Please let teachers go to yKos next year

I know that school scheudes vary, but here in the Northeast, most schools end their years in the last third of June. I'm a math teacher in Newark, NJ's schoold. I'm sure I'm not the only teacher who couldn't got this year because of that. I'm giving finals this coming week, and was leading reviews last week. No way could I take personal days, and even the weekend was needed for end-of-year work.

•  Good point. Hope it is heard. n/t

  by Fasaha on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:00:18 PM PDT

  •  I Suggested

    ... late July/early August here.

    Hope the powers-that-be are paying attention.

    by JekyllnHyde on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:16:49 PM PDT

•  And parents, too

  Among the reasons I didn't go was that the conference conflicted with my daughter's end of the school year schedule.

  by VetGrl on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:00:52 PM PDT

  •  Same here!

    I was directing my daughter's class play.  I had committed to that last August.  If I went, there would be no class play, and for a school that specializes in performing arts, that's unthinkable.

    Please set something up that doesn't interfere with school schedules.  Some Kossaks are teachers but many of us are parents.  And many of us spend lots of time at the schools making things better.

    The Music Room - Every weekend. Music & Musicians discussion.

    by madhaus on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:50:32 PM PDT

•  Comment duly noted

  And agreed...but you get a C for proofreading.
  Never publish your first draft!
  Lol
  :)

  by librarianman on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:00:58 PM PDT

•  I raised this point

  I was lucky to be able to get permission from my principal to miss two days near the end of the year, or there would have been no education panel.

  And remember, it is not just teachers, but there are high school students who are active participants who also might be able to come

  by teacherken on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:04:34 PM PDT

  •  Okay, but . . .

    . . . high school students, in VEGAS?

    Maybe we ought to do this in a more educational city next year, like, oh, Philadelphia?

    by Adam B on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:08:56 PM PDT

    •  You can learn a lot in Vegas. n/t

      by bartman on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 11:56:12 PM PDT

      •  That's true

        My friend brought her 12 year old son up here and it was beautiful watching her explain things to him.  Of course, his 25 year old cousin, was there to corrupt him anyway.

        by fabooj on Mon Jun 12, 2006 at 01:23:01 AM PDT

•  What should probably happen

  is, someone who has accepted the unenviable task of starting to coordinate YK 07, should post a series of diaries asking for input on what worked and didn't this year, what places to consider for '07, new topics, etc.

  We should probably hold off a bit and let that process get underway.

  by Elwood Dowd on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:18:03 PM PDT

  •  agree...people who worked on the event

    need to breath, get caught up on their lives, enjoy their huge success and then put up a diary with suggestions or Kos should put up a suggestion box somewhere. Maybe the Ykos ad box with a link inside to suggestions while they are fresh in our minds. I watched the whole thing on AA from my computer, as I couldn't go due to my Nephew's Graduation and the parties. I noticed something simple as name cards should be infront of the people on the panel, so when the camera shot goes to them we and the audience are reminded of who they are and then could google them afterwards if we want to find out more about them and their opinions/work. When people outside of us who don't know them or their blogs...ie: Firedoglake, then they can go look them up afterwards. Get new readers and get more viewers (AA or Cspan) to join us and our quest to make the US and World a better place.

    by Chamonix on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:47:11 PM PDT

  •  It will, soon enough

    First, a day or two of self-congratulation.  Then, I get to complain about 8am start times in Las Vegas.  For my panel.  Against Wesley Clark. :)

    We still drew ~100, so I'm fine.

    by Adam B on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:51:02 PM PDT

    •  Funny

      I thought I saw Gen. Clark complaining bitterly about having to go up against you.

      by Elwood Dowd on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:57:50 PM PDT

      •  Sure.

        I'd sooner believe that he came up with the Outkast joke on his own.

        by Adam B on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 09:41:05 PM PDT

•  Email Gina. n/t

  by mattes on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:27:44 PM PDT

•  Scheduling an event like this

  is always complex and can never meet everyone's needs. This diary has good points to add to the mix, but for every teacher on DKos, there will be several parents saying that summer is a really hard time to get away due to extra childcare needs, planned vacations, sports, camps, etc.

  I agree that this particular weekend was an intense one for anyone involved in education (I'm not a teacher but had 2 graduations to attend) and it also conflicted with some state Dem conventions.

  At any rate, the YKos folks worked hard to get input for this convention and I'm sure whomever takes on this huge job for 2007 will be looking for lots of participation in the planning.

  by maryru on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:34:03 PM PDT

•  missing school

  thank you for this post.  I am a math teacher in NYC and I had to spend this weekend tutoring for regents exams.  

  I wish the conference were also during the summer.

  KEn

  by kennyc on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 08:55:19 PM PDT

•  Newark?

  What school?

  I teach at Bloomfield College.

  Robyn

  by rserven on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 09:08:06 PM PDT

  •  Pathways Academy

    It's a very small school in the Alternative Education program, serving kids who've been kicked out of their regualar schools for commiting serious offenses. It's in the old South Ward Boys and Girls Club on Hawthorne Ave.

    by Dvd Avins on Mon Jun 12, 2006 at 10:27:58 AM PDT

•  From prior experience

  Schools all over are making this more complicated with some starting in mid August and some ending in mid to late June. There is only about a 6-week window that is safely in summer - and guess what, there are a lot of other competitors for convention space.

  I too was unable to attend due to school - we interfered with the last days of school which made it hard to get away. It's probably easier for both teachers and parents to miss days in the middle of the school year than in the first few or last few days.

  There is no time that suits everyone, and the date will depend quite a bit on the city chosen and what dates are available for the venue. Las Vegas again might be easiest for the organizers, since they have figured out some of the local intricacies and know the location. Scouting a totally new location with a year to plan is a big challenge.

  All that said, I hope that we haven't fried our YK organizers, and that they're even still game for another, and that they have some seed capital to get another one rolling. This is so much work, and it's unlikely it be done by volunteers forever.

  by elfling on Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 09:32:29 PM PDT