The headline in this week’s local paper claimed: The Needham Public Schools Sex Education Controversy Escalates. That’s news to me and most of my colleagues and parents in the Needham Public Schools who have been engaged in a responsible, respectful, and heartfelt discussion about a proposed sex ed program.
The article goes on to describe the objections of a few parents who have publicly expressed concern about what they perceive to be a lack of family values embedded in the program. The reporter also interviewed the district’s Wellness Director, Kathy Pinkham, who has led a robust and transparent effort to develop an appropriate and meaningful sex education program that is responsive to the Massachusetts Curriculum frameworks, reflective of good research, and grounded in school and community values.
As superintendent, I know this can be tricky and sensitive territory to cover, especially in a community with high expectations and myriad viewpoints. But the focus has been, and will continue to be, what’s good for students. Here are some takeaways worth considering:
• The staff has engaged the parent, medical, and broader community over the last two years in the development of curriculum goals for sex education in grades 5 through 12.
• The process, although imperfect, has been honest, candid, and transparent. There have been over ten community meetings on the topic and three or four School Committee agenda items on sex education. Last week Dr. Pinkham met with the Needham Clergy Association to share program goals and solicit their feedback. Bottom line? No secrets in what we do here in Needham! We have been and will continue to be open and clear about what we teach students.
• Parents are the primary educators of their children, and we will partner with them as we teach their children. Parents will be asked to participate in homework assignments designed to encourage conversations between children and their parents. Parent meetings will be held this spring to inform parents about the 5th and 9th grade programs. Parents may also opt out of any portion of or the entire program at anytime.
• The curriculum, resources, public presentations, a Frequently Asked Questions guide, and other materials are all available on the district’s website for review. Soon, additional lesson outlines and resources will be available as we pilot the new ninth grade program this spring. Please check out the district’s website for more information: http://rwd1.needham.k12.ma.us/wellness/Sexuality
• We will teach sex education within a context of social and emotional learning and help young people learn how to make good decisions about their bodies and their relationships. The program emphasizes abstinence and promotes the values of respect, commitment, and trust.
• We will constantly reassess and re-evaluate what we are doing and improve our efforts and program. We will survey students and parents to get their feedback and make necessary adjustments. We may make mistakes along the way, but we will work hard to ensure the development and implementation of a sex education program that complements and supports our parents’ efforts and meets the community’s expectations.
So far, the sex education discussion in Needham has been thoughtful and respectful. In the end, I am glad we are having a community conversation about an important topic. I am happy we are all thinking about the young people in our lives who are looking to us for good information, a balanced perspective, and an honest conversation to assist them to make thoughtful decisions as they navigate adolescence and a world that is often indifferent to their physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
Let’s keep the conversation going and the focus on what’s best for all of our kids.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
The Cost of a Better America
Wisconsin’s current political and civic dissonance has prompted talk radio, water cooler, and coffee shop conversations and arguments about power hungry politicians, Tea Party activism, and budget busting union contracts and benefits. I don’t live in America’s Dairyland, so I won’t opine about what they should or should not do. I am sure they will figure it out. After all, we have our own deficits and (former) state legislators on the lam here in Massachusetts.
What is interesting to me is what has not been part of the cacophony in Wisconsin and throughout the nation as Congress, governors, mayors, and Town Meeting Members struggle with a poor economy and challenging budget plans that are increasingly unable to support even basic public services. What is missing in the national conversation is the realization that we made a bargain generations ago to live in and support a safer, more just, and healthier country—and that costs money.
Beginning with the New Deal’s Social Security Act, followed by the GI Bill, Medicare, Americans with Disabilities, the Clean Water Act, No Child Left Behind, and a host of state and local initiatives and laws, Americans, as a nation, made decisions to support programs and services designed to provide secure retirements, veterans’ benefits, medical care, food vouchers, special education classes, and accessible buildings for the disabled. The combination of American prosperity, technology, entrepreneurship, education, and—yes—hard fought political battles resulted in homes, schools, neighborhoods, and cities and towns that are healthier, cleaner and safer.
