I don't know whether I agree with this or not, but it's worth discussing. I really posted it because I wanted to tell a story. One of my friends' daughter had a mock vote in her 1st grade class. McCain won in a heavily Democratic area, where most of the kids' parents would be voting for Obama, because a rumor went around that Obama would push for year-round school. I don't remember this ever coming up during the campaign. Kids are perceptive.
I think it would be better to just improve on the teaching that is taking place during current school hours. Many public school are complete jokes, even ones that earn awards and such. I went to private high school, but my sister was attending HSPVA until this year and it was a complete joke, yet they earned numerous awards and recognitions for outstanding academics. For instance, my sister took an entire year of French and was unable to complete a simple sentence, yet earned an A in the class.
One big problem that I can see with this is with tight budgets it would cost a lot more to run year round school especially in hot states like Texas where you would be using that much more AC and other resources. Some rural school districts are going to 4 day school works to save money now.
Year round school is great idea. It's ridiculous in this day and age for kids to be set loose in May/June and not return until late August. Give the kids a few more breaks throughout the year and cut summer down to about a month. I would like to see school days lengthened also but no more than 90 minutes and in return cut down on the amount of homework. It's stupid to have kids in class all day and then pile on extra "busy work" (that's all my homework seemed to be) for them to do at home.
So teachers, who are already ridiculously underpaid, are going to be required by the govt. to work more hours for more days for the same amount of pay? Show me another job in the country where this is legal. And on top of everything else, you're going to take away summer vacation, the one great perk of being a teacher? Yeah, THAT'S going to make the best and brightest in our country want to become teachers.
Teachers are not underpaid in many situations. I do not know where this idea comes from. They get 3 months off a year and only are required to have a bachlors degree. I am sick of teachers complaining about pay and benefits for what is an easy job in many cases (I am a former teacher, and yes it is relatively easy). Also not all teachers are doing poorly. In my school district a teacher with 10 plus years experience makes $120,000.
yeah, they get a very competitive full time salary and the entire summer off? the idea that they are underpaid is one of those things that just become mantra. people just repeat because hey, its teachers, so you're always going to look out for them
Here is a link to chart of average teacher salaries across the nation. http://teacherportal.com/teacher-salaries-by-state
I completely agree with Obama on this one but our culture won't stand for it. The lack of homework my son gets from school has ticked me off for years. And unfortunately, the extended summer vacation is just too ingrained into society. The right-wing kook reply will likely be to say this is a "socialist" idea that has no place in America. It's too bad this is one change Obama definitely won't get done.
They need to come work in HISD. http://www.houstonisd.org/HumanResources/Home/Pay & Benefits/Teacher Salary Schedule 08-09.pdf
Be thankful. In Ft. Bend ISD from 5th to 8th grade, there wasn't much homework for my son. After February, the rest of the school year was less about learning and more about prepping for the TAKS test. I could be very lengthy but won't bother.
That is because if a teacher assigns homework, they must spend time grading it.. so in some cases little or no homework is assigned. Another favorite of lazy teachers is the scan tron test. It takes virtually no time to grade. Not all teachers are lazy, but unfortunately my experience was that a majority of them were teachers because it was easy and not taxing, or because they failed at another profession and were happy to get $45,000 to start only working 9 months a year. You figure in the benefits, all the holidays and the easy hours and it in many cases amounted to an easy job for solid money. Being a teacher was a breeze compared to waiting tables, being a construction worker (non-union) and being a lawyer. The negative is that you will never be rich, but you know that going into the profession. A number of my fellow teachers worked during the summer, worked free periods or lunch for extra money and ended up making $70,000 a year or more.
Right. Which is why people are just LINING up to become teachers (I guess those teacher shortages are just an illusion) and teacher retention is so high (did you know 50% of new teachers quit within the first five years?). Sorry to say, some of you don't know what you're talking about. Teaching (when done correctly) is a very, VERY difficult job. Adding more hours per day, decreasing vacation, and extending the school year will just drive more people away from teaching, especially people who are smart and highly skilled. Why should they become teachers when they can earn more working fewer hours at an easier job?
