This is just WRONG! Big vent

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I just got an e-mail of the meeting minutes from the last PTA meeting. The PTA has decided to have a summer literacy program. Fine. Whatever.

BUT it is MANDATORY. Each child will get a book according to grade level, and with the book there will be a WORKBOOK to be completed over the 10 weeks of summer. In addition there will be a major activity which also must be completed, and all of this is due the first day of school.

This is a PUBLIC school. The very SAME public school that theatened to fine me and take me to court for truancy violations for taking DS to Disney for 4 days in October. Excuse me? If I can't take my child on vacation during the year then we will go in the summer. There will NOT be mandatory homework over the summer. I am the parent and I will say how my child spends his time away from school. I am POSITIVE that the other elementaries in the district don't have this program because the other PTAs wouldn't have nearly as much money to spend on it.

I am so angry I can't see straight, and of course I read the stupid e-mail after everyone was gone for the day so I couldn't call the school. If they want to give every child a book, great. RIF already gives the kids a book twice a year, but that's still fine. If they want to have a companion workbook that's fine too. But how dare they dictate to me how my child will spend his time this summer? My ADD child who spends 3-5 hours on homework every night and is developing a raging hatred of school? DH and I keep promising DS that this school year is almost over, and come hell or high water he will NOT be doing some workbook all summer.

Do other public schools have MANDATORY summer work like this where the child won't have any choice? I do make DS read every day during the summer. He participates in the summer program at the library where he can CHOOSE the books he wants to read. For the rest of his time in school there will be assigned reading. I refuse to support mandatory summer work before he even gets to 5th grade.

There. Vent over.

 

[Cindyluwho]

I can't even imagine a program like this. I wish I had an answer for you, perhaps move to another school that better suits your child? Good luck and big hugs!

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Uh, sorry to break it to you, but this kind of thing happens all the time. It happened this past summer in a Plano school district. The SAME kind of summer project was given to the kids. Read the book, do the homework and bring it back when school starts. There were a BUNCH of kids SUSPENDED for not doing the required homework.

TOV

 

[beckmrk04]

Ugh. I don't have kids, so I don't really know what to say. I would be irritated too, though. I LOVE reading, always have, but always hated being forced to read certain things, and your child will certainly hate it if he is already struggling!

I hope everything works out!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Many schools have mandatory reading over the summer. It is a good thing--and usually not meant to be too difficult.

We have lots of summer reading lists around here. And I do believe they start in elementary. For younger grades--consistency is what builds a confident reader and for the older grades--keeps them on their toes I guess as they progress into longer books. We homeschool, so I am not familiar with the accountability as far as journals, workbooks, or any other assignments related to it. But it is done in our county--we see the displays in Barnes and Noble every summer.

Look at it as a positive. I'm getting checked to see if I have ADD--it is suspected I did have it as a child and I struggled with reading and homework. However--if it is one book and 10 weeks...a little bit a day should be doable (I say that as one who procrastinated and tried to get my readings done in a much smaller timeframe of my own doing). So I can totally relate--but from a literacy standpoint...it is a good thing.

usually it is a county wide thing though--so it would be a bit weird for just one school to decide it and make it mandatory if it is not a part of the county or state curriculum. I'm not sure how they could make it a mandatory condition.

 

[EthansMom]

Our public school has summer "homework" -- a very large stack that pretty much comes down to 3-4 worksheets per day, if you did a bit every day.

Also, parents are "encouraged" to read each day to/with the kids (during summer and during school) and the kids are supposed to take the list of books they've read during the summer with them to school on the first day with their "homework".

So, although you may not approve of the PTAs plan, your school isn't the only one doing this kind of thing.

 

[ryka]

We just got a letter home from the school asking if we wanted to have our children joined a reading program over the summer. It isn't mandatory and you could also pick when your child will attend either in July or August.

They do have mandatory classes over the summer for the soon to be 5th grade students cause of state testing and I think they are adding 4th grade students too because this year it seems every grade has state testing even kindergarten.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Besides..if you're not on vacation, what else are the kids supposed to do all day anyway?

TOV

 

[Nancy]

We have summer reading..how much depends on the grade. They get tested on the reading during the first week.

 

[minniecarousel]

So this is sponsored by the PTA? I would think that this would come from the school or the school district. Are PTA meetings held during the day or in the evening? I ask, because if you work outside the home and they have meetings during the day, they make it difficult for all parents to be heard. If they have evening meetings, you probably need to go once in a while to voice your opinion on this type of thing. You could contact the National PTA and see if legally they can enact something like this. More than likely, the school probably backs this. I wouldn't have a problem with this, but I can see where it would be hard for some kids. If your kid sees you upset about this, he will more than likely not want to participate. If you make it just another "fun" summer reading activity, he probably will too.

