School is still a few weeks away for most Texas students, but classes have already begun for some in the state. That includes in El Paso, where students within Socorro ISD started attending class on Monday. They're in what's commonly referred to as "year-round" education. Instead of a long summer break – students get shorter breaks during the school year when other students don't – two weeks in October, two weeks in March, and so forth.
Could year-round education ever fly here in Greater Houston? Would student performance improve? Would teachers prefer it? How about parents?
We discuss whether a year-round education model could be effective here on this edition of Houston Matters. First, we talk with Lucia Borrego, an administrator from Socorro ISD about that district's experience with year-round schooling. Then, we hear from Tina Bruno, Executive Director of the Coalition for a Traditional School Year, a Texas based non-profit dedicated to maintaining the traditional school year. And finally, we talk with Dr. Elizabeth Gregory, Director of Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Houston. She's critical of the traditional school schedule and how it specifically impacts women in the workplace.
Also this hour: we discuss efforts to attract film productions to Houston with Rick Ferguson, Vice President and Executive Director of the Houston Film Commission.
Then: The Houston Shakespeare Festival, hosted by the University of Houston's School of Theatre and Dance, turns 40 this year. Every year, the festival presents free productions of Shakespeare plays at Miller Outdoor Theatre. This summer, the Houston Shakespeare Festival presents The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Henry IV, Part 1. We talk with Executive Director Jim Johnson, and cast members David Huynh and Kiara Feliciano.
