Should summer vacation be split into shorter breaks year-round?

NEA Today, Sep 2003 by Lareau, Patti, Medeiros, Maureen, Johnson, Gay, Degrella, Amy, Et al

[ YES ]

My school has a year-round schedule and we love it! We have July off, a week and a half off in October, an extra week added to our February break, and a week tacked onto the Memorial Day weekend.

During these breaks, students may opt to go on vacation or attend five-day "Intersessions," which are theme-based educational experiences taught by teachers. (For example, last May we spent a week studying and participating in field trips about outer space.) Our popular Intersessions cost $90-much cheaper than day care! Typically, a third to a half of our students participate.

Our calendar reduces the loss of learning that can occur during a long summer vacation and leaves both students and staff happy and refreshed.

PATTI LAREAU Third-grade teacher, Orion, Michigan

[ NO ]

I have many objections to losing my traditional summer vacation. As a teacher, I will no longer be able to take summer college courses toward my master's degree.

As a working parent, I suddenly need daycare for two weeks every nine weeks. Daycare centers aren't set up to accommodate this.

As a former elementary school child, my fondest summer memories are of 4-H and Girl Scout camp. There are no longer options since we are still in school!

As a high school student, I really, really need to work that summer job to save for college. What do I do now?

And, as all of the above, I am exhausted and need time off to recharge!

AMY DEGRELLA Elementary art teacher and mother of three, Wilson County, Tennessee

My school's calendar gives us a summer that's just three weeks shorter than the rest of the district which still provides plenty of time for vacations, camps, summer school, etc.

The students don't lose as much content or routine with our shorter summer, yet return to school rested and ready to learn. The three weeks are split between two (heavenly!) weeks in October-a perfect time to travel-and a well-timed week in April.

MAUREEN MEDEIROS Elementary school teacher, Cupertino, California

I taught two years in Kenya, which models its educational system after the British. We taught January to March and had April off; May through July and had August off; finally, September through November with December

I teach in a very small rural school, The long summer is necessary here because of the huge need for summer farm help from students 13 and up.

COLLETTE JACOBS Math and physics instructor, Yates Center, Kansas; wife of farmer who employs students

I must work over the summer to keep up with family bills. If there were shorter breaks, I would not be able to have a job while school is not in session. For those of you who like to take summer vacations, this could affect you, too.

ERIN SULLENGER In-school suspension classroom assistant, Fenton, Missouri

Here in Pennsylvania, we only have warm weather for a few months of the year. After long, cold winters, teachers and students alike yearn to be outdoors. Most of us would off. It was fabulous to never get bone weary and also to have sustained holidays in different seasons. (Of course they're on the Equator. It was merely wet and dry, but here it would be three separate seasons.) Would that we could all do it.

But it wouldn't work unless the whole state did it because team and camp schedules would not be aligned and teachers who live in one district and teach in another might have children on a different schedule and have to pay for child care while they finish out the term. Not being in sync is a bummer.

GAY JOHNSON Elementary school teacher, Birmingham, Alabama much rather have breaks when the weather is nice than during the cold when we would be cooped up inside.

AMY MCKAVENEY High school math teacher, Allison Park, Pennsylvania

We've just spent two years with multi-track year-round. I haven't found the shorter breaks helpful. The students seem to lose just as much in three weeks as they did in three months and now we have to start over three times instead of once.

TOM SCHULTZ Fifth-grade teacher, Vacaville, California