TheApple

Obama has recently been quoted saying that students should be in school longer days and for more days each year- eliminating some of summer vacation. What do you think? Would having longer school days and years help the US compete globally or is the issue bigger than time?

Read the article here.

Would there be a pay raise involved?

I was thinking 4 days a week with a bit longer periods.

Definitely NOT!!!  School is not a "haven", so parents can work 2 & 3 jobs, & have a "Safe place to go", built-in, for their kids!!!  School, is NOT just "Child Job Training!!"  The summer vacation is necessary, AS IS...children need to PLAY, & have TIME, with their families & friends & relatives...& to join activities...OUTside of the classroom, too!!!  IF some parents won't read to their kids, nor have the money to put their children in summer activities...that is NOT a "Reason", to FORCE all children to go to the school in the summer, & for longer days!!  IF they want to make it an OPTION, & have the EXTRA MONEY, to fund those programs & additional teacher salaries, or can charge the parents of those children who DO opt to go to school longer...MAYBE...BUT...even then, SOME parents...will FORCE this on their children, to use it as a way of "Baby Sitting", while they work, or so they won't have to find things to actually DO...WITH their children!!  Even for the so-called "Poor Children"...there are PLENTY of FREE, FUN things to do, & that parents can do w/their kids...especially in the summer!!  Obama seems to be forgetting...these are CHILDREN...NOT "Little Adults"...& they should NOT be forced into "Burn-OUT"...just so Obama can say he lengthened the school year/day!!  Children can ONLY "Focus", for SO long...and that also goes for adults, too!!  JUST who does he think is going to correct the extra work & homework, & write the extra lesson plans, & do the extra reading, to let this come about???   The teachers...who are already spending their OWN time...grading papers, LATE into the night???  MOST teachers already have to DO this!  Sure, IF we force children, to sit in a classroom, for longer hours, & more days, some of them MAY retain more knowledge...but it comes at too big of a price...the loss of their childhoods!!!  And, MOST, will just become "Burned Out" & "Tune Out"!!!  The drop-out rate, will SOAR if they do this!!  It's infinitely better, to have more students STAY IN School, with the current school day/year, than have MORE Drop-Outs, & force many into a longer school day/year!!  Obama & the Government...should NOT be "DICTATING" how long the school days & year is, anyway!! This is NOT the job of our President!!  Obama wants to have TOTAL Government Control, & meddle in EVERY facet of our lives!!  (& I am a DEMocrat!!)  It is important, for families, to have VACATION time, to spend TOGETHER, & for children, AND Teachers...to have "Down Time", too!!  Obama should try working with 25-35 kids...ALL day, EVERY day...for a year, & see IF he still wants to do this!! We have the GREATEST country in the world, & EVERYone seems to want to come & LIVE here...so let's NOT keep CHANGING our way of life, to emulate other countries...that are NOT as "Good" as ours, for having a "Nice Life"!!  Children are NOT just for "Training", they need & deserve "FUN TIME", too...& so do our "Family Units"!!!  The way to "Strengthen our families", is NOT to take away MORE of our time together...which is already too little!!!  Today, kids & families, are ALREADY, Over-Scheduled" & Stressed out!!  IF this happens...kids will be up until MIDNIGHT...just trying to find time, to get their HOMEwork done!!!  Or, cut out ALL "Fun" activities!!  Sports & other outside activities, & just "Play Time" & time to BE w/their friends & families...are part of the "Joys of Childhood"!!!  Activities like sports...build character, team work, & COUNTless other good & necessary qualities!!  IF the school day/year is lengthened, until dinner time...just WHEN would school & community teams PLAY...or PRACTICE???  Late in the evening???  Then, the kids IN these NICE activities...would STILL have homework to do!!  When would they SLEEP???  After MIDNIGHT...IF they're lucky???  That'd create a GREAT way for them to learn...wouldn't it??? 

I think that there should be considerations taken in thinking about extending the school day or lengthening the school year. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with lengthening the school year a few extra weeks so long as there still is a summer vacation. For instance, if the school year started in early to mid-August/early September, as it does currently, and went to the end of June, it wouldn't be much of a hardship providing these issues were considered:

                1. Teachers were compensated monetarily (payraise and extra benefits/ personal days off). Teachers have only received the paywage they are currently at because they had summers off and could, technically, pick a seasonal job in the summer to supplement their income. Some teachers used the summers to further their educations as well as spend time with their families. Consideration needs to be taken for teachers who are expanding their education and for those doing projects to further their knowledge in their chosen field of teaching.

                2. Teachers had an assistant guaranteed them for help in grading and tutoring students. Teachers are wonderful people but are not gods and having an assistant should not be looked at as a perk granted only to college professors with tenure. Teachers are usually the only one in the classroom from 7-3 during the current school day with 10-40 children in a class and have to spend extra time, after class, grading and preparing plans, etc. They don't get ten minute breaks for every three hours on the floor like factory workers or are allowed hour lunch breaks. This would be a good way to increase the job market for teaching paraprofessionals and ease the load off the teacher.