Some call it progress and some call it government run amok. But who today goes to the grocery store concerned about the quality of the beef in the freezer? When was the last time you worried about the water pouring out of your tap? Who thinks twice about whether or not firemen are on duty at 3:00 in the morning in your community? Which of us questions the need for a wheelchair ramp or elevator at the local library? Who questions the value of medical care for a returning vet or premature baby? Who will deny a special education program for a struggling and disabled learner? We don’t often think about these scenarios because we have become accustomed to a standard of living and security unparalleled in history.
In many ways, of course, we have created expectations and programs far beyond our means. And, unquestionably, some of the costs associated with these services have become exorbitant. Generous medical plans, for example, with low co-pays are no longer affordable. In Wisconsin, paying a portion of pension benefits has been a source of negotiation and angst. (Note to Wisconsin teachers: Most educators—and soon all—in Massachusetts have had 11% of their paychecks going toward their retirement benefits since 1995!) We have to treat our public servants fairly and with dignity while offering competitive wages, but we have to have an adult conversation about reasonable and sustainable benefits. We simply can’t afford to do it all.
Some would argue we have supplanted individual responsibility for a nanny state that encourages indolence and an insatiable appetite for the convenient and unnecessary. I think there is some truth in that, but I sure don’t want to return to the time when students with physical or learning disabilities were locked away or kept out of the neighborhood schoolhouse. I want to feel confident that when I pick up the phone and press 911, a local dispatcher will ask me what my emergency is.
We have created a more humane and secure society that places enormous value on human life, freedom, dignity, and education. Part of this grand bargain is that we have to pay for it.
And as we struggle to balance budgets it’s easy to demonize public servants, especially at a time when state and town revenues are failing. But let’s remember why they are there in the first place and then work together to develop solutions, promote relationships, hold one another accountable, and ensure a level of service and performance that balances our aspirations as a democratic and humane society with our ability to pay for it.
By the way, that’s why I like working in Needham: At the local level town officials, public employees, and citizens are guided by core values that ensure we collaborate, communicate, and sustain great services. In Needham we work together to find efficiencies, innovate, and, at times recalibrate our needs and expectations, all in an effort to provide excellent and responsive services for students, their families, and the entire community. It’s not always easy, and sometimes there are disagreements along the way. But I think Needham can be a model for the way this hard work is done.
Our communities and our nation deserve nothing less.
What is interesting to me is what has not been part of the cacophony in Wisconsin and throughout the nation as Congress, governors, mayors, and Town Meeting Members struggle with a poor economy and challenging budget plans that are increasingly unable to support even basic public services. What is missing in the national conversation is the realization that we made a bargain generations ago to live in and support a safer, more just, and healthier country—and that costs money.
Beginning with the New Deal’s Social Security Act, followed by the GI Bill, Medicare, Americans with Disabilities, the Clean Water Act, No Child Left Behind, and a host of state and local initiatives and laws, Americans, as a nation, made decisions to support programs and services designed to provide secure retirements, veterans’ benefits, medical care, food vouchers, special education classes, and accessible buildings for the disabled. The combination of American prosperity, technology, entrepreneurship, education, and—yes—hard fought political battles resulted in homes, schools, neighborhoods, and cities and towns that are healthier, cleaner and safer.
Some call it progress and some call it government run amok. But who today goes to the grocery store concerned about the quality of the beef in the freezer? When was the last time you worried about the water pouring out of your tap? Who thinks twice about whether or not firemen are on duty at 3:00 in the morning in your community? Which of us questions the need for a wheelchair ramp or elevator at the local library? Who questions the value of medical care for a returning vet or premature baby? Who will deny a special education program for a struggling and disabled learner? We don’t often think about these scenarios because we have become accustomed to a standard of living and security unparalleled in history.
