school

Longer School Day

Toby — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:15:22 -0700

More school: Obama would curtail summer vacation - From Yahoo News

By LIBBY QUAID, AP Education Writer Libby Quaid, Ap Education Writer – Sun Sep 27, 3:29 pm ET

WASHINGTON – Students beware: The summer vacation you just enjoyed could be sharply curtailed if President Barack Obama gets his way.

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

"Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas," the president said earlier this year. "Not with Malia and Sasha, not in my family, and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom."

The president, who has a sixth-grader and a third-grader, wants schools to add time to classes, to stay open late and to let kids in on weekends so they have a safe place to go.

"Our school calendar is based upon the agrarian economy and not too many of our kids are working the fields today," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

Fifth-grader Nakany Camara is of two minds. She likes the four-week summer program at her school, Brookhaven Elementary School in Rockville, Md. Nakany enjoys seeing her friends there and thinks summer school helped boost her grades from two Cs to the honor roll.

But she doesn't want a longer school day. "I would walk straight out the door," she said.

Domonique Toombs felt the same way when she learned she would stay for an extra three hours each day in sixth grade at Boston's Clarence R. Edwards Middle School.

"I was like, `Wow, are you serious?'" she said. "That's three more hours I won't be able to chill with my friends after school."

Her school is part of a 3-year-old state initiative to add 300 hours of school time in nearly two dozen schools. Early results are positive. Even reluctant Domonique, who just started ninth grade, feels differently now. "I've learned a lot," she said.

Does Obama want every kid to do these things? School until dinnertime? Summer school? And what about the idea that kids today are overscheduled and need more time to play?

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Obama and Duncan say kids in the United States need more school because kids in other nations have more school.

"Young people in other countries are going to school 25, 30 percent longer than our students here," Duncan told the AP. "I want to just level the playing field."

While it is true that kids in many other countries have more school days, it's not true they all spend more time in school.

Kids in the U.S. spend more hours in school (1,146 instructional hours per year) than do kids in the Asian countries that persistently outscore the U.S. on math and science tests — Singapore (903), Taiwan (1,050), Japan (1,005) and Hong Kong (1,013). That is despite the fact that Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong have longer school years (190 to 201 days) than does the U.S. (180 days).

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Regardless, there is a strong case for adding time to the school day.

Researcher Tom Loveless of the Brookings Institution looked at math scores in countries that added math instruction time. Scores rose significantly, especially in countries that added minutes to the day, rather than days to the year.

"Ten minutes sounds trivial to a school day, but don't forget, these math periods in the U.S. average 45 minutes," Loveless said. "Percentage-wise, that's a pretty healthy increase."

In the U.S., there are many examples of gains when time is added to the school day.

Charter schools are known for having longer school days or weeks or years. For example, kids in the KIPP network of 82 charter schools across the country go to school from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., more than three hours longer than the typical day. They go to school every other Saturday and for three weeks in the summer. KIPP eighth-grade classes exceed their school district averages on state tests.

In Massachusetts' expanded learning time initiative, early results indicate that kids in some schools do better on state tests than do kids at regular public schools. The extra time, which schools can add as hours or days, is for three things: core academics — kids struggling in English, for example, get an extra English class; more time for teachers; and enrichment time for kids.

Regular public schools are adding time, too, though it is optional and not usually part of the regular school day. Their calendar is pretty much set in stone. Most states set the minimum number of school days at 180 days, though a few require 175 to 179 days.

Several schools are going year-round by shortening summer vacation and lengthening other breaks.

Many schools are going beyond the traditional summer school model, in which schools give remedial help to kids who flunked or fell behind.

Summer is a crucial time for kids, especially poorer kids, because poverty is linked to problems that interfere with learning, such as hunger and less involvement by their parents.

That makes poor children almost totally dependent on their learning experience at school, said Karl Alexander, a sociology professor at Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University, home of the National Center for Summer Learning.

