topic Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week? in Community Chat

What do you think about a 4 day school week?

Goodie2shoes — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:24:56 GMT

Here in Mo 25% of schools are now doing 4 days vs 5 days. I saw on the news a mom who said she loved it because it allowed for more family fun time. I'm not sure that's a good enough reason to shorten a school week. I know there is a teacher shortage which is one reason they are shortening the school week. Does it help the children by shortening the school days or does it help the parents? How do parents work that day off for the kids when the parents have to work ? I know there are teachers on this board so what do you think and for others do you have 4 day school week in your area ? As some on this board have read my past post, my 7 yo grandson was in virtual learning from Kindergarten thru 1st grade because of Covid and I sat with him. He was doing 2nd grade math by the end of the year and passed to the 2nd grade. He is returning to in class learning when school starts. I was concerned for some of the children I saw during virtual learning, jumping on the sofa, lying in bed during class, not keeping up with assignments. I just wonder if 4 days is a good decision and I guess we will find out in a few years of grades. I read news reports of the increased % of children now who are behind in reading and math due to the pandemic. What do you think about 4 day school weeks? I am just concerned about our children's future.

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

RetRN — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:29:42 GMT

Oh heck, just close all the schools. This is getting ridiculous, the kids are so far behind as is. Our rankings in the important subjects are dismal.

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

Citrine1 — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:30:40 GMT

I'm not a teacher, but I don't think it's a good idea. Then again, I don't think a lot of things that go on in the world today are a good idea!

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

Skyegirl21 — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:31:36 GMT

So then, every family with 2 working parents and children under 12 need to find daycare 1 day a week for children of varying ages ? Thats ridiculous-

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

VanSleepy — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:33:37 GMT

Are they then making the school year longer to get in the required number of days?

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

PA Mom-mom — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:34:34 GMT

@Goodie2shoes My guess is the children who did not fare well during Covid will not fare well with a 4-day week.

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

scatcat — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:37:16 GMT

I'm guessing the teachers are all for a 4 day work week

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

ROMARY — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:38:02 GMT

Four days a week seems fine, as long as schools offer a daycare on the fifth day.

Children can study and/or do homework at school.

Just thinking right now........Now-a-days, children don't have to 'memorize' as much as we used to.

They can access almost everything in a few seconds/minutes on their phones or

computers.

So, right now, I'm fine with school four days a week.

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

4kitties — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:38:38 GMT

OMG No!

Illinois public schools are failing miserably as it is. 😩😩😩😩😩😩

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

DrKelli — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:40:02 GMT

The district I live in is a 4 day week. The school year goes from the middle of August to the week before Memorial Day. They did that because of 'budgetary concerns'.

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

kaydee50 — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:43:20 GMT

A 4 day school week and up to 3 months vacation throughout the year. As it is the children will never make up for the time lost during the pandemic.

No, I don't think a 4 day week is a good idea. If anything they should lengthen the school day and the school year.

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

beckyb1012 — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:34:52 GMT

My two grandchildren's school district is doing it this upcoming school year for the first time. My DDIL is not happy one bit. The school also is the only school I have ever heard of in our East Texas area that as an early release for students and staff every single Friday at 2:30. I have no idea if now that will be early release every single Thurs.

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

ROMARY — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:50:20 GMT

This is just a question because I really don't know the answer.

How can schools/children 'fail' if everything is right there, on their phones and/or computers?

All they have to do is 'look up' answers, etc.

Years ago, we spent hours and hours at our public library 'copying' by hand all of the information/research we needed for the next day's quiz. (We weren't able to remove/check-out books from a certain

section of the library.

(And our teachers knew exactly which subjects/research projects to give to us so we had to spend hours copying by hand.)

Well, enough about THAT!

Anyway, seems to me that kids have it 'easier' because of all of their gadgets and available and speedy information.

We were up to two, three am in the morning, studying for two or three tests all on the same next day.

Gee.....brings back not so good memories........

Have a nice day! (In an attempt to end on a better, more cheerful note.......)

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

VanSleepy — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:50:28 GMT

@VanSleepy wrote:
Are they then making the school year longer to get in the required number of days?

I answered my own question and looked up Missouri... no. Thirty-two less hours per school year for the ones on a four- day week.

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

JeanLouiseFinch — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 00:52:15 GMT

I'm not in favor of it. Not only from economic and academic standpoints but, IMO, a five day school week sets up a habit that children will take into their adulthood, being responsible to be up, ready and prepared for their jobs, They get plenty of days off during the year and summer vacation.

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

CelticCrafter — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 19:57:14 GMT

What about parents that don't have free child care and can't really afford to have to pay for child care or lose a days pay?

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

On It — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:00:14 GMT

I have not seen the instructional requirements for various grade levels and subject matter. Perhaps these have shifted to weekly requirements rather than daily. I have been out of the classroom far too long to be relevant.

What I do know is little ones have a short attention span. The early elementary grades are going to cram a week's worth of instructional time into 4 days? What is the length of those 4 days? Older students will probably adapt. The little guys are going to need special accommodations. I have ideas how to accomplish this, but it is going to require some master teachers to pull it off successfully.

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

FiddleDeeDee — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:02:11 GMT

When we moved from MD to FL, we were very surprised to see how FEW days off our boys had during the school year. Where we live, school starts the first week of August and runs to the last week of May. Mondays are short by 1 hour so teachers/staff can have their meetings, updates, whatever they need. We do not have 1/2 days, we do not have days off for Teacher Education Days. In MD, where we lived, it was 2-3 days at least per month, that school was closed for these teacher days. We always had 1/2 days the week of Thanksgiving and the last 2 days leading to Christmas; not here.

I thought that schools HAD to be in session X amount of days which is why we would have Snow make-up days in MD. In FL, we had to make up the days that our schools were closed due to Hurricane Ian; they added back in the hour on Mondays instead of having early dismissal and added a few days at the end of the school year.

With this in mind, how is a 4 day school week going to fulfill the required hours/days?

My vote:against

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

CelticCrafter — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:02:54 GMT

@ROMARY wrote:
Four days a week seems fine, as long as schools offer a daycare on the fifth day.

Children can study and/or do homework at school.

Just thinking right now........Now-a-days, children don't have to 'memorize' as much as we used to.

They can access almost everything in a few seconds/minutes on their phones or
computers.

So, right now, I'm fine with school four days a week.

If they are going to offer child care then what's the point of the 4 days?

Like they did during a year long lockdown? Because they all did so well academically during that time...

Re: What do you think about a 4 day school week?

ROMARY — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:04:24 GMT

On the fifth day, childcare should be available........on a sliding scale.

I know, seems impossible, but it could be possible.

Daycare workers can spend the 'fifth day' at the school, caring for parents' youngsters.

I'm only guessing that many or some other countries have this available to parents.

Well, all in all, I guess it would/could depend on maybe having the parents vote on this matter in each school district.

The best of luck to all concerned, regardless.