4 day school week?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would kind of love a four day week.

It would create a day for intensive sorts practice and music lessons. It would be great especially if it was in the middle of the week like Wednesday.

Older kids could catch up on sleep/homework.

Not everyone has the money for private music or sports lessons. Only the privileged.

What do the rest of the kids go. Get into trouble or watch YouTube.

[Anonymous]

4 day school days do not help kids.

Most kids will not utilize the extra day for anything productive. They will not be using it to enrich themselves. They will do what a normal kid does, goof around. There is nothing wrong with that. That’s what I would do if I was a kid. It’s normal.

4 day school days are happening because adults screwed up and there is no money. No one wants to be teachers because the pay sucks. This is a way to entice more teachers. This does not help kids. Studies have shown kids with 4 days weeks do not do as well in math and reading. Period!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School personnel here --we are not babysitters.

I would love a 4-day week. My cousin has taught in 2 districts with 4 days weeks -- no burnout, everyone loves it.

You are responsible for your own children.

The law requires us to send our kids to school until they’re 16.

Kids go to school. Adults work. That’s how society works.

We’re not asking you to deal with our kids on the weekends. We’re asking you to provide an education for them during the goddamn workweek.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I don't want 4 day school week. We already have to use before care/after care for school age kids for 5 days a week on school days. Unless I can work 4 days a week, or else my kids will be sent to a full day camp on that no school day. I hate them watching youtube all day on weekend, and they don't need one extra day to do so.

If you hate that they are watching you tube all day on the weekends why are they doing it?

Pp here. They are in school for 50 hours a week include before care/after care. On top of it, every week, one does math enrichment, soccer, swimming, cub scout and basketball. The other one does dance , gynmastic and swimming. They both learn foreign language. They need some down time, even though how much I hate they pick youtube when they have nothing to do. I try my best to not keep them at home and keep them busy and occupied with activities. We need a break as parents. Academic is my least worry for 4 days school, and my worry is to keep them busy not watching too much youtube, so that I can work and relax a bit.

so with 50 hours of school/care, all those activities, and utube all day, when do you stuff with them? Yes you need a break, I get that, but you chose to have kids and now you’re farming them out constantly.

I drive them to do all activities, and I sometimes practice with them together on skills they learn. During holiday seasons & bad weather, activities are canceled. I volunteer on some of their activities to participate together. I bring them to my interests which are art exhibits and hiking if they are interested. I take them to playground to play and bike. We are just always on a go family. They are happy children, and they love busy schedule or else they are bored which means watching youtube at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. I'm against 4 day school weeks. This only happens in places where communities don't fund their public schools. If we want 5 day school weeks, we need to keep funding schools. Period.

+1

I don’t think this will ever happen in the DMV.

Unfortunately, it happens in the really poor states which unfortunately choose politics over their kids who are their future.

+1
Two Teacher Household

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's completely about money and trying to keep good teachers. There is a district kind of near where I live that started 4 day weeks this year. Totally about teacher morale and trying to keep them.

My kid is in private and goes 4 1/2 days each week. They have early release (2 hrs early) each Friday. When they are in school they are learning 99% of the time. There are also no random teacher workdays or one off religious holidays. They do all their training and meetings Friday afternoons. I didn't like it at first but now really like it. Gives us an early start on the weekend without losing any of the learning. There is no way this would fly in a public school.

The Nova public schools had half days once a week not long and. Getting rid of it caused big problems for the teachers that have never been addressed properly.

Reinstating it would be great. But a short day once a week for elementary school is very different than a 4 day school week.

If you can't see this, then I don't know what to tell you.

Both Arlington and FCPS used to have one short day a week. Schools often offered special afterschool enrichment that day that you could pay a reasonable rate for so it wasn't a problem for working parents and it was a great way for teacher work/planning to happen. As a parent, I thought it was a good approach. But a 4 day week is too little instruction time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's terrible. My brother and his family live in a district that went to a 4-day school week due to budget shortfalls and it's miserable for working parents. No onsite care provided on the day off either -- you're on your own. Most of the families in this district have two working parents, and it's common for parents to do hourly and shift work. In some ways that can make it easier (you and your spouse just take different days off so that someone can be home with your kids on Friday when there is no school) but the reality is that it means families are stretched thin with less leisure time. Plus they have the same learning loss issues everyone has from Covid, so I know my brother and SIL also feel more pressure to be doing more academic enrichment with fewer days in the classroom and concerns about reading levels and math acquisition from a year of virtual and a poorly managed hybrid schedule.

It's an example of how we are just abandoning families. My SIL and I have talked about feeling like we had kids under false pretenses, as people who had children between 2014 and 2018. It never occurred to me when I chose to have kids that my kids might only go to school 4 days a week or that there would be literally no open daycare spots because they changed the regulations for daycares and it eliminated hundreds of available spaces in the neighborhood (which happened to us). Our school aftercare literally doubled in cost when they switched vendors. It feels like it only gets worse and never better.

I understand the day care/cost concerns but teachers and school systems are not babysitters. It's starting to feel that way. Parents are viewing schools as a place to drop your kids-teachers and admin can't do their jobs-you know teaching because we have to parent all day. We have to find a balance with schools. Teachers are quitting in high numbers and school systems are just jamming more kids in to classrooms. That leads to burnout for the teacher who stayed and learning loss also happens in these over sized classrooms. Education is broken. Families are relying too heavily on schools-it can't keep going this way.