Disadvantaged kids, on the whole, make no progress in the summer, Alexander said. Some studies suggest they actually fall back. Wealthier kids have parents who read to them, have strong language skills and go to great lengths to give them learning opportunities such as computers, summer camp, vacations, music lessons, or playing on sports teams.

"If your parents are high school dropouts with low literacy levels and reading for pleasure is not hard-wired, it's hard to be a good role model for your children, even if you really want to be," Alexander said.

Extra time is not cheap. The Massachusetts program costs an extra $1,300 per student, or 12 percent to 15 percent more than regular per-student spending, said Jennifer Davis, a founder of the program. It received more than $17.5 million from the state Legislature last year.

The Montgomery County, Md., summer program, which includes Brookhaven, received $1.6 million in federal stimulus dollars to operate this year and next, but it runs for only 20 days.

Aside from improving academic performance, Education Secretary Duncan has a vision of schools as the heart of the community. Duncan, who was Chicago's schools chief, grew up studying alongside poor kids on the city's South Side as part of the tutoring program his mother still runs.

"Those hours from 3 o'clock to 7 o'clock are times of high anxiety for parents," Duncan said. "They want their children safe. Families are working one and two and three jobs now to make ends meet and to keep food on the table."

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Associated Press writer Russell Contreras in Boston contributed to this report.

A question of instinct

wonkitime — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:06:18 -0700

By Phil Stott

In conversation with a friend recently, I came across a child-rearing issue that many parents will have to face: when should a child start school? My friend wants his 3-year-old son to wait until he's almost 5 before starting kindergarten. The child's mother, meanwhile, thinks he'll be old enough to start just under a year from now, when he'll be almost 4. It's a situation, unsurprisingly, that has left the two at loggerheads.

The child in question is a bright boy, and would likely have no problems keeping up academically with his peers were he to start straight away. His dad, however, worries that starting him too young will put him at a disadvantage not just now, but throughout his entire school life. Physically, he's likely to be smaller and less developed in things like motor skills than other boys around him-a point his mother seems less worried about but one that, as a male who started school young, I can empathize with.

Sporting ability is important among boys, and can serve as a sorting mechanism in social situations. From being able to hit a tee-ball as well as your peers in kindergarten, to being developed enough to compete with them physically in high school (not to mention being able to perform without embarrassing yourself in a lunchtime pickup game in your 30s), sport matters to many males, and can play an important role in our relationships with one other. Sure, there are plenty of guys out there for whom it's not important, and many who grew up just fine without being good at sports. However, there are also many who still bear the scars of not being able to compete with their peers, to say nothing of the unspeakable horror of being the last selected for playground games. (By the way, I know someone has to be the last pick, I just don't want it to be my kid.)

In weighing all of that, it seems to me that starting a child at school and effectively handing them an age-group handicap places a significant barrier in their path to becoming a confident, well-adjusted adult.

Overall, the situation raises several issues, each of which could feasibly serve as their own separate topic on this site: Given their different needs and maturation rates, should boys start school later than girls? Or be educated separately altogether? At what point does trying to do what's best for your kid morph into "red-shirting" them (consciously delaying your child's entry into school to give them a better shot at success in their age group by pitting them against slightly younger kids)?

For me, though, the main point about the situation my friend is going through is what happens when a child's parents each hold diametrically opposite views on what's best for that child. That's something that's hard enough to deal with in any relationship, but in this case, there's one point I haven't mentioned yet, and that complicates the situation even further: they're divorced.

In any relationship, there are likely to be conflicting points of view, and none more so than with a couple that have split but are forced to continue to interact. There is an imperative in any disagreement to find a way forward, a situation that most of the time leads to one side agreeing to accommodate the other. In some situations, though, there's a danger that seeking to accommodate can cause as much harm as not doing so, and in those circumstances, parental instincts come into play.

While maternal instinct is something that is often mentioned in advice and publications on child-raising, very little is said of the instincts of the father (if indeed the father is mentioned at all in said publications-but more on that in a later post). The truth, though, is that male instincts are every bit as sharply honed as those of their female counterparts, but just in different ways. (One quick example-how many times have you known all along that a female you know is dating or married to a douche, long before the truth becomes apparent to
womankind?)

