Letter: Do away with school winter break
Lucas Strom, 7, of Mount Sinai, takes part in a painting activity at the Long Island Children's Museum in Garden City on the first day of winter break (Feb. 20, 2012). . Credit: Photo by Steven Sunshine
Giving students a week off in February seems strange. The benefit is not nearly offset by the costs.
Kids do not need this vacation. Better to continue the momentum that schools have reestablished after the holiday break in December. Kids can forget a lot in a week.
A week off in February extends the school year by a week in June. Ask anyone who works in a school: Academically, the days after Memorial Day are nothing to write home about. Some valuable activities take place (field day, say), but nothing like the three R's earlier in the year. Trading a productive week in February for a lame one in June is not a good deal.
February vacation is also unwelcome for many parents. Among the majority who don't head off to ski in Aspen, keeping the kids on the rails for a week in winter is a challenge. You can't say that about June, when kids can play outside and go to camp. It's time to drop the February school vacation.
Bruce Torff, Hempstead
Editor's note: The writer is a professor of teaching, literacy and leadership at Hofstra University.
