After a Year Learning from Home, Many Children Go to Summer School
2021-06-16
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1After her three children were vaccinated, Aja Purnell-Mitchell asked them what they wanted to do for the summer.
2All three agreed: summer school---at school, itself.
3The family lives in Durham County, North Carolina, where school buildings shut in March 2020, the start of the COVID-19 crisis.
4Students have been in distance-learning since then.
5Purnell-Mitchell hopes in-person summer school will help life return to normal.
6"Getting them back into it, helping them socialize back with their friends, maybe meet some new people, and, of course, pick up the things that they lacked on Zoom," she said.
7Zoom is an online video system.
8Many teachers in the United States used it and similar sites to teach their students at home.
9Communities across the U.S. are preparing for increased interest in summer education programs.
10They have expanded offerings and are paying teachers more than usual to work over the break.
11The most recent federal COVID-19 bill provides billions of dollars in aid to states.
12The Biden administration is requiring them to use some of it for widening their summer programs.
13The U.S. Department of Education said it is too early to know how many students will go to classes this summer.
14The number, however, is sure to be higher than the estimated 3.3 million who attended in summer of 2019.
15In Montgomery, Alabama, more than 12,000 of the community's 28,000 students enrolled before the June 1 deadline. Usually, about 2,500 go to summer school.
16The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania had enrolled 14,700 by Friday and was expecting more to come.
17Last summer, just 9,300 students attended the offered online classes.
18"It's an understatement to say the needs are greater this year," said Kalman Hettleman.
19He is an education policy expert in Maryland.
20Hettleman worries most about the reading skills of poorer, younger students.
21Many were having problems before schools closed.
22Now, after a year at home, they will have fallen even further behind.
23Hettleman said, "It's not realistic to think that summer school, no matter how good or intense, will close all the gaps...."
24He wants to see required summer school, as well as special classes during the next school year, for many children in Baltimore, Maryland's largest city.
25"It will help. It will at least give them a fighting chance," he said.
26Taylor Dennington is starting high school.
27She is a good student and never thought she would be in summer school.
28She and her many friends are pleased to be in school for the summer.
29"This year was such an unmotivating school year," she said.
30Dennington is studying biology and math.
31"I learn better in school than online. Being in a classroom where a teacher is present is so much better than waiting hours for an email back from your teacher," she told The Associated Press.
32Purnell-Mitchell's children will have five or six weeks of full-time school.
33It will include sports and music.
34Some communities will also receive free transportation and meals.
35In North Carolina, more than 25 percent of school children, about 200,000, are thought to be in danger of falling behind.
36The state recently passed a law giving those children priority for summer school.
37Some communities in other states are simply opening schools for all their students.
38School systems must spend some of the federal money to help poor students and students whose first language is not English.
39Children of minority groups and children who are homeless also take priority.
40The expanded summer schools around the country have greatly increased the need not only for teachers but for bus drivers and others who work in school buildings.
41Some North Carolina teachers will get a $1,200 bonus, or special pay.
42There are also bonuses for teachers whose students show improvement in reading and math.
43In Anderson, South Carolina, the school system has increased teachers' pay to $60 per hour, a 100 percent increase.
44Other towns are also increasing teachers' pay.
45Connecticut is promising $4,500 payments to 500 college students who will teach at summer schools.
46New York City has the country's largest school system, with over 1 million children.
47It is offering summer school to all students.
48"They need our support as we build a recovery for all of us," said Mayor Bill de Blasio when he announced the plan.
49Back in North Carolina, Purnell-Mitchell said her children missed their teachers and friends.
50They were lonely and disliked learning at home.
51Now, they are pleased to be going to summer school.
52I'm Susan Shand.
1After her three children were vaccinated, Aja Purnell-Mitchell asked them what they wanted to do for the summer. 2All three agreed: summer school---at school, itself. 3The family lives in Durham County, North Carolina, where school buildings shut in March 2020, the start of the COVID-19 crisis. Students have been in distance-learning since then. 4Purnell-Mitchell hopes in-person summer school will help life return to normal. 5"Getting them back into it, helping them socialize back with their friends, maybe meet some new people, and, of course, pick up the things that they lacked on Zoom," she said. 6Zoom is an online video system. Many teachers in the United States used it and similar sites to teach their students at home. 7Communities across the U.S. are preparing for increased interest in summer education programs. They have expanded offerings and are paying teachers more than usual to work over the break. 8The most recent federal COVID-19 bill provides billions of dollars in aid to states. The Biden administration is requiring them to use some of it for widening their summer programs. 9The U.S. Department of Education said it is too early to know how many students will go to classes this summer. The number, however, is sure to be higher than the estimated 3.3 million who attended in summer of 2019. 10In Montgomery, Alabama, more than 12,000 of the community's 28,000 students enrolled before the June 1 deadline. Usually, about 2,500 go to summer school. 11The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania had enrolled 14,700 by Friday and was expecting more to come. Last summer, just 9,300 students attended the offered online classes. 12"It's an understatement to say the needs are greater this year," said Kalman Hettleman. He is an education policy expert in Maryland. 13Hettleman worries most about the reading skills of poorer, younger students. Many were having problems before schools closed. Now, after a year at home, they will have fallen even further behind. 14Hettleman said, "It's not realistic to think that summer school, no matter how good or intense, will close all the gaps...." 15He wants to see required summer school, as well as special classes during the next school year, for many children in Baltimore, Maryland's largest city. 16"It will help. It will at least give them a fighting chance," he said. 17Taylor Dennington is starting high school. She is a good student and never thought she would be in summer school. She and her many friends are pleased to be in school for the summer. 18"This year was such an unmotivating school year," she said. 19Dennington is studying biology and math. 20"I learn better in school than online. Being in a classroom where a teacher is present is so much better than waiting hours for an email back from your teacher," she told The Associated Press. 21Purnell-Mitchell's children will have five or six weeks of full-time school. It will include sports and music. Some communities will also receive free transportation and meals. 22In North Carolina, more than 25 percent of school children, about 200,000, are thought to be in danger of falling behind. The state recently passed a law giving those children priority for summer school. Some communities in other states are simply opening schools for all their students. 23School systems must spend some of the federal money to help poor students and students whose first language is not English. Children of minority groups and children who are homeless also take priority. 24The expanded summer schools around the country have greatly increased the need not only for teachers but for bus drivers and others who work in school buildings. 25Some North Carolina teachers will get a $1,200 bonus, or special pay. There are also bonuses for teachers whose students show improvement in reading and math. 26In Anderson, South Carolina, the school system has increased teachers' pay to $60 per hour, a 100 percent increase. Other towns are also increasing teachers' pay. 27Connecticut is promising $4,500 payments to 500 college students who will teach at summer schools. 28New York City has the country's largest school system, with over 1 million children. It is offering summer school to all students. 29"They need our support as we build a recovery for all of us," said Mayor Bill de Blasio when he announced the plan. 30Back in North Carolina, Purnell-Mitchell said her children missed their teachers and friends. They were lonely and disliked learning at home. Now, they are pleased to be going to summer school. 31I'm Susan Shand. 32The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. 33_______________________________________________________________ 34Words in This Story 35pick up - v. to learn or to come by a skill 36enroll - v. to become a member or participant 37deadline - n. a date or time when something must be finished 38gap - n. a hole or space where something is missing 39motivate - v. to give (someone) a reason for doing something 40priority - n. something that is more important than other things and that needs to be done or dealt with first 41We want to hear from you. 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