Tough as it may be, there are times when the savviest thing a daddy can do is to trust his own instincts. In the instance of my friend's son, the mother's instinct is that her child is academically able for school, so he should go. The father's instinct, however, is that he's not ready socially, and will gain great benefit from waiting a year. In weighing the two instincts, then, the question comes down to which side needs to accommodate the other. In this instance, as in most cases, the answer to that question is simple: the one whose instinct will do the child the most good in the long term.

Montessori Schools

chloes_dad — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:29:28 -0700

Hi Dads, I'm in the beginning stages of researching pre-schools and kindergartens and I have heard good things about Montessori schools and their approach to learning. Do any of you have any opinions, thoughts experiences with Montessori schools that you would share with me?

Thanks in advance,

Chloe's Dad

School Principles

Philmundo — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:39:21 -0700

By Philip Stott

As the father of a 9-month old, I realize that I've got quite a bit of time until I need to start thinking too hard about where my daughter's going to go to school, but this column set me off down the public vs. private road, and raised more than a couple of questions.

First off, I'd like to point out a couple of things. Number one: I went to a public school, and don't feel like I received anything like an amazing educational experience. Number two: I've worked, and my wife currently teaches at, an elite private school (red bricks and all). So I'm fully aware of the distinctions between the two, and how wonderful it is to find an institution where learning is valued, encouraged and given a beautiful setting to occur in.

Here's the thing, though: I have a fundamental problem with the concept of private education. I simply don't believe that it's morally acceptable that having money entitles your children (or mine-if I had any money!) to a better standard of education than the family down the block who are struggling to get by.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating bringing all schools down to the level of the one I attended in a misguided attempt to make everyone "equal." I understand the economic theory behind private education. I understand political and individual freedom. I understand why having a choice is important. And, as a parent, I know that I'll do whatever it takes to provide for my child and help her (and any who happen to follow her) to succeed. What troubles me, though, is this concept that money is the key determining factor in being able to do so. Surely every child has an equal right to an equally high standard of education, and it's their ability and application-and not their parents' level of income-that should determine their chances for success. Hopelessly idealistic, I know, but where would we be without ideals?

Now, I'm sure that I'll attract a couple of fairly predictable responses here, one of which I'll deal with immediately. It's a no-brainer that someone will take the above and read jealousy into it, and they'd be half right. Sure, I may envy the privilege that private education has given some of my age-group peers (the networking capabilities, the access to upper echelon jobs). Whether or not their education was "better" is open to debate, though. Is being coached to get into an elite college (and, in some cases, coached through it) "better" than getting into a decent one with zero coaching? Does any of it make you a "better" person, or just a wealthier one?

Where I'm really torn, though, is in what to do about my own daughter's education, when that day finally rolls round (and if being a dad has taught me anything so far, it's that it'll come much faster than I'm expecting). One perk of my wife's current position is free enrolment for faculty kids in her school-a perk worth upwards of $20,000 a year per child at present, and available all the way from kindergarten through high school. We're also fortunate enough to live on the cusp of a very good school district-literally moving a mile would get us into it.

So here's the dilemma: I have a real problem with sending the sort of message to my child that private school engenders-that privilege comes with money, and that while money can't buy success, it can at least buy a better shot at it. And, while I want my child to grow up in a diverse culture (which the school district we currently live in would provide, but the private school wouldn't), I also want what's best for her (which, educationally, the district wouldn't provide, but the private school would). A half-measure would be to move to the neighboring district (diversity plus good public education), but given my conception that all children should have the right to the same standard of education, even that feels like a cop out. So what's a dad to do?

