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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We need some drastic moves recruit and retain high quality teachers. One bold move would be to go to a 4-day school week for kids. Increase T-F by 30 minutes. Kids do async work on Monday’s. Teachers plan, have pd on Monday’s. That means less time away from kids T-F. There are other models to accomplish this.

Parents will have to decide whether they want 5 days of school with a crappy, unqualified teacher in a large class or figure out childcare one day a week and get a high quality teacher in a decent sized class.

https://www.edsurge.com/amp/news/2022-06-22-can-four-day-school-weeks-keep-teachers-from-leaving

https://www.texastribune.org/2022/07/19/texas-schools-four-day-weeks/amp/

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I’m in full support of a 4-day in-person week with Monday planning time for teachers while students use digital tools. I know for a fact this would be a huge boost for retention and the well-being of our staff [/quote]

OMG. I hope this is a joke. I"m here for the kids, not the teachers.[/quote]

"Digital tools" are garbage. Virtual school was a no-learning disaster and you want to cut out 20% of the school year?[/quote]

Actually, it would be easy to extend the instructional time over 4 days and allow a day of planning for teachers and an additional day of rest/recreation for students. I would imagine that the mental and physical health benefits would be worth it. The way school is currently operating is not working for many people. [/quote]

You think you’re “sticking it to” middle and upper middle class suburban moms with cushy full time telecommute government jobs or stay at home parents with this 4 day school week stuff. In reality, those families will make adjustments and have a lot of resentment toward teachers as a result,[b] while kids on the margins of society won’t do their “asynchronous work” at all and will just continue to fall behind[/b]. [/quote]

Let me explain the reality: We’re in a crisis right now and need to figure out how to attract teachers to work here and to retain those that are already here. A 4-day week with students could make a real difference. You’re worried about what could happen to those students on the “margins of society.”  Those would be kids who typically go to Title 1 schools. [b]Right NOW, these are the schools that literally have classrooms without teachers.[/b] This week, there are 14 schools with 6-10 teacher vacancies at elementary schools. TEN of those 14 are Title 1 schools. (Yes, there’s a list.)

So if I have the choice between 4-days of instruction for every kid with a qualified teacher that was excited to work/stay in FCPS because of the 4-day teaching schedule vs 5 days with a class staffed with a teacher whose best qualifications are that they are breathing and haven’t hurt a child, I’ll take the former. That will be better for those kids on the “margins of society” that I serve.

-Administrator in a Title 1 ES

[/quote]

Do you have instructional coaches? [/quote]

No. [/quote]

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