Year-Round Calendars and Their Disadvantages - Essay Example

Year-Round Calendars and their Disadvantages Introduction The year-round school has been a highly rated concept in the United States. The concept is of interest to parents, school staff, as well as policy makers. Notably, the United States of America have registered a high number of students because of the growing population. The increasing student population has compelled many districts to adopt the year-round education. Other districts have adopted the year-round school plan in an effort to break down the long summer holiday, which affects learning negatively. Some year-round school calendars opt for 60-20 plan, which gives students a 20 day break after 60 days of being in school. Notably, the year-round school plan ensures that students do not have the three-month summer break, but are in school throughout the year. Although the year-round school seems to be highly favorable, it has certain disadvantages that need proper consideration as will be highlighted in this paper. The year-round calendar adopted by some school districts presents certain challenges, especially when it comes to the storage space needed for both students and teachers. Notably, many multitrack year-round calendars do not follow the usual single class operating in a specified classroom. The system allows many students to enroll in different programs throughout the school year. Therefore, school districts adopting the plan have budget wisely in an effort to ensure that there is sufficient storage space for both students and teachers. Unless this happens, the multitrack year-round calendars will strain school facilities contrary to its objective of ensuring proper utilization of the facilities throughout the year (Chittom and Klassen 1). The year-round calendars adopted in some districts introduce additional demands on the school subordinate staff cafeteria systems as well as the maintenance services. Usually, all these services are continuously needed throughout the year. Compared to other plans that allow students to have a three-month summer break, support staffs working in different schools face the compulsion of constantly providing services to the schools. Therefore, many support staffs do not find the systems favorable because the year-round calendar strains them (Long). The year-round calendars pose challenges for teachers who pursue further education during the summer break. Notably, teachers need to advance their education in an effort to become more qualified for their job responsibilities. Usually, the three-month summer break gives teachers sufficient time to study each year. With the year-round plan, it becomes extremely difficult for teachers to enroll in such programs. They face the compulsion of identifying alternative programs and training sessions offered within the short breaks afforded by the year-round calendars. In addition, teachers need to put in more effort because they have to deliver quality instructions all year-round. The 20 days allocated for a break in the year-round calendars may not be sufficient for teachers to energize and schedule their lesson plans for the following school term. Worth noting is the fact that year-round calendars that offer different schedules may mean that teachers have classes all year round. Some year-round calendars allow the enrollment of a 50% more students a factor that increases the load for teachers (Wildman et al. 465). Without a doubt, the year-round plan may not favor teachers at all, especially those who need sufficient time to energize and spend with their families. The traditional school calendar has a defined 3-month summer break, a factor that allows parents to strategize effectively on how to arrange for childcare during the summer holiday. Many working parents need to arrange for childcare during the summer holiday because of their work schedules. The year-round plan introduces many breaks throughout the year a factor that makes it difficult for parents to organize for childcare services. During the numerous breaks, such parents face challenges because they may face the compulsion of leaving their jobs. In some school districts, the year-round plan has led to a reduced number of working mothers. In addition, the year-round calendars pose challenges for parents whose children are in different schools. Each school may have a different plan a factor that translates to children having breaks at different times (Wildman et al. 466). Therefore, the year-round education introduces numerous scheduling programs for parents. The traditional 3-month summer break offers students an opportunity to indulge in extracurricular activities such as sports, summer camps, as well as attending summer exchange programs. The year-round calendar does not provide time for such activities for students have about 2 weeks for a break. Parents have the conviction that children need the 3-month summer break in order to learn from real life experiences outside the school setting. Some students also face additional challenges with the year-round school plan because they need to work during the summer holiday in an effort to earn money that cover their tuition fees. In addition to earning money for their tuition fees, students need to benefit from experiential learning obtained from the workplace which is only possible with the traditional 3-month summer holiday (Naylor and (Canada) British Columbia Teachers Federation). Proponents of the year-round calendars argue that it gives families an opportunity to go for vacations all year round without having to wait for the summer holiday. However, this may prove to be impossible, especially for parents who have students in different schools. For such parents, students have their breaks during different times, which may not coincide with the job schedules for the parents. Although the year-round calendar may give students frequent breaks, they rarely match with the schedules of the parents, a factor that minimizes the possibility of a family vacation (Long). Conclusion Evidently, the year-round education calendars have had a positive reception from some individuals because of the new realms of possibilities they present. However, such possibilities are also accompanied by several challenges that need critical consideration. The fact that the summer holiday does not exist in the year-round school plans only means that students miss activities schedules for the summer. The year-round plan also poses challenges for parents who need to secure childcare services. It becomes impossible for such parents to plan childcare services for their children properly, especially when they are in different schools. The year-round plan also introduces a burden on the teachers. Therefore, parents, teachers and policy makers need to reevaluate the year-round calendars based on the challenges and benefits they present. Work Cited Chittom, Lynn-nore, and Jeff Klassen. "Year-Round School: An Overview." Points Of View: Year-Round School (2015): 1. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 7 Apr. 2015. Long, Sonny. "CON: Year-round schools offer no long summer vacation, scheduling conflicts." Victoria Advocate (TX) 08 June 2009: Newspaper Source. Web. 7 Apr. 2015. Naylor, Charlie, and (Canada) British Columbia Teachers Federation (BCTF). "Revisiting The Issue of Year-Round Schools. BCTF Research Report. Section V. 2012-EI-02." British Columbia Teachers Federation (2012): ERIC. Web. 7 Apr. 2015. Wildman, Louis, et al. "The Effect of Year-Round Schooling on Administrators." Education 119.3 (1999): 465. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 7 Apr. 2015. Read More