                3. We disallow "snow days." If we extend the school year, and hope for the kids to have SOME summer break, doing away with "make-up days" or "snow days" is important. With all this extra time we will have in the school system, we surely can compensate for having a few days of bad weather or other need for cancellation.

                4. Have continuing after school programs that focus on relaxation and exercise provided that the school day is the same length as it is today. Changing the focus of some after school programs that do not encourage arts, exercise and relaxation activities to incorporating these activities may alleviate childrens pent-up energy and help quell negative behaviors.

I do not agree with a longer school day for these reasons:

1. Kids have no time to relax after school or "get their energy out" doing sports or other activities that involve creativity and/or exercise. Kids should either be in after school programs, sports or, if eligible, some sort of job training or volunteer program. I think money sent to these programs would serve the child better than a couple of hours extra on the school day.

2. I think this would hinder time spent with family. I understand that not all children have family time  that goes until bedtime and, for them, the after school programs would definitely be a benefit. To others, say in rural areas, children are still needed to help out with chores and farming activities. Some children work in their parents restaurants and shops. Some have private music lessons or other ways they spend their time after school to develop skill not taught in school or to get one on one attention they do not get in school. Kids need more time than adults to process their daily activities as well as doing homework, chores, and hygiene skills. This time is cut when adding time to the school day. It will make children feel more alone and stressed if they do not have the time to spend with family and learn from them as they have learned from their teachers in the school system.

3. If the school day IS extended, students should have recess or physical hour, should have more "arts" education (art, music, poetry, etc.) and should have NO HOMEWORK! Students are not going to have time for homework if the school day is lengthened and they hope to have any time with the family unit. If the school day is decided to be lengthened, then those last hours of the day when the student is anxious to leave and dancing in their seat, should be used for their benefit in the best way possible.

4. No "make up" or "snow day" for cancelling school early due to weather. Winter and early spring are brutal in some areas of the country and those conditions should be considered when considering spending extra time in the classroom.

I am in favor of lengthening the school year, provided the teachers are compensated but not in favor of lengthening the school day. I think, for most family units, this is a deterrent to family life and learning. I also think the federal goverment should pass down the decisions in this issue with the states and coordinate with the states in funding any programs needed in facilitating the learning of the students.

In the South there are a lot of kids that are still needed on the family farms.

If you take the summers away, you better find other things to teach them, or else they will drop out, as Crisp says. Something other than the 3 R's etc. Maybe a wilderness survival class or something like that. Swimming lessons would be good. It's amazing how many kids do not know how to swim these days.

I think kids need time to be kids. Some kids travel. I believe traveling is one of the greatest forms of education. Kids learn through play and travel. These are very important to their development. School is not the only place that kids learn. Many kids actually switch off in school.

ohiosmile says ...

I think shortening the summer vacation and making certain holidays longer would be beneficial for those students that do nothing remotely educational during their summer vacation. Six weeks seems like a long enough break for summer vacation. There seems to be a correlation with the time spent during summer vacation to their ability to recall previously learned information. In addition to our current school schedule, I would support a 3 or 4 day weekend in March, May, June with a week off the 4th of July & Labor Day. I work all year round. This plan would be beneficial to the students in the long run.

That's just it...What you consider to be "nothing remotely educational" IS educational. Just because they are not learning in a traditional classroom does not mean they are not learning. My 3 year old daughter learns through play. I see it every day.

If I did not have my summers as a kid, where would I have learned how to catch a fish, clean it, start a fire and cook it up right there on the spot, with no adults around to show me?

Maybe the problem is not the fact that they cannot...ooh I hate this word...RECALL what they were taught, but how they were taught in the first place.

cleo18 says ...

Agree with these two statements:

Definitely NOT!!!  School is not a "haven", so parents can work 2 & 3 jobs, & have a "Safe place to go", built-in, for their kids!!!  

Families that seem to need to have their kids in school more are that way for a different reason: poverty. Hey, they still have kids and they need to find a way to interact and not pawn them off on others. After all, we don't want to create an incentive fro them to have more.

3. if the school day IS extended, students should have recess or physical hour, should have more "arts" education (art, music, poetry, etc.) and should have NO HOMEWORK! Students are not going to have time for homework if the school day is lengthened and they hope to have any time with the family unit.

In Mexico, the students are done my midday, they go home for a siesta and then they return for sports, art and other extracurricular experiences (Actually, ask FER, he'd know), not just more of the same.

I'm all for it. As a teacher myself I will be the first to say that teachers are overpaid and should have to work more of the year.

