Home»Transition to 9-month school calendar has challenges
Transition to 9-month school calendar has challenges
Page Last Updated: Thursday June 17, 2010 5:55pm PDT
Several dozen school teachers in Clark County are preparing to transition their students from a year-round program to a nine-month calendar.
The district made the move to cut costs.
This is the last summer Clark County students will brave the heat for year-round school. The new school year will start August 30th and end June 2nd.
“There are some who are used to the schedule and I’m used to it also,” says teacher Tara Suciu. “But I’m just looking forward to that change.”
Suciu teachers 4th grade at Squires Elementary. She’s looking forward to the consistency of a nine-month calendar but is worried about contracted teachers who will be forced to take a pay cut and student teachers – many from UNLV – who use the summer to get experience.
“Right now we have six or seven student teachers here for the summer term. And with going on a nine-month schedule, they will no longer be able to work with us.”
Since the start of this year, Clark County had 76 year-round schools. Moving those schools to a nine-month calendar will save the district $14 million. Right now, they’re trying to cut $30 million from the budget.
“We just have to do our part and live with the funds that we have,” Squired principal Marcie McDonald explains.
McDonald has accepted the harsh economic reality. This year she had to lay off five teachers. She’s worried about students falling behind academically because of the summer gap, especially students who are learning English.
92 percent of her student body is Hispanic and 68 percent are in the English Language Learner program.
“Our little ones are learning language. They go home and listen to their primary language of their home for three months, come back, and having not used English for three months – that poses another concern or problem.”
She’ll also be coping with a larger student body this fall. The challenges are many but McDonald and her teachers are focused on the job: educating young children using fewer resources.
According to a school district survey, 86 percent of parents are in favor of replacing the 12-month school year with the more traditional calendar.
COMMENTS
I agree with the Carrie T. My children are receiving a below average education while I pay taxes to fund the schools. I feel no empathy for those student who have English as a second language issues. Our school district should not have the financial burden either. If those parents whose children have english as a second language want to get their children assistance they should pay for an after school program. Just like I am going to have to pay to place my child in a private school. We need to focus on funding reading, writing, and mathematics so that our children have the best chance possible in a very tough world out there.
Forget being PC. We need to fight for our children's futures.
We have to learn more from our kids , they don't care if their classmates and friends have english like first or second language.....and we don't have teach them to be racists....please like parents we have to be model to our kids...stop this commentaries so disgustings.
We are very concerned about our children futures, and they are blessed to be learning two languages, that is to be concerned, wake up, America was made from immigrants, from Mexico or whatever country
PS. I'm not mexican , but for these people who writes these commentaries, just believes that in America are just two countries, USA and Mexico.... thanks
It is not about being racist: no one is saying Hispanics are inferior. It is about where the tax money is going and where it should be going. I am filing out papers for school right now, and I wonder how much it cost to print it all in Spanish also. Those of you that say "Everyone should be able to read it" -yes they should. So either we print them in all the languages, (we never hear about this argument with Asian languages) or we print them in the language of this nation. When you are at a store and they make an announcement in Spanish, do you ever wonder why you never hear it in Korean, French, Chinese or Japanese too? So we are teaching our kids to only be tolerant of Mexicans, not the French, Japanese, Russians, or any of a number of citizens of OTHER countries. Would you move to Argentina and expect everyone around you to speak English to accommodate you? Ridiculous wast of money.
It costs the tax payers about $10,000 per year per student to attend the worst school system in the nation. It costs me $6,000 a year to send my kid to a private school where kids are 2 grade levels ahead of public school students and their focus to create a student body of leaders. Go figure!
Parents who fail to teach their children to speak English should be required to pay for private tutoring. It shouldn't be a burden on the school system. It would create employment for tutors and private teachers. Can't afford it? Then find a charity or don't make anchor babies.
This has nothing to do with racism. I hate when people try and make it that to get what they want. It is about numbers. When you only have ten dollars in the checking account you buy the neccessities to make the most cost effective meals to feed your family. You cut everything else out. We are at that point in our school district. Budgets are lean.
Can you imagine telling your potential employer that you wanted them to give you all your work in french or teach you english...... They would just hire someone else. This is called entitlement. A disease that is everywhere in our country that has no race/gender/age bias. Immigration is a wonderful thing. Do it the way our ancestors did. They worked harder, longer, and better then those around them so that they would succeed.
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CARRIE T.
June 17, 2010 4:20pm PDT
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Sorry, most of those speaking Spanish have parents who are here illegally and yet, we as citizens, must bear the burden of teaching their kids to speak English. Sorry, send them packing with the kids back to Mexico. We are not responsible for educating their children. That alone would save millions of dollars in every aspect of life. No more double lanuage on everything you look at, no more "press 1 if you speak English." Sorry, no sympathy from this tax paying citizen. I don't give one rat's behind if they have challenges. Not America's responsibility. Since they seem to waive that flat of Mexico at every march they have - please head on back. True Americans are sick of paying for you and every kid you pop out. Take a hike and make it quick.