The Doryphoros

Can you hear it, the mumbles of children everywhere at the just the mention of year around school, while the parents of these kids start to jump for joy. Would a year round school year help not only our nation but Oklahoma’s concerns about school performance? It is this simple question that starts the debate and battle of the school year. Should we or should we not have longer school days or just go for the gold to say and make school a year round institution. There are many who argue for year round school. They believe that more is always better. United States President Barack Obama is among them. The challenges of the new century demands more time in the classroom. ” he stated. I for one think that more hours would not only help American but Oklahoma schools as well. We have all been there, coming in from a long summer break when out of the blue a teacher ask the dreaded question, do you remember how to work this problem? I can still see my blank stare at the chalk board wondering who is going to save me. Shorter summer breaks means students are less likely to incur learning loss, and it may decrease the number of students being sent to remedial classes or to tutoring for help.

Oklahoma’s kids are falling below average in science and math. We say that some kids just don’t test well, but it is not the case. The long summer breaks mean less time in the class room to keep their heads in the game. Without a long summer break that leaves less young minds in summer school and more time in the classroom and where the action is. School systems that are already year round have an advantage over the other states that are not. This would provide Oklahoma children with the ability to have a more global educational experience.

Countries like Japan, China, and Korea already have this system in effect. Their children test higher, have a more developed level of learning, and they graduate College at a higher rate. The average test scores for U. S 4th grader in math was (539), whereas China’s average was well into the (800). They test better due to them retaining the knowledge learned during the year and years before. Students who test lower cost not only time but money to be spent on the longer educational process. We should not look at it as if it should happen but as in when to start.

Before you think man is this person crazy, what about all the vacation plans we made during the summer. With the year round school program it will be easier to schedule family vacations and it will give students opportunity to rest their brain more frequently. It will also help cut down the need for these bright minds of our future to need the re-teaching of skills already learned. Allowing teachers to use classroom time more efficiently not only benefits the teachers but the kids as well. They will be learning more and keeping up with the rest of the world.

We fail to realize our children are crying out for help. When we have seniors leaving high school with only the reading skill of a 5th grader can we say that as citizens of Oklahoma we did our best to help them achieve their best? I for one believe it is time for us to stand up and say no our children need and deserve more. A family with both mother and father working, that leaves who to care for the kids. Child care is expensive costing more during the summer break. Parents who are just making end meat to supply the house hold with enough to just get by would have more room to breathe.

Families would be able to save as much as $750 per month. Families struggle pay the bills, put food on the table, and supply kids with clothing, why add another expense on the already tight budget. With all that being said there are some who believe that year round school would be more of a burdened than a source of help. The budget for food and other bills also raise a question with them. They even go to state that budgets and staffing issues simply may not allow for extended school programs to happen. They say that school maintenance, day to day upkeep and the utilities do not justify the means.

You may even hear that students who have difficulty with attention, due to disability are not ready to attend longer periods of time and that it will create some disorder in the classroom. Many budgets and staffing issues have been brought forward as well. How are we to pay qualified teachers the competitive way and it is hard to keep them as well. With all this information being said I for still believe that the pros out way the cons. We need to build a better foundation and it all starts in the classroom. Without the proper education our kids will not secede in the world.

We as Oklahoma’s should care more about the education we are sending these children out with than the dollar amount. So as we sit down to listen to the children as they are against this we need to ask do they really know what is good for them. As adults and Oklahomans it is our job to ensure the children grow up with the knowledge need to advance in life. Without the proper education we are saying that we as parents, educators, and adults do not care about the education of our next president, teachers, doctors etc. It is time to take a stand and say yes our education system in Oklahoma needs a change and to place it into action. Before you decide look at the statics of all the other countries that go all year round. There are fewer drop outs, more college graduates and higher achievement in life. We all just want our children to be the best they can be and that starts in the classroom. Works Cited CNN. “Obama wants to overhaul education from ‘cradle to career’ – CNN. com. ” CNN. com – Breaking News, U. S. , World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News.

Kristi Keck, 10 Mar. 2009. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www. cnn. com/2009/POLITICS/03/10/obama. education/>. “Fast Facts. ” National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a part of the U. S. Department of Education. The National Center for Education Statistics, n. d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://nces. ed. gov/fastfacts/display. asp? id=1>. Oklahoma. Oklahoma City: Oklahoma State Dept. of Education, 198. Print. Williams, Mary E.. Education: opposing viewpoints. San Diego, Calif. : Greenhaven Press, 2000. Print.