In many ways, of course, we have created expectations and programs far beyond our means. And, unquestionably, some of the costs associated with these services have become exorbitant. Generous medical plans, for example, with low co-pays are no longer affordable. In Wisconsin, paying a portion of pension benefits has been a source of negotiation and angst. (Note to Wisconsin teachers: Most educators—and soon all—in Massachusetts have had 11% of their paychecks going toward their retirement benefits since 1995!) We have to treat our public servants fairly and with dignity while offering competitive wages, but we have to have an adult conversation about reasonable and sustainable benefits. We simply can’t afford to do it all.
Some would argue we have supplanted individual responsibility for a nanny state that encourages indolence and an insatiable appetite for the convenient and unnecessary. I think there is some truth in that, but I sure don’t want to return to the time when students with physical or learning disabilities were locked away or kept out of the neighborhood schoolhouse. I want to feel confident that when I pick up the phone and press 911, a local dispatcher will ask me what my emergency is.
We have created a more humane and secure society that places enormous value on human life, freedom, dignity, and education. Part of this grand bargain is that we have to pay for it.
And as we struggle to balance budgets it’s easy to demonize public servants, especially at a time when state and town revenues are failing. But let’s remember why they are there in the first place and then work together to develop solutions, promote relationships, hold one another accountable, and ensure a level of service and performance that balances our aspirations as a democratic and humane society with our ability to pay for it.
By the way, that’s why I like working in Needham: At the local level town officials, public employees, and citizens are guided by core values that ensure we collaborate, communicate, and sustain great services. In Needham we work together to find efficiencies, innovate, and, at times recalibrate our needs and expectations, all in an effort to provide excellent and responsive services for students, their families, and the entire community. It’s not always easy, and sometimes there are disagreements along the way. But I think Needham can be a model for the way this hard work is done.
Our communities and our nation deserve nothing less.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Top Ten Resolutions for 2011
I have never been very good at developing—never mind sharing—New Year’s resolutions. I like to think that if I want to or need to change something I won’t wait until the turn of the December calendar. This time, however, I decided to give it a try. Here we go:
1. Participate in more professional development opportunities that will strengthen my leadership skills and deepen my understanding of high achieving schools.
2. Increase my interactions and relationships with town and community departments and organizations that will support increased student learning and growth.
3. Consider ways we can encourage additional student feedback and input to improve school and instructional programs.
4. Visit more classrooms.
5. Build support for a reasonable and prudent 2011-12 budget plan that sustains our work in the schools.
6. Ensure the upcoming repairs and the relocation of students at the Newman Elementary School are completed safely, efficiently, and under budget.
7. Review special education programming within the Needham Schools to learn how we can a) increase student learning and achievement, and b) use our resources more efficiently.
8. Speak out about senseless legislative and administrative “reforms” that only burden educators and do little, if anything, to improve learning or assist teachers. (The recently adopted Massachusetts Ethics Commission disclosure guidelines for teacher gifts come to mind, for example.)
9. Attend as many of my high school daughter’s track meets as possible this winter and spring; Skype frequently with my two other daughters; and share even more goofy stories and jokes with them.
10. Take my wife out to dinner more regularly and lengthen our walks around the neighborhood.
And, finally, don’t do all of these things in order; be more flexible. Happy New Year!
1. Participate in more professional development opportunities that will strengthen my leadership skills and deepen my understanding of high achieving schools.
2. Increase my interactions and relationships with town and community departments and organizations that will support increased student learning and growth.
3. Consider ways we can encourage additional student feedback and input to improve school and instructional programs.
4. Visit more classrooms.
5. Build support for a reasonable and prudent 2011-12 budget plan that sustains our work in the schools.
6. Ensure the upcoming repairs and the relocation of students at the Newman Elementary School are completed safely, efficiently, and under budget.
7. Review special education programming within the Needham Schools to learn how we can a) increase student learning and achievement, and b) use our resources more efficiently.
8. Speak out about senseless legislative and administrative “reforms” that only burden educators and do little, if anything, to improve learning or assist teachers. (The recently adopted Massachusetts Ethics Commission disclosure guidelines for teacher gifts come to mind, for example.)
