http://www.topix.com/wire/county/johnston-nc?q=schools This might be a great solution to overcrowding. Either this or stop growth.
"During a retreat this past weekend, school board Chairman Kay Carroll said he had seen research showing that year-round schools can dramatically raise classroom achievement. One reason, he said, is that youngsters don’t have a whole summer off to forget what they’ve learned." I would like to see the research as well because according to Wake County, their scores um....havent risen any. Certainly nothing dramatic.
We operate our homeschool on a year round calendar. Our longest break is six weeks. I do find it to be true that my children retain much more with the shorter breaks. Typically public schools on traditional calendar spend the first quarter of the school year reviewing. On a year round calendar we spend maybe a few weeks reviewing than can move on.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=triangle&id=5566587 Some snippets.... Researchers found little difference in test scores from students in year-round versus others in traditional calendar schools out west. Wake County school leaders say they didn't convert schools for an academic advantage. Wake County Schools spokesperson, Michael Evans explains, "We don't see the year round program as an academic program. It's purely for capacity reasons. We're expecting 8,000 new students this year and another 8,000 next year and next year we're only opening 3 new schools. So we need to create the capacity and that's why we looked at year round schools." Not proof positive...but...
I would love year round, providing our kids that are different schools can be on the same track. (middle, elem etc) I have friends in Garner in year round and they love it. It is harder for working parents who need childcare, but then childcare centers would need to adapt.
Year round would only be great for elementary students. Any districts that are year round in Middle & high will tell you it does not work. They forgot that kids play sports. A student that is tracked out still has to be there everyday for practice & or games. Those students suffer. I have spoken to many parents that are in this situation. Year round only really worked for elementary. Then it also only works if you only have kids back to back.
Didn't they bring this up a few years ago and they did not even bother voting on it? The community outcry was pretty adamant. It was a big fat NO. And a big fat NO from me, too!
I hope they give a big fat NO again..I so hate year round. My neice was in year round in wake county and she hated it as well. she does much better now that she is in high school and they don't do year round. Her grades improved a lot. Sheri
Went to year round school for (1) school year. Didn't really mind the schedule, but I stay home. Could see how it would be difficult if parent works outside the home. I will say that my childrens' grades dropped approx. 3 points per subject on average. That is why we moved back to the traditional calander school year by relocating into Johnston County. I hope that as a County we vote NO again.
While I see the need for year round schooling as a parent of two kids (4 year old and 1 year old) I am not a fan and if it came to a vote I would definately vote no or try home schooling.
Consider that the current school calendar is the agrarian school calendar started in the 18th century. It was there to allow kids to be home in the summer during the harvest. My kids have nothing to harvest so the current calendar is a dinosaur probably demanded by the teacher's unions which really don't care about kids. The year round calendar just makes more sense for today
I seriously doubt that it would be put to a popular vote. That might send out a survey, but that would be the extent of it. Wasn't it one of the county commissioners last year who warned that if the voters didn't give the county the option to raise revenues with the sales tax and/or land transfer tax that year round schools would be on the way??? We voted overwhelmingly no to those options, now year round schools can be implemented without a vote of the citizens.
See, I'm such a traditionalist. I like having my kids all home together for spring break, winter break, and summer break. It would feel weird in July if he were at school, it would throw a wrench in my free labor and extra set of eyes at the beach.
Just Say NO! Stop the Growth. I agree with Rushlow & Cleopatra. I love having my kids home during the summer & besides, the way it keeps getting cut summer vac. is only about 10 weeks long. How much can a kid REALLY forget in that period of time? I would hate year round school & so would my kids. Oh, those long sweet wonderful days of summer vac when I was a child! Clayton is simply getting too big for its britches as my mom would say. We need to slow down the growth until we can get a handle on things like traffic, water & schools. Cary did it once, why can't we? Its getting to where I hate going anywhere esp. the Post Office or anywhere near Hwy 70. Just too dang many people! I've lived in North Raleigh & I've lived in towns much smaller than Clayton. The traffic is one reason I refuse to work in Raleigh & visit as little as possible. Hopefully within the next 2 years I'll be going back to a small town where it won't take me 10 minutes to go 2 blocks & I'll only be number 2 or 3 in line at the Post Office instead of #10 or 15 just to buy a stamp because the stupid stamp machine is out of order yet again.
