My thanks to R' Helfgot for zeroing in on a conversation that has taken place consistently over the last decade, but is often understood as "just the way it is". The 8-5 yeshiva school day is accepted as the norm and I don't think I've ever heard anyone even think about the possibility of proposing a solution. Our world (at least our high school world) includes an intense dual curriculum, tefillah twice a day, and all the demands of clubs, sports, advisory periods and all the other elements of our school day that are serving our students with every possible need, but leaving them exhausted. His suggestion of a shortened summer (the norm in Europe!) is definitely an interesting one and should become part of a communal discussion, but I wonder if laying out the obstacles from the start would be helpful here. R' Helfgot does not think they are "insurmountable" and I'd love to see if a continued discussion on the topic would arrive at the same conclusion.
1. All Modern Orthodox yeshivas would have to arrive at this conclusion together. Summer camps would need to be on board with the shortened experience. Keep in mind - whichever 'slice' of the Orthodox pie signs on now becomes communally definitive and we, in effect, cut our children off from joining any program that doesn't accommodate this setup, either to the right or left of our schools. What kind of identity margins get erected as a result? Does our community marginalize itself in any way by redefining these parameters?
2. While this shortened summer is the model followed in Europe, that is true of the general private and public schools as well. What kind of repercussions would there be for setting up a summer vacation system that was not aligned with the general educational world? What programs are our students cut off from? What summer jobs can our teachers not take? Would the ripple effect be enough to send some of our better general studies teachers over to the public or secular private school system? (Does it make more sense to discuss a shortened summer that begins as normal at the beginning of July, but brings us back in the middle of August instead (as they do in Israel), since most secular summer programs end by then?)
3. Pay Models - are we changing teacher salaries pro rata? What about tuition? I assume this discussion only applies to high school students so extended child care for the end of the day would not be a factor. This is a bigger issue in schools that are K-12 where only some of the faculty is now putting in additional days. Telling faculty that its the same # of hours may not really be an effective solution.
4. I think an important piece to consider is - are we advocating for 'better learning' or a 'better lifestyle'? If it's the former, then maybe we should consider having school on Sunday mornings (a model that seems to do well for the continuity of the learning process)? There are schools in Israel that learn for 3 hours on a Shabbat afternoon, and on Sundays, and the parents and students who send there are very positive about the learning outcome. I have a feeling the general community wouldn't really get behind this idea, which means that we're working within lifestyle constraints here, not just what's best for learning. (And I also wonder if the general parent body is going to get behind shorter summers for their teens either.)
5. Finally, and most importantly, what are the proven widespread benefits and ramifications of a consistent early or later dismissal? (I'm actually curious to see research on this.) What's going to actually happen with all those extra hours? Is it possible that our kids do better with more daily school time? Basically, are we imagining a problem that doesn't actually exist.... many of my students manage to still watch plenty of tv and have lots of down time even with the dismissal time and a pretty intense workload... How many students will end up using that extra hour and a half daily in ways that makes trading in 3 weeks of summer (where most of our MO students are actually engaged in very worthwhile activities) a good tradeoff? Even if it's just less daily pressure, do we have a sense of whether or not the "more relaxed pace" will actually make a difference in a way that is more harmful or more helpful? Again, is this about learning or lifestyle? The intense and frenzied students may be that way regardless of the extra time, or they may welcome the extra hour, but we create potentially harmful possibilities for students who don't use it or 'need' it. Is it a really a "necessary" thing for our teenagers to all be home by 4?
Like I said, I think it's a great talking point, especially if it helps us to challenge ourselves to reevaluate our 'norms' and constantly think about creating better learners and a better learning environment. I'm curious what other parents and educators have to say about this.
Best,
Miriam
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2018 11:43AM by mlb.