9. Attend as many of my high school daughter’s track meets as possible this winter and spring; Skype frequently with my two other daughters; and share even more goofy stories and jokes with them.
10. Take my wife out to dinner more regularly and lengthen our walks around the neighborhood.
And, finally, don’t do all of these things in order; be more flexible. Happy New Year!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Inspiring Learners
A day or two before the Thanksgiving holiday I paid a brief visit to each one of the elementary classrooms to extend best wishes to each classroom teacher and say hello to the students. I am always impressed but never surprised at the level of excitement and engagement in these classes!
These and my other classroom visits remind me of the skill, wisdom, and competence of our teaching staff here in Needham. I regularly observe students tuned in and turned on to any number of tasks, projects, and discussions. Whether the students are working alone, in small groups, or in pairs there is a joyful sense of purpose and self-discovery evident in our schools, and it’s led by talented and committed teachers. Students are clearly in charge of their learning, and they take pride and ownership in their individual achievement, creativity, and growth.
Of course, it is a skilled and mature instructor who can step to the side and guide the learning rather than stand in front and command the students. And that takes time, persistence, and patience. There are no quick routes or easy paths to become the kind of teacher who connects closely to students and can assess their personal needs and potential with efficacy and compassion. I like what Carol Steele, writing in December’s (2010) Educational Leadership, says about the stages successful teachers go through in their career: “I believe teachers progress through four stages: unaware, aware, capable, inspired.” She observes that teachers work through these stages as they develop experience, competence, and the flexibility to respond to a variety of situations and divergent thinkers and learners.
Within a collaborative structure and provided with a reasonable amount of training and support (versus a well-intentioned but overwhelming amount of professional development), our teachers can move through these stages and develop a sense of accomplishment that comes with doing something meaningful and purposeful in a classroom full of students.
We simply must give teachers the support, time, and latitude to try new ideas and even make mistakes as they grow and develop into inspired teachers who excite children. So what else does it take? Steele concludes that “desire, a curious mind, and a thirst for continuous learning” are the links in a chain of teacher growth and improvement.
In Needham’s classrooms, I am proud to say that our teachers have these prerequisite skills and attitudes, and wherever they are on Steele’s continuum, they are working hard each day to empower and inspire young minds.
These and my other classroom visits remind me of the skill, wisdom, and competence of our teaching staff here in Needham. I regularly observe students tuned in and turned on to any number of tasks, projects, and discussions. Whether the students are working alone, in small groups, or in pairs there is a joyful sense of purpose and self-discovery evident in our schools, and it’s led by talented and committed teachers. Students are clearly in charge of their learning, and they take pride and ownership in their individual achievement, creativity, and growth.
Of course, it is a skilled and mature instructor who can step to the side and guide the learning rather than stand in front and command the students. And that takes time, persistence, and patience. There are no quick routes or easy paths to become the kind of teacher who connects closely to students and can assess their personal needs and potential with efficacy and compassion. I like what Carol Steele, writing in December’s (2010) Educational Leadership, says about the stages successful teachers go through in their career: “I believe teachers progress through four stages: unaware, aware, capable, inspired.” She observes that teachers work through these stages as they develop experience, competence, and the flexibility to respond to a variety of situations and divergent thinkers and learners.
Within a collaborative structure and provided with a reasonable amount of training and support (versus a well-intentioned but overwhelming amount of professional development), our teachers can move through these stages and develop a sense of accomplishment that comes with doing something meaningful and purposeful in a classroom full of students.
We simply must give teachers the support, time, and latitude to try new ideas and even make mistakes as they grow and develop into inspired teachers who excite children. So what else does it take? Steele concludes that “desire, a curious mind, and a thirst for continuous learning” are the links in a chain of teacher growth and improvement.
In Needham’s classrooms, I am proud to say that our teachers have these prerequisite skills and attitudes, and wherever they are on Steele’s continuum, they are working hard each day to empower and inspire young minds.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Needham's Community Steps Up... and Students Benefit
I shared the following remarks at the Needham Steps Up Benefit at the Sheraton on October 7th:
Several years ago I began my teaching career in Los Angeles. I was an English teacher working in a Catholic high school set amidst the poverty and violence of Watts.
