2009.09.29
Longer days, longer terms
President Obama just won't stay out of the nation's classrooms. Now he says kids need to stay in school longer each day and go to school more days each year. He's obviously not trying to win class president.
For later this week, we'll write that it is worth looking at changing the school day. But that the federal government -- not known for its generosity with education -- would need to step up with the substantial funds needed to do this.
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actually 0bama wont stay away from the tv..getting really sick of that mug..he needs to quit jumping into every single thing, your socialism aint gonna work bro
Comment by pammala — September 29, 2009 @ 4:27 pm
Time for year round schooling and knock off this 15 student size classrooms.
Comment by BUD — September 29, 2009 @ 5:18 pm
Oh, gee. If they expand the school year, then teachers (unions) will need higher pay, school lunch will have to be expanded and taxes will have to go up. Family vacations will go bye-bye, the leisure economy; hotels, amusement parks, restaurants will all suffer. But nothing is too important to get in the way of 0bama's total government control program.
Comment by Suzie — September 29, 2009 @ 8:12 pm
There's got to be some time in the school year to teach children how to sing the praises of Obama!
Comment by Danny — September 30, 2009 @ 9:35 am
He wants more time to fully indoctrinate them into the ways of liberal thinking. parents can have too much effect in those summer motnhs and in the hours not spent at school. You can't have that!
Comment by Bob H — September 30, 2009 @ 2:17 pm
Making the school day longer could actually benefit some parents, who typically don't arrive home from work until after 5pm anyway and have to make arrangements for where their kids will be after school. I'm not sure how much it would benefit students though, especially elementary school kids, their attention spans are pretty limited and adding another 15 minutes to an instruction period doesn't mean they will absorb 15 more minutes of teaching. There is a lot to consider.
As for lengthening the school year, I'd like to hear some arguments for why that would be a good thing. I guess if the summer vacation was shorter, retention of material learned in a previous term could be better, less time to forget. On the other hand, Suzie may have a point about the traditional peak season for family vacations being infringed on. And if summer vacation was reduced to just one month, every employee at every company would want a week or two off during that one month...that wouldn't be pretty.
Bottom line, it would be really tough, IMO, to change our current school calendar without some major disruption, and I'm not fully convinced it would be worth it.
Comment by VT Hokie — September 30, 2009 @ 3:13 pm
VT,,you raise some good points. Some areas in N. Carolina have gone to a year round schedule and one Mom I talked to liked it. They were on vacation in mid September, when everyone else was back to school- better hotel rates. I believe the Europeans go year round and they sure kick our backsides in standardized testing...I think they might have longer days too.
Alot of the politicians talk about being for "education"--but little changes. I'd love to see some superintendants evaluate this and give us some feedback. Only then will we know folks in power are serious about "education."
Comment by BUD — September 30, 2009 @ 5:43 pm
VT Hokie,
I believe campaigning for longer school days is a sop to people who can't or don't want to watch their own kids after school. Just let the government take over that job, too. I think it's a terrible idea. More isn't better for kids. Then, what does that do to after school extra-curricular activities like sports practice?
Comment by Suzie — September 30, 2009 @ 10:23 pm