I first encountered Saturday school when I taught in Brooklyn. It was held 9a-12p, we were a free lunch school, so students could get breakfast, and Metro cards. Teachers signed up for it, and it was pretty much just a place students could work. Get caught up. Get tutoring help. We were one school out of three in our building (they'd broken up 1500 school into separate schools on each floor) and we regularly had 20-40 kids on Saturdays.
When I moved to North Carolina to teach I suggested, started, and ran, our Saturday school program. I ran it 9a-12p, and the kids ran the gamut. I would have AP kids who were overscheduled who just wanted three hours of peace. Some who were behind and came to get caught up. I had kids I taught that would come in so I could tutor them in APUSH (AP US History). Parents, especially my freshmen parents, delighted in dropping their kiddos off to raise their grade.
It was mostly my students at first, but then the program grew, and was pretty successful. In a school of 400 something, we would have 15-20 kids regularly, swelling to 40 or more as the end of marking periods approached (and deadlines for turning in/making up work).
In North Carolina, admin would also suggest/assign it for students who had been suspended, and as punishment. I pushed back against this, because to me, it wasn't about punishment. It wasn't The Breakfast Club, it wasn't detention. To me, it was about an extra opportunity, it was about providing a different environment for students, a different relationship, interaction. It was for kids who maybe didn't do great in the weekly school environment, or needed the extra help.
Last year, I suggested and started Saturday school at my current school. I became the most successful intervention we ran. We alternated math and me, English. We added ACT prep the weekend before the test. In the spring, art teachers added a weekend for students to come in and have access to materials and the studio. Every Saturday I worked I brought donut holes and juice. We hold it in our own rooms, and one of the things I've always liked is that it's a totally different interaction with students and learning environment. It's not about compliance, or telling kids what to do. It's support. I have Saturdays when I don't do anything other than supply colored pencils, paper, and glue sticks. Some weekends I sit right next to kids the whole time and teach them Algebra. Some days I answer questions.
We start about halfway into the first semester, and run every Saturday except for breaks. We start again in the spring, three weeks in. Last year we had anywhere from 5-30 kids each Saturday, with the same pattern I'd noticed- more attending as the end of the marking period approached. This year math regularly has 10-20 kids and the weekends I'm there I have about that.
At the end of last year, I had big plans to grow the program. We have a lot of portables, and I wanted one for Saturday school, a dedicated space with computers, copies of textbooks, materials. The ball got dropped on that despite me emailing and checking in over the summer. I had also proposed, based on feedback last year from staff, that other departments would sign up for weekends- one weekend a month, teachers who wanted rotating. We have staffs of 10 for most departments, so it wouldn't be onerous. It would also allow students to get more help. That idea got dropped too.
When we started this year, there were two new math teachers alternating, so they were there every weekend. And they decided to hold it in the library. I balked, because I live 20-30 minutes away. After the gas, the donuts, the juice, I make zero money out of my Saturday school pay, so one of the bonuses is I get to hold it in my room. The program was also taken away from me, with no notice. I just got an email that said another person would be running Saturday school. I wasn't talked to, no one explained why. And I decided it just wasn't worth fighting about.
So I decided that this semester would be it for me.
I ensured there would be a replacement in the spring, to cover English. They'll work out of the library too.
Also, this week I got the ball rolling on providing breakfast for all our kids who come since we are a free lunch school. I figured it'd be relatively easy to get milk and cereal or whatever and store it for Saturdays and just give back on Monday any extras. The person running Saturday school now looked into it, and it seems like we'll be able to start doing that soon, which is cool.
So I feel good about the program, and how I'm leaving it.
I guess I realized that, I can care about things, start programs, but if it became apparent I wasn't being valued, it was okay to walk away.
The program is up and running now, and it's still incredibly successful. I am a little worried, because my kids have been a big part of this, I email and call parents to get kids there, my kids know I'm there (although I always joke they come because I buy donuts).
But there is only a finite amount of energy.
And I have to learn to not feel guilty about prioritizing. But I do.
Anyway. It's a really cool program, I've seen it succeed in three different environments.
In case you're interested, below are some links to other programs:
- Saturday School in Montgomery helps students achieve more
- This is the actual site for the Montgomery Program
- This program is more arts/gifted enrichment
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