The Edutopia Poll
by Sara Ring
The three-day weekend isn't just for the occasional holiday anymore. For one hundred school districts in at least sixteen states, the school week is now only four days long because the rising cost of fuel has made busing kids too expensive. Proponents of the shorter school week (which typically has longer daily hours to make up for the lost day) say it not only saves on fuel and energy costs but also often leads to lower rates of absenteeism and, in some cases, better student performance. Schools can also put the money they save toward programs and staff that might otherwise be cut. Opponents of the four-day week argue that it places a burden on working parents, who now need to find child care on the fifth day. They also say it cuts down on time for extracurricular activities. And those who'd like to see children spend more time in school worry that this practice moves education further away from that ideal. Do the merits of the four-day week outweigh the drawbacks? Tell us what you think!
I'm doing a research paper on topic
Submitted by anne (not verified) on November 22, 2008 - 06:44.
I have been working on a research paper in a graduate program on this topic. My initial hypothesis was that academic achievement would suffer too much hence for this reason alone I would not support. I then worked on quantitative research to support my hypothesis. Much to my surprise, I didn't find that to be the case. My conclusion was that acadecmics were not affected with any significance. (My statistical data is limited due to the variance of testing per state) I did surveys, interviews and lots of research. Finally, I decided that there are some quanitative reasons for parents to support. One of my interviews was with a mother who yearned to be able to take long weekends camping with her family. No way to measure that! Bottom line is if the community and schools support for whatever reason...there are no negative consequences that absolutely should eliminate consideration of this schedule. I teach high school math.
4 day school
Submitted by Courtney (not verified) on November 5, 2008 - 10:38.
Hello,
I am Courtney Condon and i would love to have someone tell me something
about the four-day school week because im doing a paper on it and i would
love more facts on the possibility
I've done both and I prefer the 4 day week
Submitted by Jo simmons (not verified) on October 21, 2008 - 13:13.
I worked in a school district that had a 4 day school week for 4.5 years. The community made it work. Older students/siblings babysat younger students on the 5th day, School days were slightly longer, coinciding with parent's work hours more (and we had more community involvement because parents could make it to all the after-school events). Sports teams still practiced on the 5th day, and students who needed extra help could come in on the 5th day if they made arrangements and the teachers were willing. Extra-Curricular groups, and clubs could have practices and meetings on the 5th day if needed. Students could hold down 'real' jobs because they could promise employers the ability to work one full weekday. Yes, the day was longer, but it was really only about an hour more a day and we had slightly longer class periods.
I have been at a 5 day a week school for almost a year now and find that I can't get as much done in the shorter class period, but the extra day makes up for it. All in all, I'm getting in the same amount of instructional time in, and I'm at the same point in my curriculum that I normally was in the 4 day school week. So, to me there's no advantage in having a 5 day week with shorter class periods.
Looking for input on 4 day school week
Submitted by Mary Ann Englehart (not verified) on November 3, 2008 - 19:18.
My rural district is considering a four day school week. We have one high school and two elementary schools. I would like to hear from other teachers and administrators in districts that are on a four day schedule. Some of the questions we have are: Have high school extra-curricular programs been curtailed or eliminated? Have younger students (k-3) adapted positively or negatively to the new schedule? Did ADA increase? How about standardized test scores? Did your district indeed save money?
I appreciate your help! Thank you!
Mary Ann Englehart
Coarsegold School, CA
metwoc1@mac.com
4 day school
Submitted by Basma Durrani and Nicole Touzan (not verified) on October 29, 2008 - 06:42.
Hello, we are in a group called project citizen and we are doing a project about the 4 day school week, we would like to ask a few questions about the 4 day school that you worked for. 1. What is the name of the four day school you worked for? 2. What were the implementations? ( how did it effect the schedule?)
3. Did the community/parents have any problems with the 4 day school? if so what were the problems and the solutions?
THANK YOU
WE HOPE TO BE HEARING FROM YOU SOON!!!!!!!!
Miami Lakes Middle School, Project Citizen
Flexible Employers
Submitted by R. Zuest (not verified) on October 22, 2008 - 05:02.
In Minnesota, employers are becoming more open to four day work weeks for their employees. It's been a great way for families to spend more time together and lends itself to a four day school week.
Four Day Week
Submitted by Janice Rye (not verified) on October 15, 2008 - 17:53.
A four day week sounds like trouble to me. But hey, maybe it is just me!
The high schools where I live have A/B weeks on fridays. I know you will have some answer, but remember, that is likely changing someone elses schedual. Plus I am not sure how much gas it would be saving, The parents still work, and to drive the child to childcare or have a babysitter drive there could be potential more of a fuel hazard. I really don't see anything wrong with the current system, sure you are kind of worn down by the end of the week, but really, that's why we have a weekend. And sometimes adding an hour each day can severly limit the time they have for afterschool activities. My daughter right now goes from 3-6 PM at volleyball, then goes to soccer from 7-9 and then gets home at around 9:30. She then still has all her homework and a bath to take. If school was an hour longer, there just wouldn't be enough time in a day.
Daycare Cost
Submitted by Kayla (not verified) on October 8, 2008 - 13:22.
Everyone is saying that with the 4 day school it will cost more for daycare. But if school is ending later the parents won't have to pay for daycare on those days. And only on friday so it will eithet lower the price on daycare that they spend or it will stay the same. Because it would be least likley to up because of the new schedule. But that is just what i think.
4 Day School Week
Submitted by angela (not verified) on October 5, 2008 - 07:18.
It seems that the amount of days is actually irrelevant. Our children are expected to spend the majority of their early lives without the ones they love nearby. They are shuffled from one class to the next, are surrounded by people almost exclusively their age, and are bombarded with info and issues and peer pressure. If the children are the most important thing then why do we even send them to a government run building to all be taught the same thing at the same time. Each child is completely different than the next, there is no one way. Maybe we should be asking them what they think. It is they who have to be at the school all day long. Are we just training them to get used to schlepping to a job 5 days a week. OR maybe what they want is actually the most important thing to consider. How do they want to be taught, to learn. We don't have to show them how to learn, they already know that. It is how they learn to walk and talk and ride a bike.
If it's on a 4 Day week, how
Submitted by Tasgio (not verified) on September 30, 2008 - 21:29.
If it's on a 4 Day week, how are teachers going to schedule what homework should be due on what days, it wouldn't follow the "180 days of school tradition.." Imagine how many days of school would we have if it was only 4 days per week, it would seem shorter, we aren't getting enough education if we don't go to school on Fridays. "4 Days School Week" would be effective in 2010 and beyond since we are at risk of using gas.
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