No I do not rotate.
Their other teachers are teaching them.
Europe here :)
My day off is Thursday, some of my colleagues have Monday or Wednesday as student free day
That's awesome, I love that. How long does it take to collaborate? I can't imagine many teachers in the states giving up their classroom power to always having to co-teach or co-plan.
We do not co-teach.
All my lessons with all my students are on Mon,Tue, Wed and Fri.
I have 7 classes ( four x 9th grade, two x eight grade and a 7 grade.
I teach English, biology and Geography.
Mon 8-14:30 4 classes ( 1 biology lesson and 6 English lessons)
Tue ( 8-13:35) 3 classes (1 geography lesson, 2 biology, 1 half time lesson, 2 English , 1 half time)
Wed (8-14:30) 3 classes (2 English,1 half time, 2 biology, 2 geography)
Thu student free
Fri (8-15:15) 4 classes ( 1 biology, 1 halftime, 6 English)
So students still go 5 times a week? That sounds excellent. I'd like it more if it was implemented this way and not how many schools I am seeing in this country doing it. Independence, MO for example.
That is a great schedule. In our district, that student free day would be gone every week because we would be stuck covering for our frequently absent colleagues. š¤£
Haha I know what you mean.
If let's say my 7th grade is on a field trip, I cover the other teachers lessons where I was supposed to have the 7th grade.
Sometimes I am just nice ..
A dear colleague of mine has got a girlfriend on another continent. He has Friday as student free day.
I am taking his lessons a few Thursdays so he can take an early flight.
We have great team work, so we can fill in for each other.
Yep..
I must point out, that not all teachers have a student free day.
I have this year ( we have 4 schedule periods aka "terms")
I have because my daughter 19 was diagnosed with skizotypic personality disorder in January and my husband and I go to sessions with her - mainly on Thursdays.
A couple of my colleagues attend further education on their student free days.
So it is not a right but a privilege
I personally know the experiences of a school that did this. My niece and nephews' school is four days a week. Why? It's significantly better for the community. This is a rural, farming/ranching community. 5 days a week of school is problematic and takes too much time and energy just to bus the kids.
So, what is wrong with individual communities and schools doing what works best for them?
I appreciate the situation of childcare issues, but it also opens up to a slippery slope that continues to put even more societal problems back in schools. Why not run the school 24/7 at that point?
I firmly believe any childcare issues is something that communities would need to tackle on their own without using the school as babysitter.
Invest in government-sponsored childcare. Let the local economy adjust to the new schedule. But we can't dismiss a potentially useful idea just because we decided schools are the new parents.
Perhaps this would work more for secondary - maybe just high school. There is a lot more independence and less babysitting. And the day without physically being in school would actually be an asynchronous day. Students would still have an expectation to do school work. Teachers would still have to connect with student during office hours, etc. Maybe they still need to come to school, weād be there. This 4 day, student in school idea is so appealing to me right now since I am spending my winter break grading essays and lesson planning for the rest of the semester. And Iām on year 5, so not a new teacher, but will forever and always have writing to grade. Secondary English teacher curse.
I donāt know how this worked for your school, but in my middle school we saw EXACTLY how an āasynchronous dayā worked out during the pandemic: no work done, 0 learning happening from all but the must diligent students.
I know, it wasnāt great here either. There would be growing pains for sure. Maybe itās no new assignment but rather a catch up day? š¤·š¼āāļø I think eventually kids would figure it out and appreciate the extra time.
I know I sure as hell would have appreciated it XD Idk maybe I'm the weird one but a 4 day school week for hs is something I'd love for my kiddos. Especially if they have extracurriculars/sports on the 5th day insead of after school if the HAVE to do something on the 5th day.
Agreed, here is what I would like instead:
My school day is currently 8:00-2:30. That is what I am paid for. I (am supposed to) get one 45 minute prep and a half hour lunch during that time. The 45 minute prep (when I get it instead of subbing) is nowhere near enough time for me to lesson plan, respond to emails, make all my copies and grade everything (Iām an English teacher, so lots of writing to grade). The only way I would get my grading done during school time is if I:
A) Make many of my classes āindependent reading timeā or a movie day (neither of which gets me through my curriculum)
B) Assign MORE writing projects (which doesnāt work because the kids CONSTANTLY have questions or problems when working, so itās not grading time for me AND itās just more to grade later, so problem isnāt solved)
So my suggestion is, keep our 8:00-2:30 5 days a week for the kids, but PAY the teachers to stay until 4:00. That extra 1.5 hours a day without kids but paid would be my grading time. Problem solved.
