The idea that public school teachers have an extended vacation in the summer, making the rest of the working world green with envy, is outdated and needs to be dispelled, said District 241 Curriculum Director Judy Knudtson.

Friday, June 22, 2001

The idea that public school teachers have an extended vacation in the summer, making the rest of the working world green with envy, is outdated and needs to be dispelled, said District 241 Curriculum Director Judy Knudtson.

In fact, she said, not only are the vast majority of teachers quite busy over the summer, but so are most of the students.

&uot;We’ve got programming all summer long,&uot; Knudtson said. &uot;The summers continue get busier every year.&uot;

Knudtson said the district offers extra learning opportunities in every building, including summer school, targeted services, basic standards preparation and testing, math and reading academies and special education. Adult students are also a common sight in the schools during the summer with community education classes and GED testing.

All of the programs require teachers, Knudtson said, and many teachers in the district go directly into the summer classroom after the regular school year ends.

For those who don’t teach during the summer, staff development sessions, curriculum writing and revision along with graduate courses, certification classes, clinics and conferences take up much of their summer, she said.

Many students who aren’t involved in extra summer classes attend summer academic and athletic camps, arts programs or drivers education, Knudtson said. Fall athletic practice can begin as early as August 1.

&uot;Most teachers barely have time to take that two-week vacation. As with any business, public education has become a year-round endeavor,&uot; Knudtson said. Even with the activity in all the buildings across the district, maintenance crews still find ways to complete summer cleaning and repairs, said Facilities and Transportation Director Bruce Olson.

&uot;It is just something we work around. Our guys know the summer schedules and know to accommodate the various programs,&uot; Olson said. &uot;We make that clear to the people we hire for the summer as well.&uot;

Each building receives a deep cleaning of hallways, classrooms and restrooms, Olson said. Custodians wash the walls, wax the floors, dust cabinets, polish furniture, scrub carpets and clean all the windows. But that’s only the beginning, he said.

&uot;We also have a lot of painting, touch up work and repairs in every building,&uot; Olson said.

In addition to the general custodial work, the district uses the summer for a number of capital improvement projects. This summer, the biggest project is a new roof over the classroom section of Southwest Middle School. Other schools are getting new sidewalks and remodeled bathrooms.

&uot;Maintaining the buildings takes the whole year, but the summers are important for the bigger projects,&uot; Olson said. &uot;It’s true that the buildings are a lot busier than they used to be, but we aren’t complaining. That’s the way it should be.&uot;