Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello, Year round school is a new concept for us. Can someone with experience talk about the pro's and con's? What type of kids do better in year round?
Lots of people prefer YR school because they are able to take vacations at off peak times and their kids don’t lose as much learning over a long summer break. You’ll usually do 9 weeks of school and 3 weeks off. The breaks depend on what track you are assigned to.
Most of the YR schools are in high growth areas, so usually places where lots of people are moving to and they are building new houses.
I loved YR schools when my son was in them. I had 4-5 times a year where I could do 1-2 week vacation trips, often times off-season. Disney World in October (or February)? No problem. Skiing in February? Yep. Head to the beach in the Summer (or early September if you are on certain tracks)? Not a problem. Spend time mid-week viewing Fall foliage in the NC mountains? Enjoy it.
We love YR for the same reason: better vacation prices, kids don't lose as much of what they learned, and we don't have to pay summer camp for 3 kids for the whole summer (i.e., we get to break it up a bit... lots easier on the budget).
Note that I think all of the high schools are traditional, so eventually you might have kids on different school calendars. Many have indicated that Tracks 1 and 4 line up best with traditional and don't cause much issue on that point.
Also, in my neighborhood at least, traditional seems more popular, such that it's harder to get a slot in the school you may want (and harder to find care for spring break, etc.).
If you have a kid with a summer sport that demands a lot of time (swim team, etc.), maybe traditional would be better.
I really think it's been a bit of a failure, I know some school districts have eliminated it completely and Wake County seems to be moving away from it, with many new schools being traditional. Maybe with construction starting to catch up, there won't be a need for it anymore.
Pros - off peak vacations, shorter breaks which can be helpful for students with attention issues.
Cons - scheduling can be tough, trying to sync up kids on a traditional calendar, eg high schools, private schools, charter, and relatives in other districts.
Some teachers don't like it because they never really get a proper break - their vacation time is mid school year so many parents still expect to be able to access them. Often teachers need to completely break down and set up their class room for every trackout. Also, reduces additional work opportunities such as teaching summer school.
I look forward to high school in a couple of years, and not having to deal with it anymore.
The wear and tear on the schools has also been a problem I believe, leading to more money spent on repairs. I also think the expected academic gains haven’t been borne out in studies, which either showed inconclusive to moderate gains that did not seem to stick.
I think it takes a special mindset from parents moreso than kids. Kids are remarkably adaptable. Parents are remarkably stubborn. I’m one of those stubborn parents to be honest. I remembered my childhood summers at the pool and riding around with friends and the thoughts of no summers and weird tracks unnerved me for my son. Luckily it was never an option we had to face as he has stuck to traditional schools.
The one con I will add (pretty much agree with what was been mentioned so far) is that when we were in year round for a couple of years before they switched the schools back to traditional, there were 8 classes in each grade, 2 per track. You were stuck with the same children in the same 2 classes each year. So if there were classmates your children didn't get along with, there was a higher chance you would be in their class (mixing the population over 2 classes instead of 8 classes). Similarly, if your child's best friend or neighbor was on a different track, they wouldn't be in the same class together. {Small issues compared to the other ones mentioned, and we absolutely loved going to the beach last week of September/1st week of October when water was warm, air was cooler, crowds were non-existent and prices were cheap.}
not a fan but unfortunately our school is yr. Wish my daughter was able to have a more traditional summer. We are track 1. Shudder to think what life is like for those parents on track 2 or 3. Weather is never good in March for vacation. September is hit or miss (thanks hurricanes). Most amusement parks other than Disney are closed except during the summer or offer reduced hours. Non-school activities (like dance, soccer, sunday school, y-guides) are still going on while you are tracked out. So you never really get a break. We do swim team in the summer. Fine for June but in July it is tough being at a swim meet until 10pm and then have school the next day. 3 weeks isn't enough time to decompress for a kid. School is constantly in use so never gets a deep clean. Kids still forgot stuff during their short breaks and review time has to be built in.
Some of my fondest memories growing up were summer vacations. Shame my daughter won't have the same experience.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Wife teaches
