The end of one school year, beginning of another

This is the final week of school for the current academic year. Teachers will be conducting finals, furiously grading papers, and packing up a year’s worth of student-created work, posters and calculated mess from their classroom. However, for half of the teachers currently teaching at Manual –- including myself –- this week doesn’t at all feel like the end. In fact, for those of us who teach, or are students on B-track at our year round school, our new academic school year will begin on July 1st. For those of you who don’t have a calendar in front of you, this means that teachers and students have no more than a three-day weekend to gear up for a new set of classes and teaching content.

I realize that in the traditional business world, there is no clear analogue to the summer vacation that most students are privy to. Why, you non-educator might ask, should I at all concern myself with the fact that you are beginning your year at the beginning of July? For these students, there is no sense of break from one grade to another. The months of May-August become a huge blur of new and old classes, assignments and looming deadlines. That’s not to mention that trying to learn and prepare for college during 100+ degree beach-friendly weather is a daunting proposition. And that refreshed, excited glow that teachers leisurely stroll into their classes with in the fall? Yeah, you won’t see too much of that. While I can guarantee that we’ll be prepared to teach on July 1st, it will have been after completing another exhausting year. There are many exciting developments that will be taking place as of July 1st and I look forward to writing about them soon. In the meantime, I’m frantically finishing grades, saying goodbyes to my class of seniors and preparing for a year that begins next Tuesday.

-- Antero Garcia

Comments

[Another B track teacher]

I sympathize Antero. I am in my classroom now frantically trying to get ready for the new year. I know I need to change some things but don't have time to do enough. It is hard to think straight when pressed for time. This is the only part about B track that I don't like. I really think they should start after July 4th as they did one year. It was so much better and gave us a bit more breathing room. Good luck with your planning.

[Chunkdog]

To those who feel LA Unified is over-building, note the above article. There are still thousands of kids and teachers on this horrible year-round schedule.

Of course, since the students are mainly black or brown, the naysayers don't care. So what if their education is cut short by 17 days and crammed into ridiculous schedules.

[Julia]

I liked going to school all year round. It's much better preparation for the real world. I took summer school classes every year beginning in 7th grade, I even began college classes in the summer before I'd even gotten my high school diploma.

As an adult, you need to work when it's warm and you'd rather go to the beach, why shouldn't kids?

Teachers might need time to prepare, but I don't get this whining about the poor students. The more time in the classroom, the better.

[Another B track teacher]

Julia, students actually get LESS time in the classroom on the year round system and don't have access to all programs and activities on all tracks.

In some respects it is good because students and teachers need a breather twice a year and I find my students have matured quite a bit during the two breaks. So there are positives and negatives. And yes, some students do like the year round system. As a teacher, I have a hard time spending enough time thinking about what to do differently and make those changes, but there are positives as you state as well