Jump to content

President suggests longer school sessions for students


Recommended Posts

President Obama suggests students need to stay in school longer.

Much research has showed that American students are falling behind their counterparts around the world. Are longer school days or longer semesters the answer? The reason I'm asking this is due to the first paragraph in this article. If summer vacations are shortened, what impact (if any) could that have on our activity?

Some other questions:

1) Do you agree students should spend more time in school?

2) How about if that affects drum corps?

3) If longer school terms became the norm, would drum corps essentially become more of a college student activity?

4) Is this something we need to be concerned about, or is it premature to assume it would/could happen?

While this is a suggestion/proposal by a political office holder, please, let's not let this thread turn political, because it would get closed.

I'm mostly wondering what we should anticipate in case this becomes the norm.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 92
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

First instinct says that it would make junior corps even more of a college-age activity. It would also make getting housing sites at schools harder since they'd still be in session in parts of the country. Granted there are other venues (churches, local Y's, etc).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First instinct says that it would make junior corps even more of a college-age activity.

agree. it would hurt a high school students chances to participate. it's tough enough for many already with move in's starting in May

Link to comment
Share on other sites

unless he also proposes a way to PAY for students to go to school longer, this is a non issue.

1. No. Time during the school day is not spent productively. Bad teachers should be fired.

2. Students should not spend more time in school.

3. Yes, and we would quickly be out 5-10 corps, probably. Down to everyone makes the top 12, yay.

4. see first sentence.

Students are not falling behind their counterparts because they aren't in school enough. They are falling behind because bad teachers keep their jobs. Because students are rewarded for effort rather than outcome. Because the standards are too low. Raise the standards and students will meet them. It is unacceptable that there are middle school kids who do not know their multiplication tables. They have should have never progressed beyond 3rd grade. Less students should go to college (the US 6 year graduation rate is terrible) and more should go to trade / technical school. Our students are behind because our system is terrible. Going to school for longer in a terrible system will do nothing to fix the problem.

Edited by soccerguy315
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doesn't matter how long we keep them school if we aren't teaching them the right things (AND I AM NOT BLAMING THE TEACHERS (well some are pretty awful... but a lot of it has to do with what they are being forced to teach))

And if this does happen drum corps would have to become more of a college activity... we would also see a lot less corps.

or

Maybe corps will move to Open class where they will have a shorter season where high school age kids can march.

Is this an issue we should be worried about right now? I don't know. I'll keep an ear/eye out for it... and I'm sure I'll talk about it more tomorrow in my Democracy and Education class....

hmmm, interesting though, how this could effect DCI... interested to see what people say.

Edited by kickhaltsforlife
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Students are not falling behind their counterparts because they aren't in school enough. They are falling behind because bad teachers keep their jobs. Because students are rewarded for effort rather than outcome. Because the standards are too low. Raise the standards and students will meet them. It is unacceptable that there are middle school kids who do not know their multiplication tables. They have should have never progressed beyond 3rd grade. Less students should go to college (the US 6 year graduation rate is terrible) and more should go to trade / technical school. Our students are behind because our system is terrible. Going to school for longer in a terrible system will do nothing to fix the problem.

You make some good points, but I would suggest the #1 reason for our students falling behind (be a wide margin) is:

crappy parenting.

Too many parents want to be their kid's friend instead of being the adult. Also, if a parent doesn't care much about a student getting homework done, and isn't willing to be involved (living in a large city and having several friends who are teachers, I know this is a big problem), then LITTLE TO NOTHING that happens at school is going to make much difference.

Show me a good school, and I'll show you parents that are involved and supportive of their kid's education.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

unless he also proposes a way to PAY for students to go to school longer, this is a non issue.

1. No. Time during the school day is not spent productively. Bad teachers should be fired.

2. Students should not spend more time in school.

3. Yes, and we would quickly be out 5-10 corps, probably. Down to everyone makes the top 12, yay.

4. see first sentence.

Students are not falling behind their counterparts because they aren't in school enough. They are falling behind because bad teachers keep their jobs. Because students are rewarded for effort rather than outcome. Because the standards are too low. Raise the standards and students will meet them. It is unacceptable that there are middle school kids who do not know their multiplication tables. They have should have never progressed beyond 3rd grade. Less students should go to college (the US 6 year graduation rate is terrible) and more should go to trade / technical school. Our students are behind because our system is terrible. Going to school for longer in a terrible system will do nothing to fix the problem.

Agreed.

Less than a quarter of the students from Detroit will graduate (fact). Staying in school longer won't help that at all. Corruption and government funding are two of the biggest problems, at least in Michigan, and that's getting worse rather than better. Besides middle schoolers who don't know multiplication there are students in high school who are barely literate and struggle with the simplest of reading.

First thing I thought when I saw this was good thing it won't be an issue for me but someone made a good point about housing being a problem if schools are always in session.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ha... I was just going to post something, but it was all politics... we need a current events forum :tongue:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I say if you're gonna extend anything, don't add more days. Instead, just make the school days we already have longer. It doesn't even have to be by much. Extend each class by 15 or 20 minutes.

On the other hand, getting better teachers would probably help more than adding time would. I think both are good ideas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You know what I would say to him saying we are falling behind our counterparts? Watch an American drum corps, then watch an international drum corps

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...