How do you feel about schools going down to four day weeks?

[WI_DEM]

I saw a story on ABC News last night that an increasing number of schools, in an attempt, to save money are going to four day weeks--with longer hours during the four days, with Friday off. For instance, it saves money by reducing the costs of bussing, by not bussing on that fifth day since there is no school.

Some parents like it because now they can schedule things like doctor/dentist appointments on Fridays, rather than taking there kid out of school. Other parents don't like it because now they have to look for daycare for Friday.

The kids, as you could imagine, love it. One school in Colorado, according to the report, has had this in effect for three years without grades, testing, etc suffering.

What do you think?

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. As you said, it will be harder on parents who need to find daycare,

but there are unmistakable benefits as well.

[merh]

3. What are the benefits other than budgetary?

I mean, do the kids get adequate education - is the school year longer?

Why don't we cut the war efforts down to 4 days a week - imagine that savings.

[zipplewrath]

2. I "think"

Regardless of how I feel, I think that they are merely trading Friday hours for Mon- Thurs hours, and that overall, the number of hours of instruction are too low as compared to many of our competitors. As such, I can see this as either a good or bad thing. It could provide the basis for returning to a 5 day week in the future, without a reduction in the length of the day. Alternately, it provides fewer hours in the day for out of class activities including research, homework, and participation in various competitions.

In the end you get what you pay for and what this highlights is that we are paying for 4 days of instruction spread over a 5 day week.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

4. I understand the cost savings but I really disagree that the cut

backs are coming from education. In a time when we should be offering more and expecting more from our students, teachers and administrators we cut back an extra day. The defense budget is up another 4% but out kids have an extra day to "goof off" and play video games because it is too expensive to educate them.

But then I also have a problem with really nice, expensive buildings sitting empty all summer while other countries put an emphasis on educating their populace. While we make sure the kiddies have time for vacations, Little League, etc. their children are studying and studying hard. I'm not advocating school 24/7 but since we are no longer an agrarian society we can quit worrying about the kids being available to help out on the family farms. I love Little League, family vacations, swimming, and the freedom of summer - just not three dang months of it. Let's make sure our children understand that education is the golden key to everything - not just something to pass the time until fall, spring and summer breaks roll around.

[sammytko]

5. i say YES!

I'm doing observation in an intermediate school (4 and 5). Fridays are total goof off days.

Either don't go on Fridays or bring back daily art, music and PE. They only do these activities once a week or so.

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. Thursdays will become the new Fridays. Then there will only be 3 days of

serious learning per week.

[stopbush]

6. Where I live, they basically cut out bus service this year.

The few buses that do run cost the parent $400 a year per kid. The rest of us waste time and money driving our kids to and from school because buses aren't available.

As far as going to a 4-day school week - I think it's a good idea on the learning side of things. Kids today have so much homework everyday of the week that it's almost like they're doing 7-days worth of school work. I went to HS in the early 70s, and we never had as much homework as kids have now. Count up the hours spent and it is way more than we oldsters ever could have imagined.

In addition, kids today are very computer savvy in a day and age when most of them will end up with a job that calls for excellent computer skills. Even in their playtime, they are training for a job. My son does some of his school work/homework via the computer, even submitting some of his graded projects directly to a teacher's grade book via the internet.

Another option would be to keep the 5-day week but have the kids go for fewer weeks. I wonder what the trade-off in savings is between, say, having 40 4-day weeks v 35 5-days weeks to complete a school year. As it is now, kids go to school longer into June and often start back in late August. we used to get out around June 1 and return after Labor Day.

Where I worry is if it means that teacher salaries would be cut drastically.

[seabeyond]

8. it will interfer with too many working families. hours have to be made up in the four days and

that would make a very long for the kids and i can see that being a huge problem.

i dont think it would work. i wouldnt like to see my children do it. they excel in school, they work hard but that would be too much in a day i think. i wouldnt like to see the results tested out on them and effecting their future

[Sabriel]

9. The point is not how long they're in school

The point is what they do when they're there.

I don't see why you can't do the same amount of really good, well-managed instruction in four days, with appropriate time for nutritional and physical movement breaks.

That being said, this could be a huge burden on low-income parents who must find child care for that day. Ouch. I don't suppose the school is planning on assisting with that little problem?

And I agree with the poster upthread who pointed out that we can always find $$ to kill people but not $$ to educate them. I'd like my tax dollars going to Friday school, not military contractors so they can kill people who have never done anything to me (or my country).