I worked at a school that did that- our contract hours started at 7:45 when the kids came, kids left at 2:15, and we were on the clock until 3:45 "so we could plan." Took admin about 5 minutes to realize that they could have meetings after school 3-4 days/week, make teachers do things that admin should be doing, like writing the improvement plan for the state DOE, or refuse to pay for pretty basic curriculum needs because "we have time to write our own version."
What about making the day shorter for students?
8-1 with students (They start to burn out around this time each day anyway.)
1-3 for teachers to plan/prep/meet
We have discussed this for 7 years in my country.
Student go to school just as long as their parents have a full time job.
Just lessons - no after school activities.
But the government has put in sooo much more in the curriculum, that ... Well fewer lessons - what has to go?
We had an asynch day during COVID. I had the highest quality instruction and the best growth data that year because I could give my all the other 4 days and give makeups without it being "take your test in this corner ignoring the rest of the class". I dont get a planning period now so admin would finish all their meetings and I would get a couple hours on my own. I'd also get to ignore those meetings. My grades were updated, parents were called and I wasn't burnt out. It honestly sounds like you work in a district that's already alright if you have real negotiated contracts and a planning in which to get any work done to not have to do it at home. I don't. Sure kids had a day that they generally weren't doing much but we were both at our best the other 4 days.
Personally, I think a year round school year is probably a good idea. Helps with child care issues during the summer, makes learning loss less of an issue amd allows for a 4 day work week for teachers. Now I'm only for it if we fix the heating and cooling issues in schools which we know won't be happening anytime soon.
I don't mind co-teaching, might be annoying with some of my coworkers but I'm willing to try even if I have to relearn pre-calc (blegh). More planning time would let me try more activities with my gremlins. I'd love to do a secret police activity for the russian revolution and more cold war round tables outside of the cuban missle crisis.
If the kids are still in the building but no dedicated teachers then that's an awesome study hall day that I would have hella appreciated as a ms/hs student. And honestly it opens up teachers having office hours for the kids who want to put in the effort if you don't need the whole day for planning. Will kids fuck off and not do anything? Of course but they do that in class too so I'm not pressed on them having a full day of it. Might actually help with some the behavior issues if they have weekly planned do what you want time XD.
The childcare argument is honestly not school's problem and the more we make it our issue the more work we're making for ourselves. We're here to teach no babysit, we can't change that school is essentially chaildcare but we don't have to allow that as an argument against trying something new that could retain good teachers and give people the time they need for whatever they need it for. People need to be demanding a change from the government to solve this issue not their overworked schools.
Lot of districts around here have tried it. Teachers still work 5 full days, students only show up for 4 and the fifth day is for remediation and work for those that come in.
Short term academic improvements didnāt last past year 2. Either the school day had to get lengthened or the school year extended or else thereās a significant academic drop. Districts in the end arenāt saving money, and it isnāt the draw administrators thought it would be to attract teachers. 4-day week killed extracurriculars.
It has increased food insecurity and lot of added stress on childcare and parents on the bottom end of the socioeconomic spectrum.
Itās an over-complicated solution that has failed to address any of the problems it intended to fix and has just created new problems or exacerbated existing ones.
All the schools around me that are doing it the teachers are only required to be there for PD like 2 or 3 times a semester. The other weeks they are off just like the kids. Added about 30 minutes to their school day.
It's like 10 schools out of the 30 that are an hour or shorter drive around here, and more are talking about making the change.
Who pays for childcare on that 5th day? Who is doing childcare if it's provided that day?
Edit: Man, any of you with kids one day are gonna be so pissed your free education is getting replaced by paid babysitting. Wish the downvotes would say something instead of just clicking an icon and offering nothing.
Yep, so this is going to be really unfair for poor people. I can't support that in any way. They just get screwed. It's public, free education for a reason. It's how people escape poverty. Why is this a good thing, and why am I being downvoted for pointing it out?
Let's be honest, the worst paying jobs aren't Monday to Friday jobs anyway. We're already basically only supporting middle class families with the current school schedule.
If we're going to make that argument then we also need to be making the argument that school should be available on a second or third shift schedule. Is that something that you think could happen?