 

[CEDmom]

I think it's unusual that it's mandated by the PTA but reading lists and corresponding assignments are pretty common at least in school districts in my area. Many children lose significant ground over the summer because of their home situation. This is just a way of trying to minimize that. As long as it's not loads and loads of work I don't really see the big deal.

 

[diznygirl]

Besides..if you're not on vacation, what else are the kids supposed to do all day anyway?

TOV

What kids DO: run around outside, play tag, climb trees, ride their bikes, play in the dirt and get really dirty, go to the pool and learn to swim, run through the sprinklers, throw newly mown grass at each other, chase ducks..........

And people want to know why our kids are obese.

 

[AprilShowers]

Besides..if you're not on vacation, what else are the kids supposed to do all day anyway?

Ummmm......Play???

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

And people want to know why our kids are obese.

I can tell you---they are not blaming reading for that.

 

[Stephanie218]

In my school district we used to have to read 3 books and write papers on all of them over the summer....It was pretty normal around us.

Hopefully the book won't be too long? Perhaps you can make him read half a chapter before he goes to bed at night or something? That wouldn't really impact his day by adding loads of work.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

My friend is the PTA president of her DD's elementary in a neighboring city - completely different district. She said the PTA doesn't have the authority to do something like that, but I am assuming they have the principal's blessing.

There is going to be a big shake up with teachers due to a new school opening. We will lose some teacher positions, others will change grade levels, etc. At this point nobody even knows what teachers are coming back and what grade level they will teach, so I guess the books being pawned off on the kids are based on the recommendations of the teachers currently teaching those grades? I don't think I would appreciate being told that I would be responsible for grading all that summer work if I was a teacher, especially if it was work chosen by someone else.

I am totally in favor of summer reading lists. Our school doesn't have those, so I go to the library and browse the lists for the private schools. Then I try to find some that will interest DS. If they were saying the kids had to read a certain number of books or a certain amount of time I wouldn't care because there would be some choice in it. I love to read and I would like DS to enjoy it, but this is not going to help anything.

I really am questioning the legality of it since we will be the ONLY school with this requirement. And what about the 5th & 6th graders who are all moving to the middle school? (6th grade won't be in the elementary anymore - that is a district wide change for 2006-07.) They will be joining the 5th & 6th graders from 2 other elementaries. Are the teachers over there (in the middle school) going to hold the kids from our school accountable for their MANDATORY summer work? The whole thing is ridiculous. We have a very high percentage of low income students with a staggering amount of turnover from year to year. So kids who are new next year won't have these assignments done, and the ones who don't come back get off without having to do it. HOW IS THAT LOGICAL OR FAIR? There is no way they can spend class time on this if there are kids who are new to the school, and it takes away from the REQUIRED curriculum that is necessary to pass those precious state standardized tests.

If the teachers wanted to offer extra credit they would have to automatically give that credit to new students who weren't given the chance to do the work. There really is no fair way to structure this, and I am still furious about being told how to allocate my child's summer. I'll be making MANY calls tomorrow.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

For natural transitions (elem to middle or middle to high)--the students would acquire the requirements of the school they would be going to--their current school wouldn't be making them do anything.


I attended 10 schools and when I moved into a new district--during the year..I just picked up wear they were--for summer transitions--I was provided the requirements. For Senior year--I got to the district with about a month or so remaining in summer and half the time to complete the same list. The Guidance counselor made sure I had an extension and the teacher new about it--I got done what I could and was given a reasonable amount of time to finish when school started.

A district must think of the children that attend their schools as if they have always been there--transfer students and students new to the area--pick up where they can. And while not fair---well..that is life. I wouldn't expect a district to not do things b/c they will get new students. That is silly.

And no--new kids don't get a freebie extra credit if they haven't done the work. Why would they get credit for something they didn't do?

 

[CEDmom]

My DD's current school also has a lot of low income families and a lot of turnover which are just some of the reasons why we're moving. Anyway, I can understand your frustration to a point but I do have to ask if you're involved in the PTA. I'm very involved in ours because I enjoy that kind of thing but also to have a say in what goes on at the school. Unfortunately it's the same small group that shows up for meetings and events even though we offer babysitting. While I understand everyones time is limited it does get frustrating when very few are involved until they don't agree with decisions made by the PTA and then all heck breaks lose. I'm sure your PTA has the best interest of the kids at heart and was just trying to do something constructive.

 

[lisajl]

I would be questioning the PTAS authority on something like this.
My kids have some summer work, but the school also realizes not all the work will be done.
I mean, come on, kids need to run like crazy during the summer.
We still have to work and try to fit in time to do more with the kids.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

My kids have had a mandatory summer reading program for many years now. They dont view it as a negative and look forward to picking their books when the list comes. The work is turned in during the first week back to school. Reading expands young minds and encourages imagination. They read each night as it is now and I dont make them. There is plenty of time all summer long to play and have fun, reading should be included as a fun thing too.