The noise of city life—screeching buses, honking horns, whistling trains—was routinely interrupted by the staccato of automatic gunfire, sirens, and the thumping of police helicopters hovering overhead. Nickerson Gardens, the largest public housing project on the West Coast, loomed over the school and was—and still is—the home of the notorious gang, the Bloods. Some of my students came from the Gardens, but many came from Slauson—Crips territory. And somehow, under one roof, students from different religious traditions, neighborhoods, family situations, and gang affiliations gathered each day to grow and learn.
To this day, the school remains an island oasis surrounded by chaotic and desperate waves of hunger, fear, and loneliness. The school nurtures the lives of young people who, in a daily act of courage, step from a battered neighborhood and into a learning environment that embraces them and challenges them to be their best.
It was in this unlikely setting that as a young man and new teacher I learned the meaning of community.
Within a neighborhood of broken and burned out buildings, vacated by families but infested with gangbangers and drug dealers, there existed a spirit of common expectations, connections, and care. There, even in this wounded city, a spirit of community thrived to serve our students. The teachers and coaches, parents and pastors, police detectives and probation officers, bus drivers and convenience store clerks and even the Bloods and the Crips figured out a way to work together to ensure the students were encouraged, supported, and loved.
There, folks from different perspectives and walks of life collaborated to ensure the young people of Verbum Dei High School received an excellent education. And the energy, pride, and support generated by a sense of community not only empowered learning, it served to diminish the factions, the fear, and the dissonance of adults and young people alike. A passionate belief in building community, I learned, breaks barriers, promotes understanding, and boosts young people.
The mean streets of Needham are a far cry from Central Ave. in LA! But I have learned that here, too, in Needham the commitment to build community is strong and it is an expectation you have of one another. Needham’s students, parents, teachers, religious and civic leaders, business owners, and older citizens understand the power of community.
As your superintendent, I have watched you work together, pool resources, and embrace uncertainty and differences to address real concerns. Your fierce dedication to young people is a vital part of a web of cooperation and commitment called community. And Steps to Success is yet another example of Needham’s steadfast support of access, equity, and opportunity for all students, including those who are often alienated and distanced from their learning and their community. Simply stated: Needham gets it!
Needham is not South Central, but we are hardly immune from pockets of broken families, economically disadvantaged youth, unemployment, ignorance, and loneliness. And Needham knows—you know—that if we participate as active citizens and work together on common problems and on behalf of young people, we will enrich their lives and, in turn, they will grow strong and achieve and become full and responsible partners in the life of the community.
Steps to Success provides high school students the opportunity to connect with a caring mentor who offers guidance, support, and friendship. And research suggests that a program like Steps to Success provides students more access to college and beyond. You should be immensely pleased that your personal contribution has enabled and empowered students! And know that your personal involvement is multiplied many times over by those around you and by many more who are not here this evening.
Working together, your voices and actions proclaim the value of young people and a commitment to their education. Thank you for all your work on behalf of Needham’s youth and families; thank you for sharing lessons of care, generosity, and humility. And thank you for continuing to demonstrate the purpose and the power of a hope-filled community.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Budget Priorities for the 2011-12 School Year
Believe it or not, the Needham School Committee and school administration are gearing up for a new budget season. While one budget year concluded on June 30th (Fiscal Year ’10 or FY10) and another began on July 1st (FY11), we must now prepare for the school department budget that will begin on July 1, 2011 (FY12). It seems as if we are always in budget season!
And, like last year, the development of the FY12 budget will be a challenge. Growing school enrollment at the middle and high school level, decreasing local and state revenue due to the economic downturn, and increasing student needs have combined to make the development of a school budget an enormous undertaking for the School Committee.
