March 16, 2011 11:45 AM
4-day week public schools - your take?
Question from Jen:
I'd like to ask your readers who have state schools on 4 day a week schedules how it's going.Texas has a proposed bill to go to 4 days. I am concerned about those little ones whose families rely on the schools to feed them at least twice a day, whose parents must work and won't have an extra day in their week to care for them. While there is a decrease in the education budget, is there an increase in the budget elsewhere for other services required to care for these children? How about crime amongst the young on their extra day off? Or are we seeing a flux of productive members of society on their days off, working jobs? This seems like it's a fully loaded cannon waiting to explode, a shuffling of money and services.
A little background:
Schools' New Math: the Four-Day Week
By CHRIS HERRING
A small but growing number of school districts across the country are moving to a four-day week, in a shift they hope will help close gaping budget holes and stave off teacher layoffs, but that critics fear could hurt students' education.
State legislators and local school boards are giving administrators greater flexibility to set their academic calendars, making the four-day slate possible. But education experts say little research exists to show the impact of shortened weeks on learning. The missed hours are typically made up by lengthening remaining school days.
Of the nearly 15,000-plus districts nationwide, more than 100 in at least 17 states currently use the four-day system, according to data culled from the Education Commission of the States. Dozens of other districts are contemplating making the change in the next year--a shift that is apt to create new challenges for working parents as well as thousands of school employees.
Read more at WSJ
Posted in Public schools | Permalink
Comments
Jen,
I understand what you are saying when you ask what parents will have to do now if their child(ren) are home one more day a week. Some will have to find childcare, others will need to consider how to feed their kids an extra day a week.
But stand back and see how strange it has gotten when parents rely on government to watch and feed their children. If government did not feed our children, how would they eat? It is bad enough that our schools have become babysitters for six to eight hours a day.
I know this is a reality for many, but it really irks me. It certainly is not what God had intended for children.
Posted by: Ruth | March 16, 2011 12:10 PM
I see it as a chance for parents to actually ...parent one day a week. Sounds like a great plan to shake up education and make the kids have more fun. Daycare or food...we need to consider the consequences of expecting these things from government. Expecting parents to actually take care of their own children is a wonderful concept.
Posted by: Laura | March 16, 2011 1:25 PM
I don't have kids in school but our district has every Wednesday off. Anyone know if it's common for the day to be in the middle of the week? Seems odd to me and like you'd have two Mondays to get over every week.
Posted by: Debra | March 16, 2011 1:42 PM
I think that it is a fabulous idea. We have increased our school hours at the same time that our results are declining. Parents are responsible for their children's education. Some parents choose to partner with the state to provide that education, I do not. It is not the government's job to feed children or to educate them. God has given that job to parents. A four day school week gives kids back to their parents, at least more than now.
On a practical note, it reduces expenses significantly. Not running buses one day a week and keeping those buildings closed will save millions, perhaps billions of dollars.
As a homeschool mom, I know that it is possible to do far more, in far less time. I think this is a fantastic idea.
Posted by: Julia | March 16, 2011 1:44 PM
I second Ruth's observation. Have we forgotten what schools are for? They're not supposed to be a form of free childcare. They're not supposed to feed or raise our kids for us. The fact that we're even asking these questions proves just how reliant on the Nanny State we have become...even those of us who aren't living "on welfare."
It's time to step back and ask ourselves: who is ultimately responsible for the education, feeding and care of children? According to the Bible, it's neither the state nor the schools. It's the parents. If parents choose to delegate some of that task to schools, so be it, but we certainly shouldn't be asking "what will we do with the children?" when schools reveal that they are not entirely up to the task as much as we want.
This is an opportunity for the church to step up and teach parents to be parents again...and to help out in the situations where it's TRULY needed.
Posted by: Rachel | March 16, 2011 5:22 PM
Thanks, Ladies. I agree with you all. It's just the reality of those little ones whose parents have allowed education to become a crutch that truly makes me think twice about supporting this bill. If you can save money on schools, great...I'm sure we could all think of ways that the Education budget could be decreased. Anyone else have schools that are palatial rather than practical?
This is a boat that's been in the dock for a long time - rocking it has consequences beyond what it ought. Parents *should* be caring for their children. In reality, many do not - our foster system is already full of so many precious litle ones. Even many of my Christian friends have said, "I can't wait til my child is 5" or "I'm sure I'll be ready for her to go to school by then" as if 5 years is as long as a parent could be expected to care for their young without outside intervention for long periods. Formal education outside of the home has become an ending/beginning point for them to look forward to.
Also, speaking of the 5 year olds? Here they're gone 35 hours a week plus travel time. This way they'll be gone 34 plus travel time in only 4 days. Does this seem like a bad idea to anyone else? An hour and a half a day longer than their already accustomed to. What is the value in pressing their already overextended attention spans?
