Teacher compensation should be influenced by merit, but not without an opportunity to acquire the necessary skills needed to address the ever-changing issues presented in the classroom. The group consensus was that year-round schooling provides better continuity for children's learning, possibly a more balanced schedule for teachers and is a better fit for our society that is no longer agrarian. Even in schools with highly transient populations this could provide a reassuring base and consistency for the percentage of students remaining. The community needs to work with state officials to develop more standards related to program quality and certification of teachers. Recognize and address that literacy issues in children may also be parental literacy issues.
Parents are a key support for child literacy.
Acknowledging that a parent may not be literate, or not literate in English, can help clarify the issues to be overcome in achieving literacy. Once this is clarified other support resources can be identified for the child or, ideally, a literacy program can be offered to parents along with child. In this second option, the program should be sensitive to the stigma attached to illiteracy and the program content veiled by another subject. These programs should be enrichment programs, not warehousing kids or just convenient day-care options for parents. Emphasis on involvement not level of achievement, be careful not to stigmatize students who participate for remediation.