My two older children were 9 and 6 respectively on voting day, 2000. Both were passionately George W. Bush supporters on the basis of a single issue: Al Gore’s expressed interest in lengthening the school year. Plus they had heard a clip from a speech by Bush on TV that used the phrase “No school across America…” They didn’t need to hear more. They accepted that pledge as a solemn commitment.
Almost a decade later, my children – the third is now the same age as the middle child was then – have made their peace with the unfortunate continuation of schooling in America. Happily, summer holiday also remains a fact of life.
If President Obama wishes to play school superintendent, here’s an issue that will make much more of a difference to the academic performance of America’s schoolchildren: heed the scientific research about teenagers’ sleep patterns and reverse the crazy trend towards an earlier and earlier start of the school day. The adolescent brain is not operating at 7:20 am, much less at the 6 am wakeup call for 7:20 arrival. It’s not enough for the kids to do their homework. They also have to remember to bring it back to school the following day!
18 responses so far
1 GRS // Sep 28, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Spot on!
I had this discussion with my son’s high school. They were well aware of all of the research but said a later start was impractical because of (1) the teachers workday, (2) scheduling buses, and (3) football practice. I think this captures the priorities in our schools: our kids come after the needs of the teachers, bus drivers and football coaches.
BTW David, how is that President of yours working out?
2 ltoro1 // Sep 28, 2009 at 7:49 pm
For what it’s worth, my high school football coaches would have been fine with making us practice in the morning before school. It would be kind of like two-a-days.
3 EscapeVelocity // Sep 28, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Another couple of months of indoctrination?
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/28/video-hey-whos-up-for-another-clip-of-kids-chanting-about-obama/
4 Hot Air » Blog Archive » Quotes of the day // Sep 28, 2009 at 10:45 pm
[...] of America’s schoolchildren: heed the scientific research about teenagers’ sleep patterns and reverse the crazy trend towards an earlier and earlier start of the school day. The adolescent brain is not operating at 7:20 am, much less at the 6 am wakeup call for 7:20 [...]
5 Jim // Sep 28, 2009 at 11:27 pm
Yeah, that’s a great idea, Dave. Its a shame the Republicans didn’t support it 10 years ago.
6 sinz54 // Sep 28, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Summer vacation is, as we all know, an anachronism.
My proposal is this: Instead of summer vacation, have TWO “intersession periods” in the school year. One will be three weeks in July. The other one will be three weeks between the fall and spring semesters, straddling December and January.
This will give families a chance to have a nice winter vacation, and a nice summer vacation, each 3 weeks long. The entire rest of the year, the kids will be in school, studying.
And yes, I agree it’s self-defeating to require kids to wake up at 6 AM. With my proposal, they won’t have to.
7 balconesfault // Sep 29, 2009 at 5:30 am
Sinz … ummm … most kids already get close to 3 weeks at Christmas break. So what you’re essentially doing is extending that break by 2-3 days at most … while cutting about 5-6 weeks off the summer?
We did a charter school for a few years when our kids were younger, and they did year round schooling, with the intention of shortening the summer break so that kids didn’t take as long in the fall semester to get back into the learning groove. Instead, they cut summer break to 4 weeks … but added a 3 week fall break and extended spring break to 3 weeks. It was pretty cool … except for trying to find camp programs during the fall and spring.
The camp thing represents one of the nice things about everyone having a long summer break. I worked summers in Boy Scout Camp in my teens, and my father, a retired Army schoolteacher spent many summers as the Camp Director. You’re going to pretty much kill off the way scouting programs run their camps with this proposal.
8 DFL // Sep 29, 2009 at 10:11 am
Too much institutional schooling with its Deweyite propagandizing stifles the child. Better the John Taylor Gatto concept where the child explores on his own when apt. Childhood should not only be a time of learning but of joy. Some structure is needed, yes, but loading the child down with three hours of homework a night is cruel punishment for a maturing personality.
9 JeninCT // Sep 29, 2009 at 12:09 pm
The problem with the school year is that new material stops being taught mid-May, and then September is spent on review. I agree that several short breaks would be better than a long summer break. Kids have enough time off! The scout camps and other daycare programs will adapt and adjust because they are businesses.
It’s been my experience that while all the parents are crying about education, when the rubber hits the road most are more concerned about their kids’ social lives and extracurricular activities. In my district, math and science enrichment programs are poorly attended but the football, lacrosse and cheerleading programs are huge, with afterschool practices daily.
10 EscapeVelocity // Sep 29, 2009 at 12:25 pm
School Choice Funded StateWide with Vouchers that Follow the Child
Let the market decide.
11 EscapeVelocity // Sep 29, 2009 at 12:26 pm
I support lengthening the school year.
However the Teachers Unions are virulently opposed to it.
Let the market decide, then the teachers can decide if they want to work or not.
Kill the Teachers Unions.
12 Oneon1isto // Sep 29, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Anyone read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell? There’s a massive amount of research that’s gone into why and how the summer vacation is actually hurting our kids, and one of the reasons they’re falling behind other countries and cultures.
Summer vacation serves to “reset” much of what our kids learn during the year, where there’s a laggard catch up period that has to happen once they’re back. Year round schooling (peppered with vacation times) serves the kids much better.
13 sricher // Sep 29, 2009 at 2:14 pm
“Adolescent brain”? I’m pretty sure I still don’t function at 7:20 AM.
14 Lengthen the School Year and Sleep In : Mormon Metaphysics // Sep 29, 2009 at 7:16 pm
[...] post up at New Majority. The first is this: heed the scientific research about teenagers’ sleep patterns and reverse the [...]
15 ltoro1 // Sep 29, 2009 at 7:58 pm
sricher, I know how you feel. My overall opinion on this subject is that it is an issue best left to the localy elected school boards. While the concept of summer vacation is, for the most part, an anachronism, any changes will have a huge effect on both children and parents. I don’t think there is a one size fits all solution.
16 dacookson // Sep 30, 2009 at 6:45 am
I think your kids thought through their support for George Bush more than most Americans. Schooling needs so much reform it’s hard to know where to start…
17 dacookson // Sep 30, 2009 at 6:47 am
Fascism: Let The Market Decide
18 EscapeVelocity // Sep 30, 2009 at 1:16 pm
The consumers control the market through their decisions on winning ideas, business models, etc.
If that is fascism…count me in.
I don’t think there is a one size fits all solution. — Itoro
There isnt. Let millions of individual consumers decide for themselves. Not government or bureaucrats lording over the system.
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