Helping with homework

sciguy75 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:06:19 -0700

Though the school year has come to a close, I am curious as to how dads support their child's homework endeavors during the course of the school year. As a teacher, I am finding too often that parents just assume their kids are doing "what they need to do". When I talk to parents about homework support, they usually say they don't want to do the work for their child. I explain the difference between doing their work (actually doing the tasks that I have asked the students to do) and supporting their work (such as creating a quiet, resourceful work area and checking for completeness).

I must admit, though I have been teaching for five years, I've only been a dad for five weeks, so I may not understand the whole picture.

How do you support your child's homework endeavors?
How do you help them find answers and ideas without giving them answers and ideas?
Has it been hard finding the right balance between academic support and academic independence?
How does your child respond to your efforts (or lack thereof)?
What advice do you have for new parents and teachers?

Twins Savvy

Mark2x2 — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:00:04 -0700

This group seeks to be a place where dads of twins, triplets or more can ask questions, share experiences and help each other to grow in some of the most important relationships in their lives.

Moderated by a dad of 2 yr old twin boys, who's also a twin himself. This savvy daddy is a board member of a local Parents of Multiples club which meets in the Northwest Valley of Phoenix, AZ. For more information about the club, check out http://www.wowpom.org

Share your story with us, respond to a topic below or start a new topic by clicking on "Create Group Blog" at the top-right of this page.

What Parents/Students Really Think About Their College

tony — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:55:21 -0700

Ignore all the slick advertising and the US News and World Report Rankings, check out the dark underbelly of what these colleges are really all about. Hear it straight from actual parents and students.

How to Deal with Cheating Child

tony — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:30:08 -0700

As a father, few things are more embarrassing than being called to the principal's office because your child was caught cheating on a test. This not only makes your child look bad, but it also makes you look like a bad father. The worst part is that you don't know why your child would do such a thing! Your first reaction might be to say, "That can't be my kid." But that only makes the situation worse. Believe it or not, your child is capable of doing something wrong from time to time. If your son or daughter has been in trouble for cheating, here are some suggestions for dealing with the situation so they'll think twice and even three times before they ever do it again.

Determine why your child is cheating. If they're young, it could be because they don't know that cheating is wrong. If they're older, there could be other reasons. Maybe they feel too much pressure to do well on their tests. Or maybe they simply didn't study for a test because they were too busy watching TV the night before. If they're cheating at sports, they might be looking for a scholarship to their favorite college. Before you can decide the best method of action, you'll need to get to the bottom of their reason for cheating.
Accept their faults. All too often, parents are afraid (or too arrogant) to accept the fact that their children have faults. Cheating is just one of the many things your child might do wrong. If you're lucky, your child will only cheat once before learning from their mistake. When it happens, you shouldn't dismiss it as "kids being kids" or a misunderstanding. Accept the fact that your child cheated and deal with it immediately.
Start teaching them early. Some kids might cheat because they see others doing it and they've just never been taught that it's wrong. You might be waiting until the right time to talk about it, but there's no time like the present. Before you know it, they could be teenagers cheating on their mid-term test and getting expelled from high school because of it. The best time to start talking about cheating is when they begin school. Children learn most during their first few years and they also absorb a huge amount of what they're taught in these years. Start now and avoid the embarrassing phone call from their teacher later.
Explain why cheating is wrong. Young children are generally trying to learn right from wrong. With them, you can simply explain that cheating is "wrong." But cheating isn't only wrong, it's unfair to those who work hard without cheating. You can always use the cliché "Cheaters never win," but that loses meaning if you say it enough. Explain that cheating only undermines their actual abilities and makes them feel less confident. Hard work pays off much more than cheating because you actually get long-term benefits from it. Your child might not understand this concept now, but they will as they get older.
Discuss the consequences of cheating. If you've ever cheated on your taxes, you've probably spent some sleepless nights staring at the ceiling and wondering when Uncle Sam will catch up to you. If children aren't taught the consequences of cheating, they might not have this type of conscience to remind them what will happen if they decide to cheat. They might even think it's okay to cheat if there's not chance of getting caught. On top of reminding them why cheating is wrong, drill into their heads the consequences of cheating, including embarrassment, punishment and even prison if they get caught cheating at the wrong thing when they get older. Most children will simply avoid cheating because it's wrong, but you might need to use the "scared straight" method with others.
Play board games on family night. Some children cheat simply because they don't like the humiliation of losing. Even with family board games, they might feel like winning is important. But you can turn this around by setting aside one or two nights a week to play games with the family. When your child loses, be sure to be a good sport about it. Don't chant things like "loser" or taunt them when they lose. This will only make them want to cheat next time. Show them that losing and being happy are still okay so they can see that playing fair and giving it their best shot is much more important than winning, especially if it means they have to cheat.
7. Allow some time for video games. With the exception of using cheat codes, it's nearly impossible to cheat on video games. Allowing your child to play video games that enhance skills and patience will help them transfer these traits into real-life events and situations. If they're playing video games with a friend, they can even learn how to lose graciously and be a good winner. Just don't let them play so long that they become cross-eyed. Choosing the right video games and letting them play in moderation can be a great tool to help them avoid cheating.
Let them suffer the consequences. If you've received that dreaded phone call from your child's teacher, don't try to get your child out of trouble. Allow the teacher to punish them as they see fit (as long as it's reasonable) and then discuss the situation with your child in private. If their dad gets them out of trouble, it's not teaching them the negative consequences of cheating.

