Reader comments
Target year-round school programs advance in committee

My congratulations to the legislature for finally getting a good idea that increases teacher salaries and utilizes the buildings year-round. Teachers need an increase in salary, but they need to be on the job and paid year-round instead of just on the job during the traditional school year. More projects like this would get my vote to get the teachers increase in pay they desperately deserve.

By the way, where is the state going to get the budget to air condition all of the schools if they start running more summer programs????

I have 2 kids in Jordan school district that are year around. All it does is help ease building shortages. The teachers go off track with the kids, so they still are not working a full year.

If they try to make me work year round for the same salary I can get working in another state, I'll be working in the other state.

There is NO WAY I could take teaching all year round. My mind already never shuts off for 9 months of the year with all the planning I have to do. Working with 200 or so 13 year old kids all year round will drive me from the profession.

I've been doing it for 16 years now and my students achieve some of the top scores in the state. I know what it takes to get them there. I couldn't do it year round. I'd go crazy.

I use the summer to learn, relax, and enjoy my own kids. I spend an average of 9 - 10 hours a day at school right now.

I don't want to sound ungrateful for the legislators trying new ideas but this is a bad one. I asked every science teacher at my school how they felt. They all agreed. If we go year round, we leave.

That would be unfortunate.

I feel year round school would be great. I taught it for 3 years in Granite School District and was very upset when they did away with it. My classes were small and I did not have to look for a summer job.
I now have 45 students in each class and struggle to teach all these students. I also struggle through the summer finding a job that will only hire me for 3 months. Year round school would take care of a great deal of the problems.

What I am learning is that the impact of year-round schooling is different for elementary and secondary schools.

I have spoken to the custodial staffs of year-round and traditional schools; they prefer traditional scheduling so that they are able to take care of the deep cleaning of carpets, walls, floors, etc. Year-round scheduling does not allow for this.

Most of our schools are already being used year-round, even the ones without air conditioning: summer school, and professional development. These buildings are not sitting idle for three months. In addition, the increase required for the installation of air conditioning would much more than the perceived savings of year-round schooling for all grade levels.

Most teachers and students are not not sitting idle, either. They are taking classes or working. I grew up in a low-income family, it was essential that I work during the summer months so that I could pay for school fees, etc during the school year.

Before throwing out generalizations about idle schools, students, and teachers, our governor and legislators need to look at all perspectives, and consider all the consequences.