You ARE babysitters - for over a century we have been legally required to send our kids to you from 8-3 5 days/week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I don't want 4 day school week. We already have to use before care/after care for school age kids for 5 days a week on school days. Unless I can work 4 days a week, or else my kids will be sent to a full day camp on that no school day. I hate them watching youtube all day on weekend, and they don't need one extra day to do so.

If you hate that they are watching you tube all day on the weekends why are they doing it?

It just proves the point....many parents are not parenting. They want schools to do it for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's terrible. My brother and his family live in a district that went to a 4-day school week due to budget shortfalls and it's miserable for working parents. No onsite care provided on the day off either -- you're on your own. Most of the families in this district have two working parents, and it's common for parents to do hourly and shift work. In some ways that can make it easier (you and your spouse just take different days off so that someone can be home with your kids on Friday when there is no school) but the reality is that it means families are stretched thin with less leisure time. Plus they have the same learning loss issues everyone has from Covid, so I know my brother and SIL also feel more pressure to be doing more academic enrichment with fewer days in the classroom and concerns about reading levels and math acquisition from a year of virtual and a poorly managed hybrid schedule.

It's an example of how we are just abandoning families. My SIL and I have talked about feeling like we had kids under false pretenses, as people who had children between 2014 and 2018. It never occurred to me when I chose to have kids that my kids might only go to school 4 days a week or that there would be literally no open daycare spots because they changed the regulations for daycares and it eliminated hundreds of available spaces in the neighborhood (which happened to us). Our school aftercare literally doubled in cost when they switched vendors. It feels like it only gets worse and never better.

I understand the day care/cost concerns but teachers and school systems are not babysitters. It's starting to feel that way. Parents are viewing schools as a place to drop your kids-teachers and admin can't do their jobs-you know teaching because we have to parent all day. We have to find a balance with schools. Teachers are quitting in high numbers and school systems are just jamming more kids in to classrooms. That leads to burnout for the teacher who stayed and learning loss also happens in these over sized classrooms. Education is broken. Families are relying too heavily on schools-it can't keep going this way.

You ARE babysitters - for over a century we have been legally required to send our kids to you from 8-3 5 days/week.

No we are not-but you know that. Stop with your stupidity. If you feel we are babysitters then I guess you don't care what your kids learn. Who knew we could just kick back and watch some tv with the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School personnel here --we are not babysitters.

I would love a 4-day week. My cousin has taught in 2 districts with 4 days weeks -- no burnout, everyone loves it.

You are responsible for your own children.

The law requires us to send our kids to school until they’re 16.

Kids go to school. Adults work. That’s how society works.

We’re not asking you to deal with our kids on the weekends. We’re asking you to provide an education for them during the goddamn workweek.

And teachers are asking you to be a goddamn parent at home so they don't have to deal with discipline all day. See how that works.

[Anonymous]

This is not happening in the DMV, folks. Go discuss on Alabama Moms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would kind of love a four day week.

It would create a day for intensive sorts practice and music lessons. It would be great especially if it was in the middle of the week like Wednesday.

Older kids could catch up on sleep/homework.

Not everyone has the money for private music or sports lessons. Only the privileged.

What do the rest of the kids go. Get into trouble or watch YouTube.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:4 day school days do not help kids.

Most kids will not utilize the extra day for anything productive. They will not be using it to enrich themselves. They will do what a normal kid does, goof around. There is nothing wrong with that. That’s what I would do if I was a kid. It’s normal.

4 day school days are happening because adults screwed up and there is no money. No one wants to be teachers because the pay sucks. This is a way to entice more teachers. This does not help kids. Studies have shown kids with 4 days weeks do not do as well in math and reading. Period!

Kids don’t need to always be productive. They need to rest and play

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:4 day school days do not help kids.

Most kids will not utilize the extra day for anything productive. They will not be using it to enrich themselves. They will do what a normal kid does, goof around. There is nothing wrong with that. That’s what I would do if I was a kid. It’s normal.

4 day school days are happening because adults screwed up and there is no money. No one wants to be teachers because the pay sucks. This is a way to entice more teachers. This does not help kids. Studies have shown kids with 4 days weeks do not do as well in math and reading. Period!

Kids don’t need to always be productive. They need to rest and play

Going to a crowded, loud childcare program doesn't make for a restful day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:4 day school days do not help kids.

Most kids will not utilize the extra day for anything productive. They will not be using it to enrich themselves. They will do what a normal kid does, goof around. There is nothing wrong with that. That’s what I would do if I was a kid. It’s normal.

4 day school days are happening because adults screwed up and there is no money. No one wants to be teachers because the pay sucks. This is a way to entice more teachers. This does not help kids. Studies have shown kids with 4 days weeks do not do as well in math and reading. Period!

Kids don’t need to always be productive. They need to rest and play

Going to a crowded, loud childcare program doesn't make for a restful day.

It does allow for play. Our extended day program has a quiet room for reading/homework. I’m sure many programs could adopt that