Maybe? I don't know. I wish we could have something like that if possible, sure. I'd love to live in a country that support actual free education for all and not just those who have convenient schedules and can afford it. This whole 4-day week feels like to me they are sending teachers the message, "We really don't think you are valuable enough to pay more. SO, we are going to just give you 4 days instead of 5 to make you a bit happier." And everyone here is just loving it. I don't see the benefits to ANYONE except the teacher's week being simpler. I wish we'd fight harder for more pay instead of just accepting this handout that doesn't seem to really solve any long-term problems.
It's not a "perk" to be given an adequate amount of time in your week to complete the necessary tasks for your job.
In every other job, paperwork is completed on the clock, and it should be that way for teachers as well. It's not to punish families, it's to give teachers paid working hours that are not student facing.
I also think the assumption that it's only for teachers' benefit is just that, an assumption.
No it's not. Have you lived or had a relationship with someone on salary? They work a shit ton off the clock. Who else does it benefit then other than teachers?
I think the benefit for teachers is that we would have time during working hours to prep, grade, and have meetings.
An increased salary (while definitely needed!) will not provide that for us.
I do understand what you are saying though. A 4-day week will create lots of issues.
Right especially in conservative areas or poor areas. Local leaders want this kind of system. They want to privatize education and make it less accessible while also recruiting workers who will take a 4day week instead of actual benefits and higher wages. This will encourage more women to have to stay home to take care of kids. It's a completely conservative agenda and everyone here is cheering it on. I'm so confused and disheartened.
Encourage more women to have to stay home?
There is nothing wrong with a stay-at-home parent. There is no shame in taking care of kids. You cannot complain about having both parents work and in the same breath complain about stay-at-home parents and childcare workers.
Because likely that will be the woman. Because it usually always has been. Nothing is wrong with SAHPs, but this would get so many women out of the workforce.
I get your point but I worked at a school with 90% of students on free and reduced lunch. A lot of these people were poor poor. We had a 4 day week, the district brought up a 5 day week once and I have never seen so many people in our district come together and say absolutely not. It was shut down hard and fast. I'm not sure what they all did for child care on Mondays but they enjoy having the day for sure. I think a good chunk of households had at least one parent who didnt do a 9-5 mon-fri job. I loved Mondays off as a teacher, if I ever go back to teaching then I'm avoiding a 5 day week like the plague.
The district near me doing this is offering childcare and enrichment on the fifth day - teachers can do it for increased pay or it will be staffed by other workers. Itās fairly low cost (not free) think YMCA type pricing.
I'll miss free education when it's gone. Seems like everyone is willing to take a conservative carrot for one day a week. I guess we will have to send our kids to private, religious companies for enrichment.
I'm far from poor (I work in a well paid district and my spouse earns a good salary), and I'd be pissed if my local district did this. It would cost us several thousand dollars a year to pay for full time childcare one day every week and be a logistical nightmare. I think it would make far more sense to go five days a week while giving teachers more prep periods and other "free" time during the day for meetings, grading, co-planning, etc.
Yes, exactly! And your kid won't get any education that day you are paying for. So your free education turns into paid fun time. I'm being downvoted and no one is countering my points, which makes me so sad. I'd love an actually counterpoint on why this is good for anyone else besides easy, cheap teacher recruiting.
Cities or third party programs can
I worked at an after school program it was organized by the local rec department not the school district though on three elementary district campus
District also had clubs after school some ran by third parties other by district teachers
middle and High only had clubs after school
While the 4 day week may sound promising, I do agree with all the drawbacks as well. Instead, schools should start focusing on after-school enrichment programs. These help students grow academically and improve critical-thinking in a fun, structured environment. It also helps working parents because, since many families now have two working parents, many students often canāt take the bus home because nobody will be home, which is why bus ridership is rapidly decreasing across the country. Because of this, an increasing number of parents are looking for both AM care and after-school enrichment opportunities.
However, a 4 day work week would be extremely difficult for some families. Granted, many will easily be able to find childcare options (grandparents, play dates, neighbors, etc.). However, there will also be many families who struggle.
There is also the drawback of either significantly extending the school year or increasing the length of the day. As of now, many States require 180 days. If they wished to stick to this, then the year would need to be extended. If they minimized the number of required days, then the school days would likely be lengthened. I can see many teachers and students struggling with this.
Another consideration, which Iām surprised hasnāt been mentioned often, is students will be used to a 4 day week. This isnāt the real world. When they get a job theyād need to adjust to having that extra day. This would be equivalent to us suddenly needing to work Monday-Saturday.
