Putting Interdisciplinary Studies to Work

Putting Interdisciplinary Studies to Work

Solving a workplace problem

Cutting the school's summer school program could have serious repercussions for the educational future of the students affected. Even for students who do not show academic deficits, summer is often a time of considerable 'backsliding' in academic progress. Much is forgotten between June and September, and at-risk teens often do not attend enrichment programs like their more affluent counterparts. So first and foremost, an audit must be conducted to see if funds might be made available by cutting less critical areas of the budget. This program must be given high priority.

However, it is also undeniably true that there are many other critical programs that must be funded. For example, new computers, physical education equipment, and improved course materials are also important. Ideally, these items could be supported through donations or subsidized by local retailers, in exchange for the good publicity this might garner the donors, freeing up funds for the summer school.

If that is not feasible, than an audit should be conducted of the program itself, to see if the summer school's offerings can be sharply reduced -- given the $75,000 reduction in budge -- yet still provide quality services. Options may include consolidating classes, offering classes fewer days per week, or using volunteers to coach activities, or using less costly student teachers or retired teachers to teach classes.

Because of concerns about school performance at success on standardized exams in the era of No Child Left Behind, it is critical that as many students as possible succeed in our school system. Cutting the summer school could result in a reduced educational budget overall, if our school system is deemed to be a failing school. These affected students have been specifically flagged for showing skill deficits. Cutting this program drastically is likely to be 'penny wise and pound foolish.'

This case should be made to the state and also to government agencies and private donations that provide grants for worthwhile programs of the necessity of continued funding for the summer school. The school board must be made fully aware of all of the options that exist as sources of funding for under-served youths.

However, if the program cannot be continued in its current format, the students served by the summer school should not be abandoned. Instead, they should be referred to other community programs that can help them with their skill deficits or needs. For example, the local Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization can provide mentors to the children to help them with their homework and find positive sources of amusement during the summer. For students who need to repeat a grade because of a failing class or standardized test scores and need more formal reinforcement of their academic skills, specific programs such as tutoring by college students as part of their community service or as part of outreach efforts by businesses such as the Princeton Review that have a charitable component could be used.