Willing to Give Up Summer Vacation (if it meant better outcomes for all)?
Danny Westneat had a column in the Times last week about summer vacation for K-12 public schools students. He boos the new initiatives for a longer school year (or even year-round) school on the premise that kids need the "value" of freedom? He says: Doesn't that value, of freedom, count anymore? Or is it all now about prepping for the 21st-century global economy. I know, not everyone can go to the San Juans. But we could try to spread summer's spirit, instead of giving up on it. Give more kids a chance to run free. It may not be "expanded learning time." It can expand you just the same. Here's the thing. If our schools had direct interventions during the school year for struggling students and enrichment for all and summer school for both remedial and enrichment, I'd say keep summer vacation. But that is not happening or is happening in a piecemeal fashion. Not good enough. I know a couple of people (out of state) who had kids i...