days, told the committee Tuesday that it was needed for students’ benefit. Another bill, sponsored by Rep. Linda Valentino, D-Saco, would mandate that classes begin after Labor Day in order to ensure that young workers would be available to work in the tourism industry for the last weekend of the traditional summer vacation, according to an article in the March 15, 2007 Bangor Daily News.
Our students already have a much shorter school year than those who are living in many of the world’s other wealthiest nations. “ Many of the countries where students outscored ours have instructional calendars that are 3-4 weeks longer each year than that provided for American students” according to “U.S. Students Need a Longer School Year” by William Bainbridge.
The average Maine school calendar is generally 175 days when in-service days are deducted. The MSAD #46 calendar shows 176 student days, plus 4 teacher workshop days, such as March 16. According to Bainbridge, “The traditional calendars, distributed annually by nearly all U.S. school systems in the spring, were never intended to be driven by educational priorities” making the “three month break in the summer”….”a barrier to student achievement.”
Shouldn’t more time equal more learning? Apparently not, according to some. Rep. Valentino’s bill “ensures that the tourism industry would get the maximum days in summer” by requiring that classes begin after Labor Day.
“Pam Cahill, representing the Maine Innkeepers Association, reminded the committee that Vacationland had a short season and that every day of summer was important to the bottom line. She said there was very little time in summer to maximize business and student earning,” according to the BDN article.
Unless students’ aspirations are limited to working in the service sector of the tourism industry, shouldn’t society be more interested in maximizing student learning? Other than Senator Mills and Jack McKee, former state Board of Education member, who else was advocating for the best interests of the students?
Dick Derost, executive director of the Maine Principals Association, reportedly spoke in opposition to the Valentino bill for several reasons, “the primary one being that students were better equipped to handle school work at the beginning of the year than when June rolls around and their thoughts turn to summer.”
Perhaps Mr. Derost more accurately described the feelings of his constituents, Maine Principals, than that of students. The MPA obviously opposes extending the school year into the summer, while the Valentino bill mandates a later school start leaving no opportunity for increasing student learning.
One of the most common complaints I’ve heard from teachers is that there is not enough time to cover everything. Shouldn't we be working towards an eventual year-round school calendar for the benefit of all students?
In school jargon we talk about the desire to inspire “life-long learners.” Life-long seems like a long time.
Shouldn’t we be willing to sacrifice, and provide additional time to do just that?
posted by Art | 3/19/2007 12:59:00 PM
1 Comments:
I would be in favor of the students going all the days they can give them. It definately should not be shortened. I also feel they can cut out in-service days and have teachers give up a day or two in the summer.
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