Each year the School Committee establishes Operating Budget Guidelines to provide the school administration guidance as we go about the task of developing a budget that best meets the needs of our students. This year, parents and members of the community are encouraged to comment on and provide feedback to the School Committee about its draft FY12 budget priorities. Please take a few minutes to read the draft budget priorities (excerpted from the document above) and submit a suggestion, comment, or question on the blog or directly to the School Committee: schoolcommittee@needham.k12.ma.us
FY12 Draft Budget Priorities (excerpted from Operating Budget Guidelines)
The School Committee budget should reflect certain priorities that address the needs of the Needham Public Schools. These priorities should provide direction to administrators and guide staff in developing budget recommendations. The priorities also should guide the School Committee in its deliberations and the budget planning process.
The budget should reflect the following priorities, in relative order. The School Committee may sometimes choose to fund items addressing the lower priorities over items that may claim a higher priority. While not done lightly, such choices must sometimes be made to ensure that no priority is neglected.
1. The District’s mission, vision, values, and goals;
2. The need for highly qualified staff teaching within established student/teacher ratio guidelines;
3. The ongoing refinement of curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices; and
4. The need to develop and maintain educational resources and a technology infrastructure that supports student learning and meets District goals.
For a detailed description of the budget guidelines and priorities, please visit the School Committee's webpage for more information. Thanks for your feedback!
And, like last year, the development of the FY12 budget will be a challenge. Growing school enrollment at the middle and high school level, decreasing local and state revenue due to the economic downturn, and increasing student needs have combined to make the development of a school budget an enormous undertaking for the School Committee.
Each year the School Committee establishes Operating Budget Guidelines to provide the school administration guidance as we go about the task of developing a budget that best meets the needs of our students. This year, parents and members of the community are encouraged to comment on and provide feedback to the School Committee about its draft FY12 budget priorities. Please take a few minutes to read the draft budget priorities (excerpted from the document above) and submit a suggestion, comment, or question on the blog or directly to the School Committee: schoolcommittee@needham.k12.ma.us
FY12 Draft Budget Priorities (excerpted from Operating Budget Guidelines)
The School Committee budget should reflect certain priorities that address the needs of the Needham Public Schools. These priorities should provide direction to administrators and guide staff in developing budget recommendations. The priorities also should guide the School Committee in its deliberations and the budget planning process.
The budget should reflect the following priorities, in relative order. The School Committee may sometimes choose to fund items addressing the lower priorities over items that may claim a higher priority. While not done lightly, such choices must sometimes be made to ensure that no priority is neglected.
1. The District’s mission, vision, values, and goals;
2. The need for highly qualified staff teaching within established student/teacher ratio guidelines;
3. The ongoing refinement of curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices; and
4. The need to develop and maintain educational resources and a technology infrastructure that supports student learning and meets District goals.
For a detailed description of the budget guidelines and priorities, please visit the School Committee's webpage for more information. Thanks for your feedback!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Here’s to Summer Vacation.
A recent TIME magazine lamented the lazy days of summer for children, observing that a two-month reprieve from books, classes, and testing is a sentimental and archaic throwback to the agrarian age when the planting schedule dictated a need for extra farmhands to bring in the corn and cabbage. I am not so sure, however, we should ring the bell on summer vacation.
The TIME author correctly notes that many children, who often languish unsupervised at home or in urban areas without benefit of summer school, campfire ghost stories, reading, or family trips to the Cape or mountains, do lose some of the academic progress they have made during the school year. In fact, some analyses have suggested this is especially true for students with certain learning disabilities who require frequent repetition and instruction to keep up with their peers. And there is some evidence that students, regardless of race, background, or socio-economic status, may lose ground in math, perhaps because there are fewer opportunities for children in all grades to practice or discuss math and mathematical concepts in July and August.
But should we extend the school year into July, plan on a few weeks off after the 4th and return in early August? I’m not convinced. Time off in June, July, and August may be a throwback to a an earlier age, but the opportunity for children to get away from the routine of school to vacation, attend camp, visit with distant relatives, or just loaf in the backyard still makes sense, even in the high stakes environment of the 21st Century.