Cheating as a child is usually just a small problem. Some younger children might not know that it's wrong or they might just be testing their limits. But when they continually cheat as they grow up, it could be a problem that affects their future as an adult and even create serious consequences for their life. Deal with cheating at the first sign of it to nip it in the bud and help prevent any lasting problems with this ethical problem.

How to Homeschool Your Children

tony — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:15:46 -0700

Taking it upon yourself to homeschool your children is a big decision--it has its virtues and drawbacks. By doing so you're taking it upon yourself to educate your child, leaving no possibility that your child may pick up information you don't want him or her to have. However, it's a full-time job and it requires lots of dedication.

Parents are increasingly taking to homeschooling for a variety of reasons. Some believe that public school systems aren't doing enough, that No Child Left Behind curriculum caters to the dumbest, and not the smartest, kids in class. Others are pulling their kids for purely religious reasons, choosing to give their children a religious education at home rather than a secular one in public schools.

For whatever reason, more and more parents are pulling their kids from the classroom and putting them in the dining room. According to HomeSchool.com, more than three million kids are currently being educated at home in the U.S.

Although it's a big challenge, homeschooling is definitely a possibility for any family. The Internet has become an amazing resource for parents new to homeschooling and those that have been doing it for years. Here are some tips and advice to get you started:

Get to know your state laws - Homeschooling is currently legal in all 50 states, but each state has its own laws and regulations concerning the practice. Local support groups in your area are an invaluable resource for finding out what is required of you as a homeschooling parent.
Pick up some reading material - There are literally thousands of how-to books on homeschooling, and picking up one of these is a good place to get started. HomeSchool.com recommends "So You're Thinking About Homeschooling" by Lisa Whelchel and "The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas" by Linda Dobson.
Choose an approach that's best for you both - There isn't one "approved" method of homeschooling children. Rather, many parents subscribe to different schools of thought regarding how best to teach their kids. Some use the traditional "School-at-Home" technique, as if they've simply brought the public school curriculum home for their kids. "Relaxed" homeschooling, on the other hand, allows a parent to focus on the subjects he or she believes are best for their child by using whichever textbooks, workbooks or materials he or she deems appropriate. "Unschooling," on the other hand, is the practice of letting your kids teach themselves, but this method is problematic when your kids take assessment tests or reenter the school system.
Consider the social implications - The biggest arguments against homeschooling revolve around the idea that because your child is not socializing with groups of kids her age, she will become a social outcast later in life. This argument has its merits and pitfalls, however. While it is certainly true that removing socializing agents like peer groups and teachers will affect their development, it is not necessarily true that it will do so in a negative way. Homeschooled kids potentially interact with kids of various ages, helping to teach the younger ones and being taught by the older ones. Also, by keeping them out of public schools you control what information they learn. In this sense, you don't have to worry about your daughter finding out about the birds and the bees from some punk three grades above her. It's essentially a "lesser-of-two-evils" consideration, and you have to determine that answer for yourself. Whether you homeschool or not, take your kids to experience new things and meet different types of people.

