Dr. Wilson would like us to allow him to take our children out of the family environments where we are teaching essential values that will benefit our society and leave them in a classroom with the same curriculum they are currently exceeding or passing and stretching it out an additional 4 weeks a year. For students who are under-achieving, 4 additional weeks will add an additional "burn out" for them (anonymous quote from Marana Educator)
Furthermore, we are taking away opportunities for teenagers to find employment, pay taxes and learn real life experiences that will help them become better citizens and contribute to society after they have graduated high school and college.
Dr. Wilson's plan has made the news http://azstarnet.com/news/local/northwest/article_69df4059-ab32-5eb0-9661-ea770d6f5f4b.html
ReplyDeletebut thus far they have not reported community opinion. I hope to change this soon. One correction that I need to point out in this article is she states that adding 20 days to the school year would equate to an additional year's worth of school by graduation for a child who begins kindergarten in the district. However, this timeline applies to their 8th grade graduation thus making it a year and a half worth of school by the time they graduate from high school. Our children do not need to be out of our homes for one and half years by the time they graduate!
I was also interested to see in yesterday's (1/21/11) paper that state lawmakers are wanting to cut 10 days from the current 180-day school year and make the school days longer instead. Interesting juxtaposition, to say the least.
So if the state cuts 10 days and we add 20 days, now our kids will be in school an additional 30 days compared to all the other schools in Arizona?
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ReplyDeleteThat proposal from the Maricopa County legislators is an interesting twist. I am not sure I would support a longer school day. What is the point? How is that going to save money?
ReplyDeleteNo I agree with you Jenny. If my position is that I want the opportunity to teach my kids from home, then leaving them in school for an additional 5 hours a week, 20 hours a month definitely does not fit the criteria of a solution either. (assuming they wanted to add an hour a day)
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