Half of DPS students to attend summer school

Detroit Public Schools has enrolled about half of its students for the six-week Summer School Academy, but said Thursday it has room for more.

District officials said 33,882 students are signed up for the academy, which runs June 21 to July 29. The academy is free for DPS students who meet federal Title I criteria. DPS students who don't meet the criteria will pay $250 for the summer.

Nondistrict high school students will pay $250 per class and can take up to three classes. Nondistrict students in elementary or middle school will pay $500 for the summer.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided for the students. The district expects to employ 2,035 teachers and 510 support staffers. In 2010, the district enrolled 38,717 students in the summer program. The program was free last year and paid for with unused Title I funds.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110616/...#ixzz1PPlSEfNf

Are they counting the special needs population who, by law, are entitled to extended school year?

I have taught summer school in the past and will never do so again [[if I can help it). It's hot, the kids are unruly [[maybe because they were not doing what they SHOULD have been doing all along), classes are crowded, and there are split level classes [[and teachers shouldn't be teaching the same thing to all of the kids...each group is working on something totally different).

I take classes prep for the upcoming year, and travel [[last year was London, England). Usually my travels take me to places that I teach about in class [[I teach about the historical background, as well as the literature). I have decided that my sanity is worth much more than the pay for summer school [[which is not our regular rate). Since they made summer school free for the kids, the kids don't take it seriously and are just as bad as they are during the regular year.

This year, though, we are having a Senior Academy for those students going into the 12th grade [[just at our school). We have some really neat programming and trips planned. Students need a certain GPA to partake in the program [[and can't be enrolled in summer school). Our hope is that this will better prepare them for college. We are planning some overnights to various colleges and culturally rich trips to various museums and locales. All of this is funded through a grant we wrote and won't cost the district, or the kids, a dime. We really need more programs like this going on!

Taught summer school in Detroit in 2000, 2003, and 2004. Was out in the 'burbs for my teaching stint in Summer 2005. What you describe sounds very different than what I remember, DT, and I can't imagine how they're funding it without charging tuition.

Yes, the summer break in K-12, and the spring/summer break in higher ed, is necessary. It's only because we're in the midst of spring semester that I've had time to intensively work on major writing, research and consulting projects. When I was a teacher, I worked on curriculum, took PD and university courses, and [[like you) went on educational trips to get some perspective beyond SE Michigan.

Please also remind those who resent the amount of "vacation time" that we get about the tiny little inconvenient fact that educators in K-12 and in higher ed do not receive any compensation during the summer. Extra income is earned from summer school, grants, and/or special programs and projects, and if you earn that, guess what? You're not on vacation anymore -- you're working!

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Originally Posted by DetroitTeacher

This year, though, we are having a Senior Academy for those students going into the 12th grade [[just at our school). We have some really neat programming and trips planned. Students need a certain GPA to partake in the program [[and can't be enrolled in summer school). Our hope is that this will better prepare them for college. We are planning some overnights to various colleges and culturally rich trips to various museums and locales. All of this is funded through a grant we wrote and won't cost the district, or the kids, a dime. We really need more programs like this going on!

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This sounds great! I agree that it's too bad that this can't be scaled up.

Dteach,
The Summer Academy sounds great. Do you think there is any chance it would be expanded to other schools next year?

I'm really not sure. We are funding it through grants so unless others want to follow suit, it won't happen. It's easy for us because we are of the small school design and will only have seniors in the fall [[we think). We really want to get close to these kids so that they have the best chance for success. If kids have a positive relationship with their teachers and the staff, they take school more serious and are more vested in their education. If teachers and staff have a positive relationship with the kids, teachers take a more vested interest in them, as individuals.

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Originally Posted by DetroitFats

Dteach,
The Summer Academy sounds great. Do you think there is any chance it would be expanded to other schools next year?

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HA, we don't get paid for ANY vacations...Christmas, Easter, Spring, Summer...nada. If we don't work [[and it's not a scheduled work day) we don't get paid. I take less in my paycheck through the school year so that I can get a check during the summer months. Some [[most?) larger companies offer paid vacations. Teachers don't get that luxury.

English: We are funding the Summer Senior Academy through a grant we wrote. This is not part of regular summer school. I don't know how they are really funding summer school because DPS really doesn't have any cash on hand [[oh, I forgot...they have 10 grand from each teacher).

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Originally Posted by English

Taught summer school in Detroit in 2000, 2003, and 2004. Was out in the 'burbs for my teaching stint in Summer 2005. What you describe sounds very different than what I remember, DT, and I can't imagine how they're funding it without charging tuition.

