There has been some discussion in my area about getting rid of the "summer vacation", and going to school all year round with two week breaks between semesters. Does anyone live in an area that does this? I am thinking this might be a great idea in that the kids have a certain level of continuity, but then, can you imagine being a kid, stuck in a classroom on a hot afternoon during the "dog days of summer'?

This idea has been discussed by numerous school districts. But I believe breaks would amount to more than a cumulative 4 weeks, as school years generally are in the area of 180-190 days. If stretched to more, you better believe teachers would insist that salaries be pro-rated upward to reflect the extra in-class days. My own view is that more should be done than just increasing days, such as allowing teachers to teach instead of expecting them to do everything else but that (sociologist, ethnologist, police, psychologist) and by giving them the respect they deserve. Eliminate the automatic passing of marginal students...i.e., get rid of the assembly line nature of K-12 education. Get the Federal Government out of the equation as well as the NEA as it is now configured, neither has a clue about local education.

It has been discussed, but I don't think it would ever happen. It would take WAY too much effort and rearranging.
However, personally, I think it's a good idea. Keep them out of trouble in the summer, give them something to do. Going to school year round might even shorten the amount of time you have to go to school, total.
I think they do this (or did this) in Germany (correct me if I'm wrong). I know that in France they go to school for six weeks, then have two weeks off, six weeks on, two weeks off. And that is a really nice way to break it up.

I don't have personal knowledge of a year-round program. But it has been adopted (it seems successfully) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, schools, where you have the additional issue of many children speaking little or no English over the summer vacation.

From Prisoners of Time - Schools and Programs Making Time Work:

"In 1986 the Albuquerque schools, including Emerson, adopted a 'year-round' schedule because the burgeoning school population was putting a strain on strapped budgets, classroom space was at a premium, and school officials saw the potential for improving instruction by adopting a new calendar. The year-round program seems to be working well in Emerson, which operates a 12 week on, 15 day off, multitrack schedule with the entire school on vacation for three weeks in July. During the 15-day breaks, the school offers special programs to provide remedial or enrichment classes for about 150 students" (emphasis added).

"In three evaluation cycles, Albuquerque teachers and students have reported more learning and higher teacher morale. The 1992 North Central States evaluation team reported 'more curriculum being covered due to less [post-summer vacation] review time needed' and 'greater retention among low achievers.'"

The only problem seems to be the "mythology of summer vacation."