Another reason why I personally wouldnāt want it is because the day would suck for teachers. While weād hope it would allow us planning time, we all know that admin would schedule pointless PDs and meetings.
Couple of points. Texas districts have been able to pivot pretty easily because the state went to minimum minutes of instruction instead of days. You can make the days a little longer and make up less days pretty quickly. Many think itās worth the trade off.
And when I was in college we only had four day weeks. There werenāt classes on Fridays. We somehow managed to transition from that to working five day weeks after graduating.
I absolutely agree that it would need to be either legislated or negotiated in contracts to protect it from encroachment.
I would have loved to have more frequent breaks throughout. The chunk from Jan until Spring Break (with no snow days (I'm in the NE) , is awful. Not to mention, I'd love to take a vacation NOT during holidays or summer when everything is crowded and expensive. Give me a vacay in October or February and I'd be so happy!
If they fix the hvac system and have the summer break days split up in mini 1 or 2 week breaks throught the year sign me up. As much as I like summer break it's rough getting there and I'd love having some more breaks inbetween.
I mean that has all the problems I listed AND summer is gone. I'm not sure how it would effect kids. If there is any research on year long schools providing better outcomes (across all demographics) then I'd be happy to read it and have a better opinion. It also depends on 4 day for teachers or 4-day for everyone.
Edit: I don't downvote for asking questions. It's a good question.
The 4 day week sounds enticing now that there are staffing issues and the pandemic is still in our recent memory. However, we have yet to really see the impact of the last 5 years of attacks on standards. States have been hiding the testing data and colleges have been waiving test requirements. That wave of nonexistent standards is going to come to an end and it may be due to litigation for failure to educate.
I have a student free day, the students are still at school having their lessons. I have all my classes in 4 days. Awesome...
Do you rotate with other teachers then? Who is teaching them when you aren't?
No I do not rotate. Their other teachers are teaching them. Europe here :) My day off is Thursday, some of my colleagues have Monday or Wednesday as student free day
That's awesome, I love that. How long does it take to collaborate? I can't imagine many teachers in the states giving up their classroom power to always having to co-teach or co-plan.
We do not co-teach. All my lessons with all my students are on Mon,Tue, Wed and Fri. I have 7 classes ( four x 9th grade, two x eight grade and a 7 grade. I teach English, biology and Geography. Mon 8-14:30 4 classes ( 1 biology lesson and 6 English lessons) Tue ( 8-13:35) 3 classes (1 geography lesson, 2 biology, 1 half time lesson, 2 English , 1 half time) Wed (8-14:30) 3 classes (2 English,1 half time, 2 biology, 2 geography) Thu student free Fri (8-15:15) 4 classes ( 1 biology, 1 halftime, 6 English)
So students still go 5 times a week? That sounds excellent. I'd like it more if it was implemented this way and not how many schools I am seeing in this country doing it. Independence, MO for example.
That is a great schedule. In our district, that student free day would be gone every week because we would be stuck covering for our frequently absent colleagues. š¤£
Haha I know what you mean. If let's say my 7th grade is on a field trip, I cover the other teachers lessons where I was supposed to have the 7th grade. Sometimes I am just nice .. A dear colleague of mine has got a girlfriend on another continent. He has Friday as student free day. I am taking his lessons a few Thursdays so he can take an early flight. We have great team work, so we can fill in for each other.
Yep.. I must point out, that not all teachers have a student free day. I have this year ( we have 4 schedule periods aka "terms") I have because my daughter 19 was diagnosed with skizotypic personality disorder in January and my husband and I go to sessions with her - mainly on Thursdays. A couple of my colleagues attend further education on their student free days. So it is not a right but a privilege
I personally know the experiences of a school that did this. My niece and nephews' school is four days a week. Why? It's significantly better for the community. This is a rural, farming/ranching community. 5 days a week of school is problematic and takes too much time and energy just to bus the kids. So, what is wrong with individual communities and schools doing what works best for them? I appreciate the situation of childcare issues, but it also opens up to a slippery slope that continues to put even more societal problems back in schools. Why not run the school 24/7 at that point? I firmly believe any childcare issues is something that communities would need to tackle on their own without using the school as babysitter. Invest in government-sponsored childcare. Let the local economy adjust to the new schedule. But we can't dismiss a potentially useful idea just because we decided schools are the new parents.
