Anonymous wrote:What part don't you like OP? Longer days or longer year? I personally like the longer year so we can minimize summer camp time. I would love for this to happen.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a no vote. My kids need time to pursue all of the things they will never teach and never be able to do well in a school. I value after school hours, family dinners, peaceful evenings, and think summer is too short right now. I am quite certain that I'm a minority opinion though.

+1

(Unless there is a very robust and enriching plan about what to do with the extra time)

+2 I think the desire to increase "instructional" time is to benefit students who never have "peaceful evenings", family dinners or anyone in their lives who support their education.

The irony is that the kids they're targeting will benefit the least. Let's be real, many of those kids really don't learn anything during the school day. Just look at the released PARCC scores. There were high schools with not ONE student who showed proficiency in reading and writing. Then there are schools where nearly 90% of the kids are on the honor roll but less than 10% showed proficiency in reading and writing. The kids are passed along but learn nothing. Lengthening the school year won't change that.

Kaya needs to focus on depth, not breadth. Quality education over quantity. A longer school day/year will just give those students more time to act out in a classroom, more teaching to be disrupted and more education to be disregarded.

Anonymous wrote:How about instead of increased instructional time for all, instead making increased instructional time and increased year and summer school mandatory for students who are below grade level?

Those students who are really on grade level and not just "basic" or a low bar "proficient" level should have optional only extended school day and year.

Anonymous wrote:How about instead of increased instructional time for all, instead making increased instructional time and increased year and summer school mandatory for students who are below grade level?

Those students who are really on grade level and not just "basic" or a low bar "proficient" level should have optional only extended school day and year.

Anonymous wrote:And where is the extra $ going to come from to cover all this? Teachers will have to be paid more, and be given additional planning time. All overhead expenses will increase; by a lot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am mixed on this. If the "extra tim" really is to explore more arts and music etc then great. I think the reality is that its just worksheets, drills, busy work to get the slowest kids up to speed so they aren't hurting test scores. I just don't see the benefit for my kid. Maybe if the school committed to no more homework in elem school it would be ok.

High school student's parent perspective here. I agree with this PP. I have not one ounce of faith that DCPS would do anything creative or worthwhile with either extra hours or extra days. They already seem to shut down the learning process entirely once the test cycles are over, leaving the last few weeks of school to movies, goofing off, and cleaning tasks that paid staff or parent volunteers should be doing. Extra hours or days will just be filled with more remedial-type worksheets and other busywork.

I would prefer that my kid have time after school for music, sports, and other activities on his own, and in the summer, to have a summer job and pursue other interests. Anyone who has been through the college application process knows that DCPS kids are already disadvantaged in applying to colleges because of inadequate counseling, a sub-par curriculum, generally inferior extracurriculars (some schools are much better than others), and very old-fashioned teaching and administrative approaches to learning. Even the top DCPS schools graduate "A" students who have somehow never written a research paper, presented and defended a portfolio of work, or carried out a long-term group or individual project demonstrating depth of knowledge in a subject. The last things these kids need are 1) more time spent on this sort of academic approach, and 2) a new schedule that makes it harder for them to pursue the extracurricular and summer activities that they need to be competitive college candidates and to become skilled, happy, creative, well-rounded adults.

I think the vast majority of "yes" responses will be from elementary school parents who want more free daycare. I remember craving that myself in the early days, but you may come to regret your "yes" vote when your child is bored stiff in an unchallenging DCPS middle school or high school. Hard to think ahead that far if your kid is in preK, but the years really do fly by.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a no vote. My kids need time to pursue all of the things they will never teach and never be able to do well in a school. I value after school hours, family dinners, peaceful evenings, and think summer is too short right now. I am quite certain that I'm a minority opinion though.

+1

(Unless there is a very robust and enriching plan about what to do with the extra time)

Anonymous wrote:I'm a no vote. My kids need time to pursue all of the things they will never teach and never be able to do well in a school. I value after school hours, family dinners, peaceful evenings, and think summer is too short right now. I am quite certain that I'm a minority opinion though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm all for a longer school year!

I'm all for thinking before posting!