The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
Summer school programs attended by 5,100 elementary and middle school students in 2007 will be eliminated next year, and high school students will see summer school tuition increase beginning this year.
The administration presented the School Board with a plan that would cut remedial elementary school summer programs in language arts and math. That same plan, presented earlier this month, also would stop summer make-up courses for middle school students who failed a class.
Instead of the summer offerings, the plan would increase school-day study time for lagging middle schoolers and increase tutoring before and after school for elementary and middle-school students.
“This model works,” Goldie Pettaway, a teacher at Brandon Middle School, told the board Tuesday night.
Christine Caskey, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said summer school won’t disappear altogether.
“This is the elimination of divisionwide summer school programs. Schools may still choose to offer it.”
She said she didn’t think the new plan would lead to more students being held back a grade.
“We hope it’ll have the opposite effect, to catch students before they fall behind,” she said.
However, it will still be possible for students to be left with a failing “E” on their report card. “If a kid fails, a kid fails,” she said.
The changes, along with higher tuition, more online classes and fewer instructional hours at the high school level, are expected to save the school division $3.8 million over three years.
Enrichment classes and special summer programs for English-language learners and special education students would not be affected. Middle school summer programs Step Up to Math and Strategic Reading and high school SOL and SAT prep courses also would remain.
On Tuesday, the board approved the changes to the high school program, including tuition increases to as much as $500. Board members Rita Sweet Bellitto, Todd Davidson, Pat Edmonson, Sandra Smith-Jones and Michael Stewart voted against raising tuition.
Board action will not be required to make the changes at the middle and elementary levels.
Lauren Roth, (757) 222-5133, lauren.roth@pilotonline.com
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More than just catching up
There are other reasons other than catching up. There are also hard working students who go to summer school to take classes to learn more. I am planning on taking Algebra 2/Trig this summer so I can take AP Statistics next year. The raise in tuition is not fair to those who use summer school to get ahead. Inflation is understandable but going from $260 to $500 does not sound like well though plan. There are many scenarios that this will increase the number of students who are left behind. For example, if a student were to have extra classes that they failed in, they would need to catch up on the failed classes and their current classes. So they would be learning algebra and geometry at the same time. They would be falling behind more and more because they would lack the basis of higher level classes. That is why summer school should be more affordable and not $500. Saying "If they fail, they fail" says that the system does not care if student is behind or not. Education should not be unaffordable to anyone.
I thought no student was to be left behind???
I am appalled that the Virginia Beach School Board is even entertaining this concept. I have three children currently attending VBPS, and none of whom have ever required summer school. We have been fortunate. However, elimating the program for elementary and middle school students is irresponsible. Raising tuition for high school students may well increase drop out rates. And how can the Board justify a $130.00 to $260.00 increase in tuition for students whose families fall below the poverty level, those who receive FREE lunches? I thought the idea was that no child get left behind? Public education is meant to be accessible to all, not just to those who can afford it. It appears that the Board has decided many of our children are dead weight, and they have decided to leave them behind. As for Ms. Caskey's comment that if a "child fails, he fails"...Ms. Caskey is clearing failing to recognize her duty to the children in this city, and has instead decided to discard those who require the most help. This is unconscionable, and I am ashamed to be a graduate of VBPS.
No problem with driver's ed
Tarfu-I have no problem with kids taking driver's ed, quite the contrary! With the way so many adults drive in Hampton Roads, I don't think they should be passing their bad driving habits to their kids, LOL.
I just don't think taxpayer's dollars need to cover driver's ed. Insurance companies should encourage private driver's ed and promote an insurance discount for those who do take it.
Many details weren't included in the article
Check the first few pages of the School Board's meeting minutes from their 2/5/08 meeting for lots more details about the restructuring of the VBCPS summer school program:
http://www.vbschools.com/sb_pdf/011A.pdf
Summer school not just for goof offs
Great. Now the kid that had an illness that lasted over three weeks during the school term or had someone die and took some time dealing with it or even just simply had a move and took some time getting back in the swing will not make it.
Summer school classes often helped more than the kids goofing off. They taught all the same things just less in depth and at a much faster pace. Extra tutoring and after school time is not going to help a lot of these kids.
We were military and moved halfway through the school year frequently. It would take my kids time to settle back in. Invariably one subject somewhere was teaching at the end of the school year the same section of the curriculum that was taught at the last school at the beginning. When finals time came half of the curriculum was missing in their learning. Summer school made up for that.
schools eliminate summer remedial programs-PRICELESS
So lets see if I have this right. The schools are going to save a little over $1 Million per year at the cost of over 5000 students who are failing or marginally passing, and instead add more hours to their already long workday? And on top of this, they would most likely require more teachers to stay after school and arrive early for larger tutoring sessions, for little or no extra compensation? And of course the gem of a comment "If a kid fails, a kid fails". Did not the education system fail him at some point? What will be the long term cost of even 10% of these kids dropping out of school because they can't pass? I bet it's more than $1 Million per year!
So here's the math:
Summer School for those who truly need it: $1.3 Million per year "saved"
Increase in costs for busing, teachers, ancillary personnel, wear and tear of the schools, and loss of after school job revenue: Who knows?
Kids having to repeat a grade due to loss of summer programs: $7000 per student.
The kids dropping out and becoming a financial and physical burden on society: PRICELESS
Driver's ED
VBmom - wait until your kids get ready to drive and you see how much insurance will be for them without the discount for taking a driving course & then see if you are so willing to drop Driver's Ed. Yes it is an elective (like band, choir or art) and not everyone will or can (due to class size) take it.
Ok....
So does that mean you still can't goof off all year and fail, then go to summer school for two weeks and pass!?!?!?!
year round/balanced scheduled schools
Maybe VB should increase the amount of year-round schools they offer to inlude some middle and high schools. My kids attend a year-round elementary school here and, while the schedule takes some adjusting, ultimately they and their fellow students are benefiting hugely from more balanced learning time with several long breaks during the year. Plus, the Y/R program offers optional extra-learning time during those breaks to those kids who are falling behind in a subject. And for those kids who are excelling in a subject, they offer enrichment time as well.
There is more learning retention with a balanced-throughout-the-year-schedule.
As for the driver's ed classes, I have no problem with the school system elimnating it. Driver's ed is not an academic subject.
Summer School Programs
The superintendent probably cannot afford the programs after paying Jesse Jackson and his entourage. Jesse is very expensive as he spreads his racism and rhetoric of hate.