Arne Duncan visited Philadelphia today and like the failed Educational Management Organizations whom we wasted over 120 million taxpayer dollars on, he promoted a one size fits all plan to fix education.
One aspect of his plan is to make school year round. I don't know about others, but from 10th grade on I worked after school and summers, knowing that my full time summer money was spending money when I got college. I expect for many in Philadelphia these funds are even more necessary than they were for me. Duncan's fix it may actually result in fewer people being financially prepared to attend college.
Sorry Arne, yours' is not the plan we need.
Use the summers off as incentive. Those who need it go, those who don't can work and earn money. As a teacher I tell my kids you learn more, you earn more. This is an opportunity to back it up.
One learns so much on their first full time job about work ethic, teamwork, responsibility, and even office politics. This is a rite of growing up and should not be lost to the majority of students who are successful.
Arne, we're talking people here not hamburgers. It's not like it so easy even Chris Whittle can do it?