Daughters to Work Day spurs a debate

Wednesday, July 10, 2002 | 10:59 a.m.

Terry Hickman's daughter never showed particular interest in her father's career as a school counselor in Carson City -- that is, until she traded a day of grade school for a chance to see him on the job.

Hickman's daughter, Rebecca, is now a community college student studying to become a school counselor. Her participation in the national Take Our Daughters to Work Day played a part in her career choice, Hickman said.

"You think you know what your parents do for a living, but the reality can be quite different," said Hickman, now president of the Nevada State Education Association. "For Rebecca, it was an eye-opener and a very powerful experience."

But some critics question why taking your child to work should also have to mean taking them out of the classroom. At last week's annual meeting of the National Education Association, of which Hickman's organization is affiliated, representatives voted in favor of moving the day of career-shadowing to the summer, so that students will not have to cut class.

The idea for the switch came from Wisconsin teacher Glenn Schmidt, according to NEA officials. Schmidt said he watched last April as the classrooms were emptied of children from the more prosperous homes. Children whose parents were unemployed or worked blue-collar jobs were left behind, Schmidt said.

The NEA delegates voted to back Schmidt's proposal and encourage schools to go along with the switch, officials said.

"Teachers often put important curricular events on hold because they can't teach children who aren't there," said Melinda Anderson, senior press officer for the NEA. "In addition, having this day occur during the school year negatively highlights the socioeconomic status of students since more affluent, professional families tend to participate."

Hickman said the Nevada affiliate traditionally falls in line with the national office on questions of policy, and will support moving the career day to the summer.

"It's the overall experience that's important, not necessarily the day that's circled on the calendar," Hickman said.

A spokeswoman for the Ms. Foundation said Monday it's essential that the event take place during the school year. That way, the girls can take what they learned back to the classroom the next day, said Carrie Fernandez, spokeswoman for the national program. It's also important for the participants to make the connection between education and career opportunities, Fernandez said.

If the event were moved to the summer, thousands of young people would be unable to take part, Fernandez said. For example, in Philadelphia, businesses coordinate with inner-city schools and "adopt" classrooms or sections of housing projects, Fernandez said.

The success of the program, created by the Ms. Foundation for Women in 1993, could be measured by the sheer number of participants -- more than 10.5 million nationwide this past April 25. Next spring, the event's name will be changed to Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day and will include new emphasis on how to strike a balance between work and family, foundation officials said.

In the Las Vegas Valley, participation varies from school to school, and there is no assigned curriculum tied in to the annual event, said Agustin Orci, deputy superintendent of instruction for the Clark County School District.

District officials said they didn't keep count of how many students were excused from class this past April 25, or how many teachers incorporated the annual event into the classroom lessons.

"It's completely voluntary," said Joyce Woodhouse, director of the district's School-Community Partnership Program.

Because Clark County has 75 year-round elementary schools, moving the event to the summer would likely have little impact, Orci said.

"We'll go along with the national date that's declared," Orci said. "Either way, some of our kids will miss it, some won't."