Washington Post, 8/17: Let's Have a 9-Hour School Day

[teach1st]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2003/09/16/AR2005032304299.html

(Opinion)

August is the month I try to remove the piles of rotting debris that have accumulated in my work cubicle during the previous 11 months. Like a high school junior being lectured by his mother, I have been telling myself I am too busy to tidy up, but even I have my limits.

The sorting process this time has been interesting. Several of the items I had dumped on the floor reminded me of an issue I wanted to write about. The big education stories this year concerned the obvious: Is the No Child Left Behind law unfairly labeling schools? Should we rely so much on standardized tests? Do our teachers have enough training? Are our federal and state governments spending enough money to educate our children?

But many of the clippings I saved were on something else that has hardly been covered at all. What is the first thing we should do to help our children learn? My answer: give them more time at school each day to do so.

Let me toss at you some of the items I found:

* "Survey Finds That High School Students Spend Little Time on Class Preparation, Almost No Time Reading" -- page seven of the biweekly newsletter "Straight A's" by the Washington-based nonprofit Alliance for Excellent Education.

* "What's Wrong With a Six-Hour School Day?" by Kate Tuttle, an article in the summer 2005 issue (it arrived several weeks ago) of Ed., the magazine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, pages 20-23.

* A profile of the Harlem Children's Zone Promise Academy Charter School that I found on Insideschools.org, an independent guide to New York City schools. I underlined these two sentences: "The school day goes from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the school year runs through August. The after-school program for the elementary grades operates from 4 to 6 p.m., while middle and high school after-school activities run until 7:30 p.m."

Read more (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2003/09/16/AR2005032304299.html)

[Mary Russell]

We need to pay more attention to this! Do we have a school schedule that works for our community?

[Ron]

We need to pay more attention to this! Do we have a school schedule that works for our community?[/QUOTE]

I have found that after 25 years of exposure to the PCSB it appears that we care very little about whether or not we can present material to our students in a timely fashion that they will be alert enough to learn. That means "why are we starting the high schools at 7:00 when those students are asleep, and middle school at 9:00 when those students are needing a break for a snack?" Our school district runs on a bus schedule, not a teaching schedule. This has been discussed for years by many people with all sorts of initials behind their names, but little has been done to correct it. With a true graduation rate (how many 9th graders finish in 4 years - not to include GED or Special diploma) of less than 50%, now is the time.

Why can't we rethink high school, middle school and elementary school to produce the best product we can.

[Securemer]

The only problem with this article is it's newspaper source. The Washington Post owns Kaplan. The Post just recently stated that their biggest money maker is their education division (Kaplan). Longer hours more Kaplan, more money?

[Unregistered]

Right now, I'd be happy to have the full time I am supposed to have - I have yet to have one single day this year where I didn't lose at least 10 min. to late busses and students still trying to eat breakfast in the cafeteria - when the first bell rang today, there were 2 children outside my door to come in instead of 2 dozen - by the second bell (the tardy bell) I had about 12.

As for extending the school day/school year and providing both time for teachers to teach and time to plan, get training, etc. - I have always believed it would make sense to have a 4 day school week, (I know, I know, but the daycares and businesses would adapt), with longer days and go year round with a couple weeks off a few (maybe 3?) times a year. The fifth day would be a teacher workday to grade, plan, file, write AIPs, etc. and attend trainings as needed. If we extended the day by only 90 minutes the time per week in class would remain the same (6 hrs. from the 5th day divided into the 4 days). Less time would have to be spent reviewing/finishing what was started the previous day (gaining more teach time), less rushing would be required (improving comprehension), and more time would allow for more hands on exploration in lessons, planning days every week would allow for more thoughtfully planned lessons and better prepared teachers, ...... If you also change the calendar you can get at least 180 school days and since they are longer days that is more than the law requires, (think of it, no need to worry about making up hurricane dates either). There are 365 days in a year. 52 weeks x 2 weekend days a week = about 104 weekend days.
365 - 104 = about 260 weekdays to play with on a school calendar. If 52 of them are teacher workdays there are still 208 left to be student contact school days. That is 28 days (or 7 of the 4-day weeks) that could be vacation time (a couple weeks around Christmas, a week or 2 in the spring (April, about 4 months after Christmastime), and another 2 weeks in the fall (4 months later is August which leaves Christmas break 4 months away again). You still have 185 days so 5 could be used for Pro-Ed or National Holidays or whatever if necessary. That would leave a 180 day school year of longer days which would equate in actual minutes to what we now get in about 225 days, (because of the extended time 1 longer school day = 1.25 of the current school days: 1.25 x 180 = 225). Another side benefit - only 2 weeks summer - no need to reteach last year's objectives before this year's.

Of course, we would expect to be compensated for the extra time at current salary rates. But, maybe since the job would be less stressful we could negotiate........a little. Remember, the children may be in school for 180 days still but we would have about 45 extra planning/paperwork days plus the extended hours, although we could possible cut back on the hours before and after the students on school days somewhat. Probably less teacher burn-out too, given time to plan and pace ourselves some. We also wouldn't need to find summer jobs anymore (ever try to find someone who wants to hire you for just 2.5 months at any reasonable pay scale?)

Just a thought. I hope my math is correct (doing actual calculations while typing), but even if it's off a little, I have looked at this before with more time to calculate and I know there are ways that work.