Year round schools?

[Michael Boo]

...I second the usage motion. Check my post, Mike (sticks chest out)...*both*! And, if I may, usage is less a riddle than being literate... ;-D

cg

I'm sure Blue Coats would agree with you.

[soccerguy315]

high school students struggle when they haven't mastered the basics. Spending more time on fundamentals might help, but then only the younger children should have school extended. Perhaps 1-5 or 1-6 (depending on what grade middle school starts). High school students would not need more time, would not be required to spend more time in school, and thus drum corps would be saved. yay

[LegalEagle50]

Indeed, there will be no effect on World Class drum corps. There would, however, be issues on a local level...of course, *that* could affect any number of existing groups. And *those* groups will no doubt be in the Open Class.

cg

In the northeast, no, it would have an affect on all corps. If schools were to go to the end of July, instead of the end of June, where would any corps have housing for a show?

[SF2K4]

The year is plenty long as it is. Stop focusing on standardized tests and graduation rates and simply teach the material. Quite frankly, schools that pander to the weakest links hurt the stronger ones. I'm in no way saying let's leave anyone behind; however, we shouldn't keep stopping the car for people to get on, we should just drive a little slower and make them run to jump on.

[CrownStarr]

In the northeast, no, it would have an affect on all corps. If schools were to go to the end of July, instead of the end of June, where would any corps have housing for a show?

Agreed, it definitely varies depending on the region you're talking about. My schools in VA generally got out around the first or second week of June and started up again in the last week or so of August, aka right on the border of the drum corps season, or overlapping depending on how soon the corps start Spring Training and how lucky the kid is at getting assignments finished off early.

I wasn't very lucky the summer of 09, which was the summer after my senior year of high school. I was in and out a lot trying to finish up my school responsibilities and get through spring training. It was hard to keep up at times, and I imagine it would have been an order of magnitude worse if I'd had to be out there playing catchup on learning drill too.

[Michael Boo]

While I understand the need for more education to either take place in an extended school year (or more effective education in a school year with the summer off), I firmly believe that there is much more to learning than what finds in the classroom.

My parents were really big on taking me on weekend excursions. I learned a lot about the geography of the midwest from those trips and we covered every direction from our Chicago suburb. (For example, we visited Mammoth cave in Missouri, the iron ore mines in Minnesota, Mackinaw Island in Michigan, the Wisconsin Dells and Madison, the Palisades along the Mississippi River in Illinois, ice floes on the rivers in Iowa...the list goes on and on.) These excursions helped sharpen my inquisitiveness and my lifelong desire to learn from travel. This became further manifested in my travels with drum corps.

I've always believed travel is one of the most edifying things someone can do.

As for drum corps and education...I've talked to way too many marchers and parents to believe other from what I'm going to state here. As happened in my own case, those who march in drum corps find they have little time to just waste on things outside of their studies. Drum corps forces them to become more efficient at studying and keeping up their grades. My grades went up the less time I had to do nothing. Drum corps provides members with increased focus. No kid wants to hear from their parents that if their grades fall, they have to drop drum corps. If a kid is doing poorly in school, they NEED drum corps!

[chaos001]

I'm a huge fan of Malcolm Gladwell, and he makes a point (citing research) in his book Outliers about summer vacation - it's a bad thing.

Parents who are wealthy (or comfortable) tend to be in the lives of their children more, and parents who are poor tend to not be. There are, of course, exceptions, but this is a general rule. In wealthy homes, kids spending the summer at home doesn't have a detrimental effect - those parents nourish their children's brains over the summer. But in poorer homes, kids don't have that summer support. They regress after three months of hanging out.

As a college faculty member, I see it every fall. Students often forget material from prerequisites taken the previous spring, though they often gain different knowledge in the form of summer classes or internships.

I'd love to see another month of classes, especially in junior high and less - drum corps be danged.

The biggest predictors of success for any child's education are that of their parents' wealth and education level. Making education a priority in the US will require a change in culture.

I'm not against giving students a rigorous, intensive education through 8th grade and then testing into trade/vocational schools or university track high schools.

As far as drum corps goes, it would probably isolate the community even more with less students able to participate. It would be an almost college-aged exclusive activity.

Edited September 28, 2010 by chaos001

[elphaba01]

News story found here.

Discuss, debate, be ######, be encouraged, be something.

This is going to effect drum corps more IMO than the G7/World Series of Drum Corps will.

"Race to the Top":

Anytime you have POLITICIANS, and MONEY involved in ANYTHING, very little good will come of it. We are already experiencing the "Impact" of RTTT in our state and district. They are wanting a "Freshman Academy" of two weeks duration PRIOR to the start of school.

This will destroy the "Band Camps" that the competing MB's have to prepare for their seasons in USSBA & Cavalcade. I can just imagine what this "Change You Can Believe In" will do to drum corps.

I see no good what so ever comming from all of this, for drum corps, marching band or "Education".

Elphaba

WWW

[AlanAndreasen]

As for drum corps and education...I've talked to way too many marchers and parents to believe other from what I'm going to state here. As happened in my own case, those who march in drum corps find they have little time to just waste on things outside of their studies. Drum corps forces them to become more efficient at studying and keeping up their grades. My grades went up the less time I had to do nothing. Drum corps provides members with increased focus. No kid wants to hear from their parents that if their grades fall, they have to drop drum corps. If a kid is doing poorly in school, they NEED drum corps!

I've seen this as a staff member so many times and have heard this from so many parents but until you see this happen with your own child you don't really get it. My son began this summer not really giving a s### about anything except for eating and sleeping. Drum corps allowed him to mature, to become focused, and truly happy. And before you blame parenting he lives with his mom who is a wonderful mother and a brother and sister who are amazingly conscientious.

[HockeyDad]

(For example, we visited Mammoth cave in Missouri, the iron ore mines in Minnesota, Mackinaw Island in Michigan, the Wisconsin Dells and Madison, the Palisades along the Mississippi River in Illinois, ice floes on the rivers in Iowa...the list goes on and on.)

Hey Mr. defender of the English language (affect/effect)......... It's MACKINAC Island.