Comments on: Calendar wars: Aren’t we fighting the wrong battle?

By: E. Streets

E. Streets — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:30:49 +0000

Those for “balanced calender” or year round calender(simply called balanced to decieve the general public)can quote research in their behalf. There is just as much out there to disprove the theories. This has been attempted over and over from California to New Jersey since at least 1950’s. Who benefits from the balanced calender? The teachers! Who wouldn’t love a work schedule that allows a couple of weeks off every 8-9 weeks.( off WITH your kids) a neat family plan, if you are teachers!! If you are part of the general working, tax paying, voting, other 99% you are challenged with child care issues everytime you turn around. Not too mention not enough time in the summer to acheive a decent family vacation or unwind from the continuous and increaseing stress of keeping your kids abreast of everything school requires. When us 30 – to 50 year olds were in school, we began in September, a quick Christmas break, along weekend in the spring and we were out by Memorial Day. I’ll bet our performance was numbers ahead of kids today. I also beleive there is research to show that a shorter year(even by a month) would decrease our school cost, oddly enough this is never mentioned. But as you mentioned before It is also about the UNDERperformers. We must provide meals and care for the nonperforming percentage, at the cost of the whole. The home life, education system and pocketbook of the working parent again the victim.

By: ScienceTeacher671

ScienceTeacher671 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:26:07 +0000

“Back in the day” we needed 21 credits…

I’m hoping they’ll go back to the tiered diploma system. Even better would be allowing students to earn more vocational certificates in high school, instead of post high school. All students don’t want or need to go to college, but all ought to graduate with some viable skills.

And more does not equal better, especially when it’s been watered down and dumbed down and one only needs to get 45% correct to pass the EOCT.

By: pay attention folks

pay attention folks — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:59:45 +0000

OK….that explains a lot. 6 credits x 4 years = 24 credits. EXACTLY the number needed to graduate with the class 2012 and beyond…
I’ve looked at other states-high performing ones at that, and they are requiring more in the neighborhood of 22 credits to graduate.
More does not equal better.

By: ScienceTeacher671

ScienceTeacher671 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:49:25 +0000

Before we went to block, students earned 6 credits per year, but some of the advanced students got an Algebra I credit in 8th grade…back when we still had Algebra I….

By: pay attention folks

pay attention folks — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:46:28 +0000

I suspect we’ll see the state legislature try again this winter to override the state DOE and return to a three tierd diploma system (legislation was proposed last year, but died in committee). If Ga adjusts graduation requirements perhaps block will lose some appeal.
Can anyone tell me how many credits per year stuents on a tradional high school schedule earn in a year(i’m thinking 6-7)? Students on block earn 8 per year.

By: ScienceTeacher671

ScienceTeacher671 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:27:05 +0000

pay attention folks, that’s a good point, especially since students who don’t graduate on time are considered dropouts under NCLB. On the other hand, since NCLB is all about test scores, it seems that anything that reduces test scores would be discouraged.

By: pay attention folks

pay attention folks — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:44:19 +0000

Maureen and Science Teacher,
My guess is that the DOE stopped studying whether or not block was effective when they increased the graduation requirements. ALL students(effective with the class of 2012) now need four units of math and science, and 24 credits in all to graduate. Block certainly offers more “wiggle room” to meet these requirements.

By: high school teacher

high school teacher — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:06:38 +0000

luvs2teach, I am with you! BTW, when mine were little in daycare, we still had to pay 1/2 tuition in the summers to reserve their spot. Does anyone else have to do this?

By: luvs2teach

luvs2teach — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:47:53 +0000

Warrior Woman – I find your comment about working harder now interesting, because my experience has been the opposite. I was in the Marine Corps (when there was no war going on) and then pharmaceutical sales, and I work harder now than I ever did – even when we had field ops. Of course maybe it’s that whole Marine Corps concept of giving 110% – who knows.

My kids are older, and so like others, I don’t have a dog in this fight. I am contracted to work 190 (+/- this year, as we all know) days. I don’t care when they are – breaks are nice, but they have a downside, too – specially ’squirreliness’ in the days prior. Someone’s point about daycare charging whether you go or not is dead-on though, so this will actually cost some teachers more money (they have to pay for daycare even though their kids aren’t attending that week to keep their spot).

In all honesty though, I don’t understand the attachment to a calendar that exists for an agricultural way of life that really no longer exists. I would rather see a month off in the summer (like Europe) and a month off in the winter (Thanksgiving to New Year’s is a wash, anyway) – but no one is asking me, lol.

By: ScienceTeacher671

ScienceTeacher671 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:43:18 +0000

Maureen, I’d love to know why they didn’t do any others. Many of the schools in our area switched back from block to regular schedule when their test scores dropped & didn’t rebound enough.

I admit that in many ways, block scheduling works better for teachers (love having more time for labs, LOVE the longer planning period!), but I don’t think it works as well for most students in most subjects. The problem with AP is that in some schools, the classes are only offered in fall semester.

Notice that in the DOE study of EOCTs, Algebra I was the one subject that looked better under block. I know of at least one system that required students to take Algebra I as a full-year course under block, which gave those students 50% more time in class instead of 25% less time…if other systems did the same, could have influenced the results.