A list of summer enrichment activities for Ignacio Middle School students drew fire from school board members at their meeting on Aug. 11.
"Some parents are receiving notice that their kids have summer work to accomplish," board member Troy Webb said. "You are over-reaching. If you can't do your job in nine months, what are you doing?"
"It's enrichmant activities," IMS Principal Chris deKay said.
"As a parent, it doen't come across that way," Webb countered.
Board president Toby Roderick added, "It says it's the student's first grade of the year."
Webb objected that it's presented as a mandatory assignment.
"It's meant to be a Character Counts reward program," de Kay said. Character Counts is a program the district has adopted to develop positive character traits in students and adults.
"I'm hearing this heavy-handed approach," Webb said. "Lighten up. It's summer."
The letter is titled Family Summer Enrichment Activities. It has a list of optional and mandatory activities related to math, language arts, science, social studies, and PE.
It says, "Below is a list of activities for you to complete over the summer. Keep a record of each activity you have completed. How you present what you completed is up to you."
It continues, "The activities will keep you fresh and prepared for the next school year. Keep your brain active! Choose one Mandatory activity for each class and two additional of your choice."
It concludes, "This is the first grade you will receive in your 2015-16 school year in each subject area." It lists rewards such as homework passes, first in line lunch passes, Bobcat Bucks, and free breakfast.
Board member Bobby Schurman asked, "How did this come about? What is mandatory, and what isn't?"
What happens if students don't do this? Roderick asked.
De Kay said, "It wasn't meant to be punitive. It was meant to be positive rewards. I understand what you are saying. The truth is, my second and fourth grader have those for the summer from the elementary. I think it's important to keep kids engaged over the summer, keep your brains going. We're trying to put some emphasis on academic. A lot of these can be done with families. They are open-ended."
Webb responded, "This is different from sports summer activities with a coach. There's no teacher doing this. It's left on the parents. It's way different. If you have a teacher who will volunteer time to collect bugs with the kids..."
Schurman added, "My kids go to school all year. This is the last thing my kid wants to worry about in the summer. They don't want to collect bugs or write a report about calories burned during the day."
"It's not mandatory," de Kay said. "The kids who do it will receive a reward." But he agreed, "The wording isn't the best."
The wording is the problem, Roderick said.
Webb said, "I get the intent. You don't want kids to lag behind, but there's also research about the overwhelming amount of homework and intrusion that schools put on the family. Kids go home and they have chores or jobs." He gave the example of a kid working at Subway until 11 p.m. and then having four hours of homework to do.
"The myopic thinking of the educator that their subject is the only class that has homework," he said. "I get the intent, but ease up a bit."
De Kay said kids' grades won't be hurt if they don't do the activities.
Webb persisted. "Teachers are wantonly giving out assignments and then going home and doing whatever they want. Who is reading about best practices in education and writing a report over the summer? I'd bet there are a lot more margaritas being drunk" than education books read.
De Kay said he received no calls from parents about the summer activities.
"They jumped over you" to school board members, Roderick said.
Board member Agnes Sanchez touted the benefits of setting kids up to be life long learners, but she didn't like the word "mandatory."
The board approved Webb's motion to send parents a list of suggested summer activities that are optional, with no language about mandatory or grades to be given.
