Families and schools are struggling to adapt education during these troubling times. Maybe now is a good time to reexamine some basic standards and practices in education. I cannot think of a better place to start than the outdated practice of summers off from school. It would seem to me that this year of all years, if there is a return to normalcy that would allow our kids to go back into schools, then they should be in classes this summer. A summer off this year seems unnecessary with all the time children have had away from their schools. Then going forward the practice of summers off for students should be reexamined. Long summer breaks have been shown to cause children, especially lower-income children, to lose ground academically. It is called “summer slide,” where students return to school in the fall having lost months of learning. Summers off give teachers and students a break, but at a cost. Perhaps a two-week summer break would fulfill the need for a break while avoiding the educational slide. Use this pandemic to bring a positive, common-sense change to our educational system.

Philip Brose

Norwich