Summertime Blues

Teachers are excited and kids are derailing this time of year. Summer is here and schools are either out for summer, or in their final days. Here in Lee County, Florida, we're down to three "early release" days. Funny name, really. When I was a kid we called them half days. I guess because they're now only two hours shorter than the other school days (that means the day is longer than half), school boards have changed the names. Sounds a little like get-out-of-jail-free cards. You know, early release- like time off for good behavior in jail. Anyway, while the teachers and the younguns are ready-set-go, not everyone is celebrating.

Let me take a brief moment here to dispel any notion by readers that I might be complaining about teachers getting summers off. This is not the focus of this post. I was a teacher for years, and still consider myself one at heart. Though I am now an administrator and I do not get the summer off, I still 100% and wholeheartedly support summers off for teachers. Now that I got that out of the way, let me get to the point.

Besides the boo-hoo I don't get to take summer off work just because my kids are home. Here are some reasons this time of year can be difficult for parents.

1. For every one of those proud mom posts you see on Facebook of the child with A honor roll, or 9,000 AR points, or the award for the highest grade in math, there are 25-50 kids who feel like they don't measure up. I'm not talking about the slacker kids who don't care about school (though I urge you to think about why a 10 year old would act that way). I'm talking about the girl who busts her ass day in and day out to do her very best, and still can't get an A in History. Or the boy who has worked all year to improve his writing, but still can't get his thoughts out cohesively enough to write an A- paper. Teachers, you know the kids I'm talking about.  The kids who beg their parents to stay home on class awards day. The kids who don't show up to awards nights. The parents who feel like it's a reflection on their parenting because their children didn't win anything. I'm not advocating for giving out undeserved awards, just soliciting some sympathy and tact in the name of children who gave their all and still came up short this year. 
2. If you're not a teacher, you may not realize state testing results are supposed to be released this week. That's right. They've finally figured out a way to get the results out quickly. Amazing huh? Seems like we just got the results from last year. Oh wait, we did. Parents are finding out their 3rd graders couldn't cut the mustard on the state test and have to repeat 3rd grade. Tenth graders are finding out they weren't really taking the FSA for the last time, because they didn't make the cut score. High school students are finding out they didn't pass the Algebra EOC, even though they passed the class.  How does a parent console her children? How does he explain that sometimes hard work doesn't pay off? And teachers, whoa. What a way to start summer break, by finding out how many of your kids didn't make the gains they were expected to make.
3. If you live in a high poverty area, and many of the schools in the district are title 1 as we are, many children are going home for the summer wondering how they are going to get fed everyday. Don't even dare make a comment about people who dishonestly "live off the system." We all know there are people who do that, but most of the people who take public assistance need and deserve it, and all of the children do. Summertime out of school means no breakfast and no lunch. Before you pass judgment on others, thank your lucky stars you have a good job and a decent income if this isn't a concern of yours.

I don't mean to be a downer about summer. I just live in a world where all of my students deal with at least one of the above mentioned problems. Unfortunately, as a year-round facility, summer brings limited excitement to our school. We do try to mix it up and have a little fun, but the fact is our teachers and staff are tired and they have to keep going. Same goes for our students who are watching and listening to all their friends get ready for break, while they await their summer course schedules. Hey, at least they get two meals a day by showing up to school. That's one problem eliminated.