On the other hand, an extended school day for all children does make sense today, especially if we wish to engage students in a rich and diverse curriculum as well as teach them how to work together, problem solve, and create. Even an additional 30 minutes a day would provide needed time for students to deepen their knowledge and extend their learning. But keeping them in stuffy classrooms until mid-July seems like a loss rather than a gain.
Kids need some unstructured time to play, relax, and daydream. Summer vacation is a great time to continue learning and growing by making new friends, reading a book, or hiking a trail. The structure of the contemporary school day and the after school regimen of play dates, athletics, religious school, and music practice mean that most of our young people are “on” all the time with little chance to slow down or even try something new. Summer vacation provides relief from the routines and an opportunity to explore.
One of my friends brought his 13 year old son and another boy to work with him a couple times recently and gave them money for a Charlie Card and told them to stay in touch by cell phone but encouraged them to visit the New England Aquarium, Beacon Hill, and Harvard Yard. The boys, routinely programmed during the school year with classes, homework, and a host of other guided and supervised after school activities, were eager to be off by themselves, exploring on the T. They had a great time! Sure they got off at the wrong stop a couple times and had to ask directions and double back. They even had to figure out how to use a payphone when their cell phone died. But they had the freedom of a summer’s day to take it all in and learn a little bit about Boston, friendship, and having fun. Not a bad way to spend a couple July afternoons.
We certainly need to get it right and lengthen the school day to ensure we have sufficient time to assist children to learn a challenging and innovative curriculum. But let’s make sure we don’t wipe out summer vacation and all of its opportunities for young people to grow, explore, and, yes—even to learn.
The TIME author correctly notes that many children, who often languish unsupervised at home or in urban areas without benefit of summer school, campfire ghost stories, reading, or family trips to the Cape or mountains, do lose some of the academic progress they have made during the school year. In fact, some analyses have suggested this is especially true for students with certain learning disabilities who require frequent repetition and instruction to keep up with their peers. And there is some evidence that students, regardless of race, background, or socio-economic status, may lose ground in math, perhaps because there are fewer opportunities for children in all grades to practice or discuss math and mathematical concepts in July and August.
But should we extend the school year into July, plan on a few weeks off after the 4th and return in early August? I’m not convinced. Time off in June, July, and August may be a throwback to a an earlier age, but the opportunity for children to get away from the routine of school to vacation, attend camp, visit with distant relatives, or just loaf in the backyard still makes sense, even in the high stakes environment of the 21st Century.
On the other hand, an extended school day for all children does make sense today, especially if we wish to engage students in a rich and diverse curriculum as well as teach them how to work together, problem solve, and create. Even an additional 30 minutes a day would provide needed time for students to deepen their knowledge and extend their learning. But keeping them in stuffy classrooms until mid-July seems like a loss rather than a gain.
Kids need some unstructured time to play, relax, and daydream. Summer vacation is a great time to continue learning and growing by making new friends, reading a book, or hiking a trail. The structure of the contemporary school day and the after school regimen of play dates, athletics, religious school, and music practice mean that most of our young people are “on” all the time with little chance to slow down or even try something new. Summer vacation provides relief from the routines and an opportunity to explore.
One of my friends brought his 13 year old son and another boy to work with him a couple times recently and gave them money for a Charlie Card and told them to stay in touch by cell phone but encouraged them to visit the New England Aquarium, Beacon Hill, and Harvard Yard. The boys, routinely programmed during the school year with classes, homework, and a host of other guided and supervised after school activities, were eager to be off by themselves, exploring on the T. They had a great time! Sure they got off at the wrong stop a couple times and had to ask directions and double back. They even had to figure out how to use a payphone when their cell phone died. But they had the freedom of a summer’s day to take it all in and learn a little bit about Boston, friendship, and having fun. Not a bad way to spend a couple July afternoons.
We certainly need to get it right and lengthen the school day to ensure we have sufficient time to assist children to learn a challenging and innovative curriculum. But let’s make sure we don’t wipe out summer vacation and all of its opportunities for young people to grow, explore, and, yes—even to learn.
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