Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Partnerships Changing the Face of Summer School in PA


PHILADELPHIA -  Across the state, in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, partnerships between school districts and community groups, and an infusion of public and private funding, are giving kids a new summer learning experience.

Ron Fairchild, CEO of the National Summer Learning Association, says it's also a chance to talk about education reform for summer school. He shares a new vision that goes beyond remedial classes and test preparation.

Fairchild says it's been well-documented that kids fall behind academically during the vacation months if they don't have access to quality learning programs, and children in low-income families lose the most ground when the school doors close.

"They lose access to educational opportunity, nutritious meals and snacks, and to safe places with adult supervision, and so the challenge is to expand these kinds of opportunities for all kids in this country."

Yet, Fairchild notes that while some summer programs in Pennsylvania are now on the cutting edge, many school districts are cutting summer school to deal with shrinking budgets.

Details on Pennsylvania events are a
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