At this time, only fifteen schools in Iowa utilize the year-round schooling system. Yet, across the country, 41 states and over two million students do. Why is Iowa so slow to catch up? Unlike the updated year-round program, traditional style, what Pleasant Valley and several other Iowa schools are using, traces back to the agricultural movement of America. In other words, this system is outdated. However, year-round schooling brings much more to the table other than the fact it is “updated.”
Year-round schooling encompasses 180 days into the year, as some may misunderstand. There should be no worry that students wouldn’t get the same amount of classtime or learning material as the traditional program would. Studies also show the first month of school for teachers is spent getting students back into the groove after a very long summer of forgetfulness. Science teacher, David Kissack, agrees, “There is research out there stating how much kids lose over the summer.” With the year-round system, this would not be an issue due to a shorter summer with many more breaks throughout the year. These breaks take place every 7-9 weeks, and therefore, students get more chances to lift that weight off their shoulders.
These breaks must call for a get-away, right? Now vacations can be made easier and more affordable for families. They do not have to travel just during the summer months or spring break when prices become very high. Thus, year-round schooling makes for a more flexible schedule. This flexibility also applies to students who may struggle with school or need a tutor. Summer school would not be necessary anymore, but instead the breaks would be used for remediation and catching up. These students would not have to wait months to get back on track with the rest of their classmates; the stress level would go down.
Speaking of stress, Pleasant Valley promotes the idea of excellence in all capacities. Although this is a great motto, it isn’t uncommon to find students trying extremely hard to live up to these standards. Late nights, hours of studying, and early morning coffee runs are the usual. Renata Hyrman, from Spul’u’kwuks schools in Richmond, Virginia, gathered, “70 percent of long- and short-term sick leaves are stress related. ” “That is the reason that the balanced calendar should be everywhere,” says Hyrman. Balanced calendar is another term for year-round schooling. This can easily apply to Pleasant Valley, as several students go home sick each day. If year-round schooling was offered at PV, students would have enough time for rejuvenation. Many students need this and are lacking the energy to get through nine continuous months of school. Pam Cinadr, school nurse, states, “The number of kids who leave sick or are absent increases significantly as we get closer to the end of each quarter. Year-round schooling could decrease the stress I see here on a daily basis.” Instead of dreading these long months, students could be looking forward to that light at the end of the tunnel – a break.
Due to these reasons, year-round schooling would make for a happy, successful experience at school for everyone. Iowa needs to at least consider implementing a year-round system across the state and ridding of the outdated, long, and stressful traditional style.
