How do you feel about year-round school? It seemed to be gaining momentum until the pandemic and now I rarely hear about it. I wouldn't mind it actually - there are still plenty of long breaks built into the school year. Thoughts?

I currently teach at a year round elementary school (go 9 weeks - 3 weeks off summer 4 for teachers 6 for kids). No other school in the district is year round ( when they go to middle or high it’s back to traditional calendar). I love it and could not see myself enjoying a traditional calendar again. The breaks fall right as burn out starts to set in. Kids that need it can be invited to extended learning ( that’s one week half days of the 3 week break - except for summer they can go to traditional summer school- teachers can choose to work it for extra pay). It feels a little odd when I go back in July but when the end of September rolls around and my 3 week break starts it’s wonderful. I highly recommend it. Going from traditional to year round the first year is hard because you do get a little cheated on the summer break since you didn’t have the 3 week breaks the year before.

Part of me wants to say you can pry summer vacation from my hands, however in theory I could see year round school becoming something. It would help prevent so much knowledge loss over the long summer, think it would be really hard for people and us, to get used to.

I think it is necessary and would be great- especially for our special education students. Continuity, consistency, and better learning outcomes, I would imagine. ESY is a joke in my district. Kids who would benefit don’t qualify unless there is “substantial” regression. And that is subjective. There are still plenty of breaks- and it might be better for everyone’s mental health to have more frequent breaks.

Several of our elem. schools tried it years ago. The first year I liked it but not after that. One of the reasons I got into education was to be off when my kids were. They didn’t do year round at their campus. No schools in our district do it now.

I feel like I’d love it! Knowing myself I would complain sooooo much at first lol! I feel like the first week of summer vacation is such a waste because the sudden change from 100 to 0 is kind of jarring. It also takes me sooooo long to finally feel like I’m back in the swing of things at the start of the year.

Some schools in Tennessee were doing year around school terms. Everyone i talked to liked it because the year seemed more broken up into smaller bites.

I think a middle approach would work best-something like four day weeks in the summer with the last two weeks off in August or something so it’s a slower winding down and students can feel they still have a some summer to themselves

I would love it, when my own kids graduate. But not having your own children on the same schedule would be difficult. I would love having more shorter breaks. Traveling at off peak times would be amazing.

How does the graduation and n promotions work? For example when do students move on to the next grade or graduate from High School?