One suggestion for education reform has been to extend the school year. This sounds like a simple plan. If kids spend more time in school, they will receive more education. Well, I find myself somewhat in agreement with this idea, but there are a few considerations that might add a few layers of complication to this simple plan.
It has always been my belief that in the history of American public Education, our school calendar was adopted to accommodate the needs of farmers, so that they could have their children and children of others to work in fields right through harvest time. After the kids helped with the harvest, they could return to the rigors of the classroom. I was always appreciative of the sacrifice those farm kids made for me every summer. I was not a farmer’s kid, so I could hang out at the beach in the summer while they worked the fields an awaited the harvest.
The academic year that I am familiar with is one of four quarters, each being approximately ten weeks in length. That leaves about ten weeks of vacation, or farm work. This summertime has become a good, fun part of our culture. People plan family vacations around that time. Some kids use the time to earn money. The best festivals and fairs are planned in this time period. This is usually the time of year that families experiment with always popular family driving vacation. All of this would be sacrificed with a year round academic schedule.
The second drawback in extending the schedule would be in the area of monetary compensation. It is not reasonable to assume that we can increase anyone’s work schedule by twenty percent and not expect to increase their compensation. That does not only affect teachers and administrators, but also additional secretaries, aides, cafeteria folks, janitors, bus drivers, grounds people and various other support personnel.
To me however, there is a more obvious objection to extending the academic calendar by ten weeks. If we are being, at best, questionably successful with our students, how would spending more time of doing the same thing improve learning? That age-old question: Why would you expect different results if you continue to do the same thing over and over?
Even with all of these considerations, there are schools providing successful learning experiences over the summer weeks. For a few decades now my school district has had a summer program of enrichment for kids. It offered teachers the ability to develop courses to engage kids for learning and not grades. Innovation is promoted and supported for teachers and students. It focuses on the elementary level. Teachers develop the courses that they plan to teach. Students and their parents select courses based on interest. There are also courses of remediation, but that is not the focus. The schedule is based on three periods a day. This allows kids to explore more than one interest.
Compensation is less of an issue since it is a voluntary program with an agreed upon hourly rate for those who choose to join the program. Attendance is not mandatory, so kids can be removed for family vacations. Grades are removed to promote the learning in a stress-free environment. Teachers can innovate and teach to their strengths. Kids can be grouped according to interests with little regard to age grouping. At the halfway point in the program Parents are brought into the class to share in the projects.
If programs like this were enacted on a large-scale across our country, we would be able to engage kids year round and promote learning. It would also allow teachers to innovate with lessons that may be incorporated in their other academic endeavors. It allows kids to explore subjects in a way that the rigors of other academic programs do not allow. Promotion and support of more elementary programs like this might reduce the remediation classes required for the secondary level kids during the same time in the summer. The only issue left would be: How do we involve all of those kids in the fields?
My Island View 
Harvest also takes place later in September and into October in more areas. So I am not sure that kids were off for harvest. But there are/ were families working in the fields during the summer for growing season.
If we went to a mandated year-round (More days) system, what would that do to family vacations and the tourist industry and attendance? Teen jobs? Family income? And for some kids the most relevant learning they do all year is in the summer. As you said, 10 more weeks of the same won’t make a difference. We need quality not quantity. If the quality is good then kids continue to learn over breaks.
I prefer what you are advocating. Enrichment programs for kids during the summers. Schools, recreation departments, libraries, museums, Scouts, churches, theaters, colleges, volunteers, on line learning etc. , many people could become involved so it doesn’t rest on teachers and schools alone. As to reaching summer farm workers, maybe provide a weekend day field trip each week? Bookmobiles? Read alouds at various farms? Kids blogging/ podcasting/ sharing via video or other multi-media about their experiences?
But the main problem that I see is that there would be mandates to continue doing what already isn’t working.
I certainly am not to in favour of year round school, for all the reasons stated, and feel that the learning kids do during the down times (vacation), is also relevant to their growth.. it is just a different kind of learning during their holidays, sociallising with friends and family, or working..learning to relax is also a ‘learning’..
I would also agree, though, that well thought out enrichment of the type you speak is very very well worth while for the kids as well as for the teachers who can learn to ‘enjoy’ their teaching again… I know, for example my ds and my dd both cannot wait for the summer to come here, primarily because for years they have been taking classes similar to what you describe, and although they are ‘academic’ in nature.. they are so much fun (exploring the math in nature or pizzas.. ) that it brings joy… and with it joyful relationships with others on the courses fostering great and deep social relationships through kindred interests and collaboration… And the teachers self esteem and attitudes towards life and their subjects also benefits one hundred fold..
A very good idea…
Hello from Canada!
I have often considered the pros and cons of all year schooling.
It is only recently in our district -Kootenays – British Columbia – Canada – that year round schooling could be a possibility. We now have air conditioned schools throughout the district. We have summer temperatures that are often 90+ degrees F. Occasionally we run a week or two nearer to 100 degrees.
When we discuss year round schooling we refer to a system that would run 10 weeks on and 3 weeks off. This would result in no increased working time for teachers or other staff but would enable families to have some vacation time in each of the four seasons. Selfishly – I would love it!
Our increased costs would be minimal as we would not incur extra staffing expenses. Everyone would still work the same hours and weeks as now.
Would this schedule benefit student learning? Would 4-three week breaks be better than 2-two week breaks (Christmas and Spring) and our 9 week summer break?
As a mom, wife, teacher, student, community member, . . . I think so.
Would research support the benefits for students?
I realize that your post discussed extending the school year – I speak to reorganizing. I fear that extension would provide more time to teach in ways that are not always purposeful. Would extension of the year allow for enrichment and deeper conceptual understanding? Only if our methods and mind sets are extended too.
I fear that both children and adults in the system would burn out.
We now have a 2 week spring break. I find that my struggling students and “active” students are back with me after that break and I get another engaging couple of months with them before they need both a physical and mental break again.
Denise
Summer is a great time for special programs and camps – especially when it can be activity based learning in a new environment and can be focused on the types of things kids gravitate to on their own. It’s a great way to take a child’s area of interest to a new level.
My child went to a two week science camp and loved it!
[…] https://tomwhitby.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/year-round-school/ […]