More of the same

More School: Obama Would Curtail Summer Vacation

Sigh. More of the same with regards to public education. I get that it's a response to the ever-elongating American work week but I do not think more classroom hours = children more prepared for life. We need to teach more efficiently, to plan lessons and units of study with more thought and ingenuity. Our education needs to more process-oriented. So many of our children will likely be working in jobs that don't even exist now. We need to focus on teaching them to learn and adapt instead of just memorizing sets of facts we think are important today (and may be meaningless by the time they get to college).

Obama says American kids spend too little time in school, putting them at a disadvantage with other students around the globe.

First of all, I question this "disadvantage." Not that I don't think it exists, but I wonder how we have arrived at this conclusion and what the testing process really is. Many other nations have strictly tiered school systems where only the best and brightest get to even sit for exams.

Secondly, what is being tested? The ability to regurgitate math facts of the understanding of math? I would really like to know.

Regardless, the disadvantage we see in test scores is not about the number of hours spent learning, but the process of learning.

I've been in the public school classrooms. The classes, the materials, the textbooks are tremendously boring and structured. There is no room for enthusiasm and individual interest is quashed at nearly every turn. I do not blame teachers---I have loved almost every teacher my children have had. And I have felt their frustration. I volunteered in classes---there was overcrowding and a lack of support for dealing with children who learn differently than the bulk of the students. The goal is to get the checklist covered and to get as many kids to digest the facts that have been deemed Important (ie, on the test). I have heard from teachers how this was so not what they signed up for when they went into education. And I have seen dedicated and passionate teachers leave for this reason---move on to alternative education or adult education (which, wow---there is some GREAT stuff going on there---THAT should be our model!!) or leave teaching altogether.


On the other hand....lol I'm a gemini, I always have to look at the other hand.
The economy is tough. There are not many two-parent families that can live off one income and there are a lot of single parent families. This means there's a lot of need for childcare and a longer school day could be really helpful. If a longer school day meant more down time, less homework and a little room to do something more interesting or innovative, well maybe that's worth it. For my family, I already felt like 30 hours a week was about 15 hours too many. I missed the kids, they missed each other and it was just too hectic a lifestyle for us. I realize, though, that we are in the minority there and the American lifestyle is about Keeping Busy. I'm not a fan of that, but it does seem to work for a lot of families.