The Future of Educating Students in Michigan

As we continue planning for the 2006-07 school year, we are faced with something we haven't faced in mid-Michigan in many years: the post-Labor Day start. Just a few years ago, we were beginning school in the middle of August, all in hopes of increasing the number of student days because the more contact time with students, the better they will perform (research suggests this).

As we contemplate this development, based on Michigan's tourism industry, we have to realize that the pre-Memorial Day ending date is immanent. Basically, we will go from the Tuesday after Labor Day to the Thursday before Memorial Day in Michigan. Providing for a week of staff development and meetings the week before Labor Day, and different days during the year, e.g. teacher work day during the semester transition, a day for conferences, a day off for Deer Safety Day, and the normal "vacations," you're looking at 170 days of education for students.

This -- in the era of leaving no children behind. What happened to the "fad" to look into "year-round schooling" ? This is similar to block scheduling and other movements that were supposed to revolutionize education. I'll be writing more about this as time goes on. Education is at a point where it needs to consider changing RADICALLY. How would that happen? What would that look like?

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