Obama wants to extend school time

[jasonf]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 1:20am

http://news.aol.com/article/obama-supports-curtailing-students/689157

I want to know how teachers will be dealt with should this happen?

[violet72]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 2:30pm

They mention Charter Schools the big difference between public and charter schools is that charter schools can kick kids out for discipline problems and low grades, public schools can't. The reason why other countries have better test score is they don't offer EVERY child an education. They educate all kids to a certain age then they only take the ones who are smart enough (they track their kids).

Also if we have school till 5pm what will happen with extra curricular activities and sports? I teach summer school and only have like 4 weeks off totally and if they make us go to school during the summer I hope they give us some break (for mental health of the teachers).

My district is low income and we offer a free summer program that has breakfast and lunch for the kids and enrichment classes. In the testing grades we have after school tutoring for at risk students for free that goes to 5pm (our scores went up a little).

My feelings are I am for whatever is good for my students, but they better pay me more if this happens. I think if they offer a pay raise with this it will go over better with teachers.

[madbrian]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 2:41pm

While I think every school and every district should re-examine their programs, I don't necessarily think lengthening the school day or year is the right solution. I also don't think there will be any one-size-fits-all solution. I think education in the city needs to be different from education in the burbs and rural areas. And as much as I respect and support teachers, their union is often a stumbling block to any sort of meaningful change.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 2:47pm

It would totally mess up extracurricular activities and sports.

Posted: 9/28/09 at 2:52pm

It pisses off teachers AND eliminates school sports? THIS IS THE BEST IDEA EVER!

[winston89]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 2:58pm

What bothers me when it comes to extra extracurriculars is that a lot of the schools in the districts around me view them as something that while nice, is not really that important to what is going on in the classroom. It is as if the districts don't see the skills and lessons that can be learned in them and therefor see them as something that is far from important.

But, the question that I have is this. I know for a fact that the surrounding districts around me don't all start exactly at the same time and don't exactly end at the same time. Sure, they are around the same time but not on the dot. Now, I can see this whole plan working if all schools started and ended at the same time. But, how are they going to control this if one district let's say starts at 8:30 and ends at quarter to 3. Whereas, another one, one town over, would start at 9 and get out at half passed three?

I do know that in the city private schools have their own schedules that are different from the public schools. I remember when I was in my private middle/high school, they always told us that if we were walking around the city on a day off, to make sure that we had our student IDs on us, that way the cops wouldn't think that we were being truant. There were a lot of days on our school calendar when we were off but the public NYC school's weren't. And, I can't count the number of days where I was walking around with a group of my friends and almost got into trouble with a cop. It happened so often that after a while it didn't even start to bother me anymore.

[scott68]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 3:01pm

Joe, just because you don't sit on the bleachers and watch wrestling practice doesn't mean you have to ruin such simple pleasures for the rest of us!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 3:38pm

Joe can usually be found under the bleachers.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 3:42pm

I think if the government or school districts didn't care so much about test scores (the one that all schools are supposed to take) then it would be better. I mean, teachers aren't teaching kids really anything that is going to benefit them. They are teaching them to pass a test. Or that is how it is like in the district I grew up in

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 3:47pm

I don't think that's a good idea. Kids will have less time to do homework, and you'd better believe they're still going to cram just as many extracurriculars in there. I know for a fact that by seventh period, no one in ANY of my classes is paying attention. A longer school day would not keep kids engaged unless MAYBE there was a snack break with snacks provided before last period.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 4:39pm

I support it wholeheartedly.

I support it because I live it.

I teach at a charter school in New York City. We have both an extended school day and an extended school year. Students are in class from 7:45 - 4:30 everyday. Students that are below grade level stay until 5:30 for additional tutoring. Having come from a school with "traditional hours" I see every day what a huge difference it makes for our kids.

Because of the extended school day our students get Social Studies EVERY DAY. They get Science with a dedicated science teacher in a science lab EVERY DAY. They have PE three times a week. Yoga twice a week. Dance twice a week. Art twice a week. Music twice a week. There are clubs that happen within school hours that work on a pull-out basis. There is a track team and a basketball team. I am looking at starting a school chorus this year and perhaps a band next year. Basically a lot of "extracurriculars" are incorporated into the school day.

On the teaching side, we get three preps a day. That means that I no longer bring work home with me as I finally have adequate time to do all my grading and planning during the school day. At my old school the kids used to get out a 2, but I spent most days working on planning until 5 anyway. Now I get my planning done at work and am actually compensated for the hours. What a concept.

We only have one month of summer vacation, the kids have 6 weeks. Teachers return to school a full two weeks before the students which allows us to have the entire curriculum hashed before the year starts. That also saves from having to take work home with us during the school year.

Wednesdays are early release days, the kids leave at 2. The teachers stay til 5. This is when our staff meetings take place as well as PD and even MORE planning time.

