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I like the idea of year round schooling, so there isn't such a large break over summer. I think kids forget some of what they learned over summer, and as a parent, I have to figure out a way to keep them busy all summer long. I think shorter, more frequent breaks are more manageable. And you can take family vacations at a different time of year than just summer.

I like the idea, in theory, but only we have so many months of nice weather so I would want the kids to be in summer camp! They're outside all day and I think it's great.

As a few others have already mentioned (@KayKay: @Mrs. Lion:), I live in an area with year-round schools and there are "track-out" camps and the like to help working parents with the childcare burden. Accounts vary but I've also heard that year-round schools are more helpful for low-SES kids who may experience food insecurity or the summer "brain drain" bc the breaks from school are shorter in duration. Personally, I won't send my child(ren) to a year-round school bc I work in academia and the summers are much slower, so I want to be able to take advantage of that flexibility.

England essentially does year round school and I think it is AMAZING! We are basically on a six weeks on, one week off, six weeks on, two weeks off, and repeat schedule until summer break, which is a six week holiday. It's perfect. We have three terms (autumn, spring, and summer) and each term has a one week half term break, which we're currently on right now, and then a two week break at the end of the term. The term ends at Christmas and Easter so the six week schedule doesn't always work out exactly, but it's pretty close.

School starts in early September, half term break is late October, term break at Christmas. Resumes in January with half term in Feb, and term break at Easter. Final term starts after Easter with half term in May and school ending in mid-July for the six week summer holidays.

As a former teacher from the US, having taught in a traditional calendar school, and a school with the shortened summer and more frequent breaks, albeit not quite year round, I can say with certainty I preferred the more frequent breaks, rather than longer breaks! Going from January until June with only one week for spring break is absolute hell for the teachers and the kids. And the amount kids lose over a three month summer holiday is appalling. We spent most of the first quarter just catching up on what they should have learned the year before - no thank you.

I've always been a massive fan of this school schedule as I think it prevents burn out from the kids and the staff as you always know you're only a few weeks from a break - and not just a three day weekend break, but a proper, recharge your batteries kind of break!

I love the idea of year round school. In this day and age, the summer break is obsolete and I think if we keep doing more of the same, American kids are going to continue to lag behind students in other countries.

Summer isn't the only game in town, there are a ton of options for kids in the winter, such as ski school, which I think has already been mentioned in this thread.

This is how Australian schools are. School starts in the end of January, the average term is 10 weeks with 2 weeks holiday. There are 4 terms, with 6 weeks break over December/ January (our summer).

I've always thought it worked great!

The school I went to was more a a pilot program and from what I remember was the only year round school in the district. But the school itself did provide camps, especially since different classes had different schedules so the school was still open,, although I have no idea how much it cost.

As for weather this was I. Southern California so that was never really an issue.

@Autumnmama79: I agree with you. My son isn't in school yet, but I think kids need extended down time to explore and relax. The school year has become so scheduled and hectic...having a long summer break is beneficial.

I also am a teacher and by the end of June both teachers and students are just done. Everyone benefits from having the summer to recharge.

In the NE, schools would have the daunting expense of having to install A/C in schools to endure the summer heat. Districts would have to spend money in professional development and scheduling to adjust curriculum to these 9 week sessions-3 weeks off. I also wonder how badly the camp industry would suffer if the academic schedule changed.

@iheartleopardprint: I'm in New Zealand and we do a pretty similar schedule. Four terms of ten weeks, two weeks off in between terms then six-ish weeks of summer holidays in December / January.

My last three years of high school were on a year-round schedule and I loved it! We started school the first week of August, got two weeks off in October, two weeks in December/January, two weeks in March, and were out for six weeks in June/July. It was great! They have moved back to a more traditional schedule now.

If there were an option here for year round school, I would be ALL for it. As it is, our kids really only get 10 weeks, if that, in the summer. They go until June 25 or so and start right up after Labor Day. And while I agree that summer can be for making memories, in the poorer parts of the city, summer is when a lot of kids go hungry (no free lunch) and get in trouble ( nothing to do if they can't afford camp/parents work). I would love 6 weeks off for the summer and lots of extra outside recess time during the day. Then I think it would be great!

Really, I think work should adopt a school schedule so we can have Summer's off but really...no idea what we'll do in the summer. 80% of parents work. Summer's will be so stressful to find good care

Our district had year round for a whirl so I went to school both ways. Pros: vacations at non-peak times for Disneyland, etc., lots of frewuent breaks, breaks don't get too long. Cons: starting the school year in July. Not having the same schedule as other districts nearby.

I really liked it as a student and my mom and sister both liked teaching in it. It'll you would need to rely on outside care I see some challenges, but other than that it's kinda cool.

As an educator, I think realistically the American public does not want to pay for additional days and hours to keep schools open and keep paying teachers. I just don't see our society suddenly saying, yes let's raise all our property taxes and federal taxes to pay teachers their daily rate for another month or two each year--not to mention all the electricity, maintenance, other staffing.

Not happening.

Living in Canada I have to say I really enjoyed having the summers off! It was our time to learn about nature and play outside. We often went up north to cottages etc... I wouldn't want more time off in the winter, we were already gong stir crazy over Christmas break.

@Ree723: i was responding to pps that were talking about more days innthe school year, saying the US had fewer fays than other countries. I've worked in 4 districts in Texas and NJ and we had a daily rate of pay in every district...even though we are salaried, there's a daily rate because districts have to know that for when a teacher is docked their pay.

Also in all the schools I've worked, they kept a.c. and lights on in the front office and off in the rest of the school. Teachers arent allowed to go work on classrooms until the school is reopened and a.c. is on the week before school starts. I've actually never heard of a school cooling and lighting a while school for just the front office staff. Maybe its only a Chicago thing.

@Anagram: I agree, but I think the issue (at least where I live) is more funding the pension plan, than it is the current operating costs. If the pension were to be eliminated, we could absoultely fund an increased school year and make necessary upgrades to the buildings to support it. We say we want to invest in the kids, but in the end, we don't.

I know this is a hot topic, but when teachers are making between 90-120 per year, just as people are in the private sector with no pension, it's hard to argue that pensions should be maintained as they are.

@Mrs. Lion: I don't want to give the exact location for security, but it's outside the NYC area.

Don't get too excited though, COL is quite high, which makes up for the differences. But the point is, if a teachers salary is the same as what it is in the private sector where there are no pensions and you have to save for it all on your own, does the pension for teachers make sense any more? But, not the point of this thread.