Beyond the children, my other major concern revolves around the other budget lines - is there an increase in welfare or police costs foster care or juvenile facilities? Who is footing the bill for those who cannot afford the cost of day care? These are the ways I can see the shuffle of money, where politicians could claim, "We saved 25% over last year's Education budget" when the other budget lines are absorbing a good chunk of it. I am afraid that the extra day and the temptation towards idleness could lead to trouble rather than good.
Trust me - I'm all for 4 day a week education. I practice it in our home school. Here in Texas we even have University Model private schools where they go to classes every other day and work with their parents on their homework in between. Those are the parents who WANT to participate and partner with a school in that manner. We're talking about imposing this on a set of parents who have set expectations based on years of the same ol' same ol'.
I'm not sure a fiscal benefit can outweigh the consequences.
Thanks for talking this out with me! And, I love the thought mentioned above about the church helping where needed. The church here can have a huge impact and I believe many state agencies would be unnecessary if the church did her job to the fullest.
Posted by: JenS | March 16, 2011 8:47 PM
Not focusing on the real underlying issue. Do you really want to know what is wrong with the American education system? It’s the parents, and the conditions which exist in the homes of the children. The parents have roughly 5-6 years to mold the values, curiosity, personalities, and attitudes of the children. More parents are disillusioned, have more economic difficulties to address personally, and thus do not have as much energy or time as parents in the past to deal with the issues affecting their children. People change when they are sufficiently motivated to change. With so many unmotivated parents out there, why should we expect the kids to be motivated? By the time they reach grade school, they are complicated human beings and the education professionals are faced with major challenges.
Posted by: Reggie Greene / The Logistician | March 16, 2011 10:23 PM
My daughter is a teacher, with several children of her own, and she is hoping that our school district will adopt the 4-day schedule next year. That would give her one more day to be at home with her own children. I know other teachers who feel the same way.
A school system in our area went to a four-day schedule a couple of years ago. The local Boys and Girls Club prepared to be able to take in more children on the new non-school day. After a couple of months, the club went back to their regular schedule, as the increase in children coming to the club never materialized. I am not sure why that happened, except that it seems like some of the churches stepped up their programs for the students.
What an opportunity for churches to take an active role!!! Think of the possibilities - instead of spending five days at public schoool, students could spend four days at school, and one in a church-based program. Sounds like a good plan to me!
Posted by: Anonymous | March 17, 2011 6:47 AM
Jen said: "The church here can have a huge impact and I believe many state agencies would be unnecessary if the church did her job to the fullest."
It's true that the church is not doing her job "to the fullest", but let's not forget that we WERE before "progressive" reformers decided that it was the state's job, not the church's. Progressivism as an ideology worships the Messianic state, and rather than view private charities as proof that individuals and communities can rise to the challenge without coercian, they view charities as evidence that the state isn't doing enough. In other words, they believe that if the state was doing it's job, charities wouldn't be necessary.
THAT'S the ideology the church has to fight: pushing the state back within it's scriptural boundaries, and exhorting the church to take back the roles which the state has unlawfully taken over.
Posted by: Rachel | March 17, 2011 2:23 PM
Reggie said: "Do you really want to know what is wrong with the American education system? It’s the parents."
Here is the crux of the issue: since the "progressive" reforms of education instituted by Horace Mann, John Dewey and others over the past century, each successive generation of parents has become more dependent on the state BY DESIGN.
Want to know why parents are so uninvolved and unmotivated? Look no further than the educational system which has relieved each successive generation of more parental responsibility, claiming it for the state. Just like charities, parents have been slowly edged out of their roles, encouraged to defer to the "experts" who know better than them. The current generation of parents, like the one before it, is doing exactly what the state has taught them to do.
Do you see the pattern, now? Government education has been DESIGNED by social reformers over the past century to create dependency on a Messianic State which will usher in a social utopia. It has ENCOURAGED and INCENTIVIZED churches and parents to surrender their God-given responsibilities.
The Shocking Origins of Public Education
http://www.thoughtsfromaconservativemom.com/?p=2876
Posted by: Rachel | March 17, 2011 2:31 PM
Another great read FREE and ONLINE is by John Taylor Gatto: The Underground History of American Education.
Adults are easily relinquishing their own responsibilities as parents because they too are products of the same system.
Posted by: Ruth | March 17, 2011 6:22 PM
Thanks for the good info to chew on Rachel & Ruth.
My question still remains whether or not 34 hours of school in 4 days is still GOOD for young children. :S
Posted by: JenS | March 18, 2011 8:44 PM
