AFT President Proposes Extending School Year
for Struggling Students in the Early Grades

WASHINGTON, D.C.— American Federation of Teachers president Edward J. McElroy today proposed extending the school year into the summer in order to provide intensive instruction and enriching out-of-classroom activities for the nation’s most vulnerable K-3 students.
 
Speaking before more than 2,000 teachers, paraprofessionals and school officials at the AFT’s national professional issues conference, McElroy said, “We are simply losing too many children during the long summer months, when they forget much of what they learned during the school year. Struggling students need additional instruction, enrichment and more time.”

The AFT’s proposal is designed to help counteract the so-called “summer drop-off effect,” a well-documented loss of knowledge that occurs during the summer months and is more severe for disadvantaged students. Although the program would be developed in each state according to its needs, McElroy proposed that the summer extension last a minimum of 20 days. If enacted, the plan would serve hundreds of thousands of students who have fallen behind their peers.

The summer extension would offer struggling students instructional methods proven to be effective, as well as enriching experiences such as museum visits, educational field trips and other summer activities.

McElroy called for screening by teachers and other school personnel—beginning in prekindergarten and continuing through third grade—to determine which students would benefit from an extended year. Research has shown that brief individual screenings, conducted several times a year, can identify students who are struggling.

“We need to do a better job of identifying young children, from pre-K to grade 3, who start out behind—and continue to fall further behind. Teachers are already identifying these children, but we need to build the intervention system into our schools,” McElroy said. A strong body of research confirms that academic problems are much easier to address when detected early.

McElroy asked the AFT’s state affiliates to work with their legislative leaders to develop state-by-state legislation to enact his proposal.

McElroy also announced the release of “Charting the Course: The AFT’s Education Agenda To Reach All Children.” This statement of action priorities addresses five critical elements of school improvement: teaching quality; safe and orderly schools; early reading instruction and intervention; a common, knowledge-rich curriculum; and intensive assistance to high-poverty schools.

No Child Left Behind

McElroy also addressed the nation’s hottest education topic: the upcoming reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. He cited the AFT’s recommendations for changing the law’s faulty accountability system, its interventions for schools in need of improvement and its requirements for student testing.  McElroy said, “We will work with and support measures that improve our schools, and we will oppose any bill that doesn’t.”

Educators as Activists

McElroy praised AFT members for their activism in the 2006 elections, which he said helped elect members of Congress, state legislators and governors who appreciate the value of public education and workers’ rights.

Emphasizing that the 2008 elections also are critical to AFT members, McElroy invited attendees to visit the AFT’s You Decide 2008 Web site and continue to work for change. Through the site, AFT members and others can learn about the presidential candidates, watch videos of their speeches, read their responses to the AFT’s questionnaire, and even suggest questions for the candidates to answer.

McElroy said that choosing a candidate is just the beginning of the work: “Once we as a union decide whom to support for the highest office in the land, as well as for other important elections, the real work begins.”

McElroy’s speech was the keynote address at QuEST (Quality Educational Standards in Teaching), AFT’s biennial professional issues conference for educators, being held July 12-15 at the Hilton Washington in Washington, D.C.

Read the full transcript of President Edward J. McElroy's speech here.

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