Homeschooling your children can be a rewarding and enriching experience. By doing so you get to rediscover the things you learned as a child, see things for the first time through your child's eyes, and take delight in the knowledge that you're taking your child's education into your own hands. It can be tough at times, but there are thousands of helpful articles out there that can get you through the rough patches. And if those don't work, give your kids a snow day. You can always come back to it later.

How to Help Your Child Deal with Bullies

tony — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:36:28 -0700

Do you remember hearing Arnold on "Diff'rent Strokes" talk about the bully at his school? Remember the name of that bully? If you said, "The Gooch," give yourself a pat on the back and start getting out more. Unfortunately, bullying is still a huge thing that children deal with at school. What's even worse is that "cyber-bullying" is starting to be a major problem for school-aged kids, too. They can't even come home to get away from the school bully anymore! And though you may have dealt with a bully when you were a kid, the whole idea of "cyber-bullying" is likely something you haven't experienced yet. If your child is being intimidated, taunted, or threatened by any type of bully - either in person or online - here are some ways to help your child deal with the situation is a productive way.

Open the lines of communication - Your child might be embarrassed about being bullied at school. If you were being bullied, you'd be embarrassed, too. But make sure your child knows he can come to you for support and advice. If they don't feel comfortable coming to their dad, they might take more drastic measures, like find a weapon to stop the bully. On the other hand, your child might simply let the bully beat him up because they have no alternative.
Help your child make friends - Bullies tend to pick on kids that stand out because they are alone. They tend to stay away from groups of friends who can fight back. The more friends your child has around, the less likely a bully will be to pick on him.
Contact the school - Teachers and school administrators have a great deal of experience dealing with bullies. In fact, many districts even have seminars and other meetings to learn how to most effectively deal with these situations. At the first sign of bullying, contact your child's teacher and ask them how it should be handled. They might be able to "nip it in the bud" without you even needing to do anything.
Find self-defense classes for your child - Bullies can strike at a moment's notice. They don't always work by intimidating kids for weeks and picking on them. Sometimes they just want to fight. But enrolling your child in karate classes or other self-defense courses equips them with the discipline and skills needed to handle a bullying situation themselves. In addition to that, it also instills a sense of self-esteem that children will carry with them through adolescence and beyond.
Teach your child to be assertive - Bullies tend to target the children who seem weak or the ones that won't stand up for themselves. We've all know that bullies have low self-esteem and that's why they pick on others - so they feel better. When children show assertiveness, though, bullies tend to back down.

In the event of "cyber-bullying," you can use different tactics for dealing with and protecting your child from them. Consider these tips when your child feels like they are being bullied in the virtual world.

Teach your child to ignore potential bullies - Many instances of cyber-bullying can be stopped and dealt with if they are caught in time. Unfortunately, dads usually find out about the problem when it has gone too far. Teach your child to avoid responding to insulting or intimidating messages from bullies online. By responding, the bully just gets the attention and validation that they need to continue their rampage.
Monitor your child's Internet usage - This doesn't mean to look over their shoulder every second that they're online. But if you put the computer in a common area where you can walk by and see what they're doing, you can get a better idea about their online habits.
Keep records - If a cyber bully starts contacting your child, keep records of the emails and other information that might be helpful. These cases sometimes come to court for a variety of reasons. The more information you have, the higher possibility you'll have of prosecuting the bully if it comes to that.

Whether your child is being bullied at school or online, it can be a damaging experience to their health and self-esteem. That's why it's so important to help them deal with either situation productively and effectively. At the first sign of any type of bullying, take action. If it goes too far, it might just be too late.