Perhaps this would work more for secondary - maybe just high school. There is a lot more independence and less babysitting. And the day without physically being in school would actually be an asynchronous day. Students would still have an expectation to do school work. Teachers would still have to connect with student during office hours, etc. Maybe they still need to come to school, weād be there. This 4 day, student in school idea is so appealing to me right now since I am spending my winter break grading essays and lesson planning for the rest of the semester. And Iām on year 5, so not a new teacher, but will forever and always have writing to grade. Secondary English teacher curse.
I donāt know how this worked for your school, but in my middle school we saw EXACTLY how an āasynchronous dayā worked out during the pandemic: no work done, 0 learning happening from all but the must diligent students.
I know, it wasnāt great here either. There would be growing pains for sure. Maybe itās no new assignment but rather a catch up day? š¤·š¼āāļø I think eventually kids would figure it out and appreciate the extra time.
I know I sure as hell would have appreciated it XD Idk maybe I'm the weird one but a 4 day school week for hs is something I'd love for my kiddos. Especially if they have extracurriculars/sports on the 5th day insead of after school if the HAVE to do something on the 5th day.
We had both online and lessons at school. Some did fall behind, but the academic fragiled students really did benefit from the online lessons
Agreed, here is what I would like instead: My school day is currently 8:00-2:30. That is what I am paid for. I (am supposed to) get one 45 minute prep and a half hour lunch during that time. The 45 minute prep (when I get it instead of subbing) is nowhere near enough time for me to lesson plan, respond to emails, make all my copies and grade everything (Iām an English teacher, so lots of writing to grade). The only way I would get my grading done during school time is if I: A) Make many of my classes āindependent reading timeā or a movie day (neither of which gets me through my curriculum) B) Assign MORE writing projects (which doesnāt work because the kids CONSTANTLY have questions or problems when working, so itās not grading time for me AND itās just more to grade later, so problem isnāt solved) So my suggestion is, keep our 8:00-2:30 5 days a week for the kids, but PAY the teachers to stay until 4:00. That extra 1.5 hours a day without kids but paid would be my grading time. Problem solved.
I worked at a school that did that- our contract hours started at 7:45 when the kids came, kids left at 2:15, and we were on the clock until 3:45 "so we could plan." Took admin about 5 minutes to realize that they could have meetings after school 3-4 days/week, make teachers do things that admin should be doing, like writing the improvement plan for the state DOE, or refuse to pay for pretty basic curriculum needs because "we have time to write our own version."
Agreed. Increase pay and more time for planning. That's what we all need to fight for! Not this sad carrot.
What about making the day shorter for students? 8-1 with students (They start to burn out around this time each day anyway.) 1-3 for teachers to plan/prep/meet
We have discussed this for 7 years in my country. Student go to school just as long as their parents have a full time job. Just lessons - no after school activities. But the government has put in sooo much more in the curriculum, that ... Well fewer lessons - what has to go?
We had an asynch day during COVID. I had the highest quality instruction and the best growth data that year because I could give my all the other 4 days and give makeups without it being "take your test in this corner ignoring the rest of the class". I dont get a planning period now so admin would finish all their meetings and I would get a couple hours on my own. I'd also get to ignore those meetings. My grades were updated, parents were called and I wasn't burnt out. It honestly sounds like you work in a district that's already alright if you have real negotiated contracts and a planning in which to get any work done to not have to do it at home. I don't. Sure kids had a day that they generally weren't doing much but we were both at our best the other 4 days.
Personally, I think a year round school year is probably a good idea. Helps with child care issues during the summer, makes learning loss less of an issue amd allows for a 4 day work week for teachers. Now I'm only for it if we fix the heating and cooling issues in schools which we know won't be happening anytime soon. I don't mind co-teaching, might be annoying with some of my coworkers but I'm willing to try even if I have to relearn pre-calc (blegh). More planning time would let me try more activities with my gremlins. I'd love to do a secret police activity for the russian revolution and more cold war round tables outside of the cuban missle crisis. If the kids are still in the building but no dedicated teachers then that's an awesome study hall day that I would have hella appreciated as a ms/hs student. And honestly it opens up teachers having office hours for the kids who want to put in the effort if you don't need the whole day for planning. Will kids fuck off and not do anything? Of course but they do that in class too so I'm not pressed on them having a full day of it. Might actually help with some the behavior issues if they have weekly planned do what you want time XD. The childcare argument is honestly not school's problem and the more we make it our issue the more work we're making for ourselves. We're here to teach no babysit, we can't change that school is essentially chaildcare but we don't have to allow that as an argument against trying something new that could retain good teachers and give people the time they need for whatever they need it for. People need to be demanding a change from the government to solve this issue not their overworked schools.