Our kids are about 97% free/reduced lunch. Most are straight out of the projects that are adjacent to the school. A number live in homeless shelters or women's shelters in the neighborhood. Yet these kids are crushing the achievement gap. 96% of our students are now on grade level (the rate is usually about 40% when the kids start with us) with 65% ABOVE grade level.

Extended school WORKS.

Updated On: 9/28/09 at 04:39 PM

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 4:57pm

I'm assuming that's elementary school, though. In high school, you don't have 'pull outs,' you have more classes. More classes means more homework, and longer school days means less time in which to do it. Each teacher always forgets that his class is not your only one and assigns a full night's worth of homework as it is.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 5:03pm

High schools have extended days up here too. Which means more opportunity for electives. Or for students to take classes in whatever their interests lie in.

My high school actually had optional extended days, which I chose to participate in and that meant I took 3 music classes every day in addition to my regular school schedule.

Some students who were less interested in music used it to take additional science classes, additional journalism classes or additional history classes. Others used it just to get requirements out of the way, graduate a year early, and get a jump start on college.

Updated On: 9/28/09 at 05:03 PM

[Plum]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 7:01pm

I went to an extended day high school, too (8-4:30), but that was a commitment I made voluntarily when I was 14, and we had periods of free time during the week to do whatever, as well as a lot of class time that wasn't lecture-formatted (labs, small group projects, senior internships etc.). Our teachers also got paid a lot more than regular public school teachers in exchange for their commitment to the system. And even with all that, the system had definite downsides. It's just plain hard when you're coming home at 7pm because of extracurriculars every night and you haven't done your homework for the 7 classes you have the next day. I was able to maintain that pace for 4 years until I went into the free land of college, but if I'd had it for my entire school career I think I would have gotten an ulcer.

Kids need unstructured time to play, read, nap, or just let their minds wander. I think the idea of an extended school year is a promising one, but I'm a lot more suspicious of the extended day.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 11:00pm

I think if the government or school districts didn't care so much about test scores (the one that all schools are supposed to take) then it would be better.

The problem isn't so much the test scores, but the fact that those test scores one day turn into more highly qualified college graduates who are given more jobs than Americans.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 9/28/09 at 11:07pm

It's my last year, so I don't give a sh*t one way or the other.

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 1:02am

It is just so strange how the 5 day a week, 8 to 2 or 3 for classes and school years from the week after Labor Day up until about June 10th just went away. And everything was covered, even the arts. Lots of extracurricular activities also.

[singingwendy]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 7:30am

"Those hours from 3 o'clock to 7 o'clock are times of high anxiety for parents," Duncan said. "They want their children safe. Families are working one and two and three jobs now to make ends meet and to keep food on the table."


Why do I sense that THIS will be the angle that would sell this to parents? If we keep their kids until 5:00-6:00 that means that they don't have to hire child care for those hours...... Of course, that might put some day care providers out of a job.....

[violet72]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 8:28am

Again you can not compare our test scores with other countries because other countries DO NOT educate every child, only their smartest students.

I have a question for colleen lee, if any of your students have behavior issues (such as cursing, threatening, or physically hurting a teacher) can they be kicked out? If a student is getting at risk tutoring and still not achieving can they be kicked out? Do the students at your school take the mandated state tests? Also does your school pay more then the public school in your area? Does your school have a competative sports team and marching band? Not trying to be argumentative just want to know the answers

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 9:36am

i went to a school that ran from 8:30 - 3:15
we had history every day, as well as science, music, and art. i dont really see how that's an argument for longer school days.

something i dont get is, what if a kid gets detention? are they going to keep them untill 7:00? we weren't allowed to do homework in detention.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 11:18am

PE three days a week, Colleen? Isn't this cruelty to gay boys?

[danmag]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 11:32am

I say extend the school day. The less time I spend with my children, the better.

Just kidding, of course...But not really.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 11:37am

as someone who saw first-hand how badly our schools fail our children, i think that nothing should be "off the table" when it comes to trying to turn them around. my own preference is that every three weeks we publicly execute one teacher based on random criteria to be determined by me and whoever happens to be sitting near me at the bar that night. don't worry colleen, you'll be given an opportunity to, uh, "appeal" my death sentence.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 2:17pm

Again you can not compare our test scores with other countries because other countries DO NOT educate every child, only their smartest students.

Yes, and while we're too busy not leaving any child behind instead of educating to their strengths, those smartest students from India and China are getting hired in the science and technology fields in the US at higher rates than Americans.

You can continue to write-off the education in other countries all you want, but children in our one-size-fits-all school system will grow up and have to directly compete with the best and brightest of the rest of the world for the same jobs.

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 9/29/09 at 4:02pm

I'm a sophomore. I get out at 2:35 everyday and start at 7:30. I do about on average 4 hours of dance classes each day. I have to juggle that with school.

HELL to the NO.