Let's hit the books year-round
In the early stages of Minnesota’s gubernatorial race, the three major candidates have been quick to link education and economy, noting that without a well-educated work force our state has little hope for economic growth. But none has suggested any major reforms to K-12 education, and the debate has largely centered on funding mechanisms and levels.
A more ambitious reform agenda might start with the school calendar.
Our common nine-month schedule is a 19th-century relic reflecting the need for young family members to serve as farm labor in the summers and the outdated belief that young minds can be easily overexerted by too much learning. It was also based on the assumption that mothers generally don’t work outside the home and are available to provide child care. Through the 20th century, this status quo was reinforced by economic interests that came to rely on cheap summer labor from teens, though the largest of those sectors (agriculture) eventually eliminated many of its summer jobs.
‘Balanced calendar’
Twentieth-century educators repeatedly told us of the loss of skills, knowledge and positive habits that occurs over the long summer break. Some schools adopted the “balanced calendar” as a solution. It does not add instructional days to the school year, but simply redistributes them more evenly so that students are out of the classroom for no more than four weeks at any one time. This alternative addresses the summer slump, but shows little evidence of increasing overall educational results. It also leaves families needing to find child care in four-week blocks every few months.
A more radical reform would actually increase the number of instructional days in the school year by invading part of the sacrosanct summer vacation. Simply adding a summer session of 50 days — extending the typical school year from 175 instructional days to 225 – would be the equivalent of adding 3.7 years worth of instructional time under the current K-12 system before graduation.
What student would not benefit from three years of additional education before the age of 18? And what employer or college would fail to recognize the value of this extended preparation?Many advantages
A longer and more rigorous school year offers myriad benefits. Curricula can be refocused. An entire quarter could be dedicated to innovative teaching techniques or developing skills and knowledge in areas underrepresented in the curriculum. Experiential learning programs could be developed to shift students from theory to application.
Resources could be pooled to establish short-term magnet schools to foster deeper exploration in the arts, sciences, trades, or other areas.
Students could take on projects that can’t be done under a traditional schedule, or that required intense focus for several weeks at a time. Perhaps most importantly, academic rigor and expectations could be raised for all grades — making Minnesota’s children the best educated in the nation.
The biggest benefits would likely accrue to the youngest children, who would gain most from an engaging summer program and avoiding the summer slump. But older students would benefit as well.
At the extreme, the three-plus years of additional contact time provides could be used to eliminate the final year of high school. In its place, 17-year-old students could be required to complete an internship, apprenticeship, service project, technical college course of study, or on-the-job training program that would better prepare them for college or a career. It also could prove invaluable to better understanding their own interests, skills and vocation, as opposed to following default paths into work or college under the current system.
Of course, such reforms would come with costs. Teacher salaries would have to increase, and certainly some would prefer not to work summers. Operating expenses for schools would go up, as would demand for air conditioning, busing and other services.
Seasonal employers might find it harder to get cheap summer labor. And families would have to adapt to a new summer rhythm. But if education is as important as the gubernatorial candidates claim, good leadership should help us find ways to overcome barriers.
It would be great to hear some ideas for real educational reform between now and November. Year-round school should be part of that debate.-Dr.DRL