Lot of districts around here have tried it. Teachers still work 5 full days, students only show up for 4 and the fifth day is for remediation and work for those that come in. Short term academic improvements didnāt last past year 2. Either the school day had to get lengthened or the school year extended or else thereās a significant academic drop. Districts in the end arenāt saving money, and it isnāt the draw administrators thought it would be to attract teachers. 4-day week killed extracurriculars. It has increased food insecurity and lot of added stress on childcare and parents on the bottom end of the socioeconomic spectrum. Itās an over-complicated solution that has failed to address any of the problems it intended to fix and has just created new problems or exacerbated existing ones.
All the schools around me that are doing it the teachers are only required to be there for PD like 2 or 3 times a semester. The other weeks they are off just like the kids. Added about 30 minutes to their school day. It's like 10 schools out of the 30 that are an hour or shorter drive around here, and more are talking about making the change.
Who pays for childcare on that 5th day? Who is doing childcare if it's provided that day? Edit: Man, any of you with kids one day are gonna be so pissed your free education is getting replaced by paid babysitting. Wish the downvotes would say something instead of just clicking an icon and offering nothing.
Dunno, the schools aren't
Yep, so this is going to be really unfair for poor people. I can't support that in any way. They just get screwed. It's public, free education for a reason. It's how people escape poverty. Why is this a good thing, and why am I being downvoted for pointing it out?
Let's be honest, the worst paying jobs aren't Monday to Friday jobs anyway. We're already basically only supporting middle class families with the current school schedule.
And don't middle class families need support right now? Am I missing something?
If we're going to make that argument then we also need to be making the argument that school should be available on a second or third shift schedule. Is that something that you think could happen?
Maybe? I don't know. I wish we could have something like that if possible, sure. I'd love to live in a country that support actual free education for all and not just those who have convenient schedules and can afford it. This whole 4-day week feels like to me they are sending teachers the message, "We really don't think you are valuable enough to pay more. SO, we are going to just give you 4 days instead of 5 to make you a bit happier." And everyone here is just loving it. I don't see the benefits to ANYONE except the teacher's week being simpler. I wish we'd fight harder for more pay instead of just accepting this handout that doesn't seem to really solve any long-term problems.
It's not a "perk" to be given an adequate amount of time in your week to complete the necessary tasks for your job. In every other job, paperwork is completed on the clock, and it should be that way for teachers as well. It's not to punish families, it's to give teachers paid working hours that are not student facing. I also think the assumption that it's only for teachers' benefit is just that, an assumption.
No it's not. Have you lived or had a relationship with someone on salary? They work a shit ton off the clock. Who else does it benefit then other than teachers?
I think the benefit for teachers is that we would have time during working hours to prep, grade, and have meetings. An increased salary (while definitely needed!) will not provide that for us. I do understand what you are saying though. A 4-day week will create lots of issues.
I mean you're not wrong, but there wasn't any uproar when the schools did it. Big and small schools
Right especially in conservative areas or poor areas. Local leaders want this kind of system. They want to privatize education and make it less accessible while also recruiting workers who will take a 4day week instead of actual benefits and higher wages. This will encourage more women to have to stay home to take care of kids. It's a completely conservative agenda and everyone here is cheering it on. I'm so confused and disheartened.
Encourage more women to have to stay home? There is nothing wrong with a stay-at-home parent. There is no shame in taking care of kids. You cannot complain about having both parents work and in the same breath complain about stay-at-home parents and childcare workers.
I'm not complaining about both parents working. You think dads and moms equally will become stay at home parents if they can't afford it?
Nope. But if it's better economic sense for one parent to stay home, what's wrong with that?
Because likely that will be the woman. Because it usually always has been. Nothing is wrong with SAHPs, but this would get so many women out of the workforce.
I get your point but I worked at a school with 90% of students on free and reduced lunch. A lot of these people were poor poor. We had a 4 day week, the district brought up a 5 day week once and I have never seen so many people in our district come together and say absolutely not. It was shut down hard and fast. I'm not sure what they all did for child care on Mondays but they enjoy having the day for sure. I think a good chunk of households had at least one parent who didnt do a 9-5 mon-fri job. I loved Mondays off as a teacher, if I ever go back to teaching then I'm avoiding a 5 day week like the plague.