Yes, the summer break in K-12, and the spring/summer break in higher ed, is necessary. It's only because we're in the midst of spring semester that I've had time to intensively work on major writing, research and consulting projects. When I was a teacher, I worked on curriculum, took PD and university courses, and [[like you) went on educational trips to get some perspective beyond SE Michigan.

Please also remind those who resent the amount of "vacation time" that we get about the tiny little inconvenient fact that educators in K-12 and in higher ed do not receive any compensation during the summer. Extra income is earned from summer school, grants, and/or special programs and projects, and if you earn that, guess what? You're not on vacation anymore -- you're working!

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Summer school: Goof around all school year, then take a class for six weeks that gives you credit for a semester or a year. Such a deal!

The charter school where I taught gave me an idea of how a lot of kids try to scam the system. They fluffed off the special classes because they didn't affect their promotions and did as little as possible in the core classes. Then they went to summer school.

I had heard that Ferndale was trying to set up a completely computerized summer school so that students would have to reach certain goals in order to get credit. I don't know if that ever panned out.

maxx: I agree! Kids who don't do squat all year then get free summer school [[and cause problems along the way) is one of the reasons I don't teach summer school anymore. I didn't mind when the kids/parents had to pay for it because they didn't cause as many issues and if they did, they failed summer school, too.

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Originally Posted by maxx

Summer school: Goof around all school year, then take a class for six weeks that gives you credit for a semester or a year. Such a deal!

The charter school where I taught gave me an idea of how a lot of kids try to scam the system. They fluffed off the special classes because they didn't affect their promotions and did as little as possible in the core classes. Then they went to summer school.

I had heard that Ferndale was trying to set up a completely computerized summer school so that students would have to reach certain goals in order to get credit. I don't know if that ever panned out.

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I always went to summer school in the early fifties. I'd take a needed class and also swimming. After the classroom, and hour and a half in the cool pool at Mackenzie. Then in the afternoon, off to my Detroit Times paper route..

And I wasn't a nerd, either. But I enjoyed the whole thing.

DTeach,
It is my guess that this summer program will pay dividends come September. I hope you have a great summer and best of luck in the fall.

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Originally Posted by DetroitTeacher

HA, we don't get paid for ANY vacations...Christmas, Easter, Spring, Summer...nada. If we don't work [[and it's not a scheduled work day) we don't get paid. I take less in my paycheck through the school year so that I can get a check during the summer months. Some [[most?) larger companies offer paid vacations. Teachers don't get that luxury.

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Right! Another part of it that non-educators don't know is that before Spread the Pay, we used to get those 1-week checks before Christmas, Winter Break, and Easter/Spring Break. As a new teacher in my very early 20s, I didn't know what the hell was going on. It took DPS until November to start paying me, and then, once I started getting regular pay, I'm on half salary the week before Christmas. LOL!

My corporate friends sniffed, "Well, you should have saved for it." After 22 years of making zero to chicken change, saving enough each summer to take care of school fees and incidentals, I had to live off credit cards from September-early November, spend the next 3 paychecks trying to triage all the bills, and then it's Merry Christmas, and by the way, the 1st of the month bills are due January 1. What savings? My mom was a new widow, my siblings were still schoolkids, and I was the eldest in the family. I also was the young drama teacher and had the bright idea of putting on a holiday musical that year... and guess who had to supplement the $50 per year budget? Fun times!

It was then that I realized most people don't know what they're talking about when it comes to teachers and teaching. At all.

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English: We are funding the Summer Senior Academy through a grant we wrote. This is not part of regular summer school. I don't know how they are really funding summer school because DPS really doesn't have any cash on hand [[oh, I forgot...they have 10 grand from each teacher).

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LOL! You guys are on the side of the angels, seriously. All the best this summer. I know the kids will have a memorable experience.

Thanks for the well wishes for out Senior Summer Academy, everyone! I must admit that I won't be working it because I am going to Professional Development workshops all summer. It does sound like it will be oodles of fun and a great learning experience for the kids, though. I might peek in from time to time to see how it's going.

I did summer school a couple of times at Cody in the early 1980's. It allowed me to get ahead of others at my regular high school [[a large parocial school nicknamed Catholic Cody!)

I confess that I stole an algebra book the year before I was scheduled to take the class. Over the summer I completed every single problem in the book—alone—no summer school—no tutor. Before the first day of class I had already completed all the homework for the entire year.

Only then did I learn that the teacher would require we solve only the even-numbered problems. Doh!

No matter. Geeks enjoy that sort of surprise. :D