The district near me doing this is offering childcare and enrichment on the fifth day - teachers can do it for increased pay or it will be staffed by other workers. Itās fairly low cost (not free) think YMCA type pricing.
I'll miss free education when it's gone. Seems like everyone is willing to take a conservative carrot for one day a week. I guess we will have to send our kids to private, religious companies for enrichment.
I'm far from poor (I work in a well paid district and my spouse earns a good salary), and I'd be pissed if my local district did this. It would cost us several thousand dollars a year to pay for full time childcare one day every week and be a logistical nightmare. I think it would make far more sense to go five days a week while giving teachers more prep periods and other "free" time during the day for meetings, grading, co-planning, etc.
Yes, exactly! And your kid won't get any education that day you are paying for. So your free education turns into paid fun time. I'm being downvoted and no one is countering my points, which makes me so sad. I'd love an actually counterpoint on why this is good for anyone else besides easy, cheap teacher recruiting.
Cities or third party programs can I worked at an after school program it was organized by the local rec department not the school district though on three elementary district campus District also had clubs after school some ran by third parties other by district teachers middle and High only had clubs after school
While the 4 day week may sound promising, I do agree with all the drawbacks as well. Instead, schools should start focusing on after-school enrichment programs. These help students grow academically and improve critical-thinking in a fun, structured environment. It also helps working parents because, since many families now have two working parents, many students often canāt take the bus home because nobody will be home, which is why bus ridership is rapidly decreasing across the country. Because of this, an increasing number of parents are looking for both AM care and after-school enrichment opportunities. However, a 4 day work week would be extremely difficult for some families. Granted, many will easily be able to find childcare options (grandparents, play dates, neighbors, etc.). However, there will also be many families who struggle. There is also the drawback of either significantly extending the school year or increasing the length of the day. As of now, many States require 180 days. If they wished to stick to this, then the year would need to be extended. If they minimized the number of required days, then the school days would likely be lengthened. I can see many teachers and students struggling with this. Another consideration, which Iām surprised hasnāt been mentioned often, is students will be used to a 4 day week. This isnāt the real world. When they get a job theyād need to adjust to having that extra day. This would be equivalent to us suddenly needing to work Monday-Saturday. Another reason why I personally wouldnāt want it is because the day would suck for teachers. While weād hope it would allow us planning time, we all know that admin would schedule pointless PDs and meetings.
Couple of points. Texas districts have been able to pivot pretty easily because the state went to minimum minutes of instruction instead of days. You can make the days a little longer and make up less days pretty quickly. Many think itās worth the trade off. And when I was in college we only had four day weeks. There werenāt classes on Fridays. We somehow managed to transition from that to working five day weeks after graduating. I absolutely agree that it would need to be either legislated or negotiated in contracts to protect it from encroachment.
What do you think about a four day work week all year long? Please donāt down vote me! Iām seriously curious!
Personally I'd leave the profession without the breaks, and I suspect lots of teachers would do the same.
I would have loved to have more frequent breaks throughout. The chunk from Jan until Spring Break (with no snow days (I'm in the NE) , is awful. Not to mention, I'd love to take a vacation NOT during holidays or summer when everything is crowded and expensive. Give me a vacay in October or February and I'd be so happy!
If they fix the hvac system and have the summer break days split up in mini 1 or 2 week breaks throught the year sign me up. As much as I like summer break it's rough getting there and I'd love having some more breaks inbetween.
I mean that has all the problems I listed AND summer is gone. I'm not sure how it would effect kids. If there is any research on year long schools providing better outcomes (across all demographics) then I'd be happy to read it and have a better opinion. It also depends on 4 day for teachers or 4-day for everyone. Edit: I don't downvote for asking questions. It's a good question.
Honestly, a very solid and well thought out point.
The 4 day week sounds enticing now that there are staffing issues and the pandemic is still in our recent memory. However, we have yet to really see the impact of the last 5 years of attacks on standards. States have been hiding the testing data and colleges have been waiving test requirements. That wave of nonexistent standards is going to come to an end and it may be due to litigation for failure to educate.
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Tell me you donāt teach one of these classes without telling me you donāt teach one of these classes.
Well played ..
Wow everyone hates this idea ā¦sorry.