I would be in favor of lengthening the school year, but decreasing the school day. So essentially it would keep the year the same but spread it out over more time. The difference I see in teaching during the year and during summer school, which I've done for three years, is interesting. The class periods are shorter, which can really benefit students who have trouble focusing for longer periods of time.

I believe that this should be a state/local decision though, not a decision made by the federal government.

 Am I the only one that has heard of a year-round schedule? 

kmfelder55 says ...

I am back....First of all everyone makes a vaild point if you think about it one way.  However, when most of us....meaning 40+ people went to school your day in school were much longer.  These children can not add, subtract, multiply, or divide in their heads.  I agree with Obama.  I also believe if children are in school longer.  Teachers need to increase their education.  Meaning not remain a Bachelor teacher.  As Americans we are behind.  We are no longer inventing...We are consuming.  As far as the many people screaming about children in poverty and their parents utilizing school as a baby sitter.  Well, it is so obvious to me that your schools do not see parent involvement as being necessary.  Your schools have not found ways to bridge the gap between school and parents.  If they have why are parents working so hard.  Can they Read, Write, add, subtract, multiply, and divide.  TEachers make a differences. Whether teacher make 50k or more we Make a difference.  I do believe children need to be in school more and less holidays, less school out time.  If school time is increase, it is also my belief that teachers need to have more professional training and development, mentoring, and diversity education.

Would having more school and FEWER holidays make the difference? I think you know the answer.

Even though I voted for a 'yes' , I couldn't help rating up cleo18's empathic 'no'. I 'm not a US resident , although I do dream of being one. For Asian communities, the paper chase is tough and very real eg in Korea, Japan and China.. I was a victim of the paper chase- dropped out of the University and thus having an irrational fear of achieving a degree thereafter. Another reason for dropping out was my diagnosis of having bipolar disorder. Returning to the topic-although we are talking about not pushing the 'kids' too hard and too much; the reality can be very harsh and cruel. Of course the ideal situation would be that 'kids' learn at their own pace and within their own areas of interests . Just  like in Holland colleges,from a documentary I have watched ,  where there are minimal tests and exams, and yet the students are interested and motivated in their learning, the spectrum of school pressure in the system  varies from one end to the other extreme. 

Honestly, when I was in school, almost all the way through it in fact, I didn't understand why we had such long summers.  Technically, I still don't understand the need for such a long summer.  I've known about other countries who have shorter days, but go to school more often, and they're more successful.

I know that we need summer for cool down from all the stress, but in that time, kids forget most of what they learned the year before so that when school picks up, the next year teacher is wasting the first few weeks basically reteaching everything. 

I think it would be a nice change for school to be slightly shorter, maybe about an hour a day less.  Make up those missing five hours every other week on Saturday.  Shorten the summer by two weeks and have a semi-mandatory 'training' class twice a week through out the summer to keep the ideas fresh in their heads and get them ready for the year ahead.  Maybe something like mandatory academic summer day camp, something that has learning and fun side-by-side.  If the students' families are planning on going out of town have a review packet for each subject ,as well as, one book from the summer reading list that has a 'summary comprehension review paper' due at the return of the school year, with a hot line or website available for review help with live chat.

The hour a day saved could be used for extra curricular activities, tutoring, and apprenticing/ student jobs and volunteer work. 

Children are just children and sitting in a classroom for seven hours is already pushing it.  Kids do need to have fun, they need time to cool down so they don't overload and just give up, but they also need constructive activities to keep them headed in the right direction and out of trouble.  I know that it should be the parent's job to provide the positive stimulation these kids need, but we don't live in a perfect world and as a community, we need to help each other out.  Learning everyday is more likely to be effective than learning more on the days you are there.  Cramming to much learning in a short period of time is not a good idea, spread the knowlegde out and it will process and settle better, not to mention you won't have a bunch of bored, tired, annoyed kids who just want to go home, on your hands.

i feel that the school day is already long enough for our children, they have to get up around 6 o'clock to catch the bus, and then they do not get home until 4:30 in the afternoon. Another thing is that my children eat lunch at like 11:30 and by the time they get home at 4:30 they are starved. I know that it would benefit the struggling students to have longer school days, and they need to be educated more to get them up to the grade level that they should be working on.

I feel that President Obama, could go for the year round school, and this would increase the time that children are in school, and this also creates shorter summers for students because with the year round school, some schools start as early as July. I feel that we, in the United States are losing the gammut when it comes to saying that our children are as smart as other students in our country.

I feel that teachers need to be educated highly, and need to be trained in their area of speciality. For example, if it is a Special Needs Teacher, then he/she should be trained to deal with the issues that arise from students within her classroom. as well as behavioral issues. DO NOT CALL THE PARENTS EVERYTIME A BEHAVIOR DISRUPTS YOUR NORMAL ROUTINE, DEAL WITH IT, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THE CHILDREN LEARN. If the teacher calls the parents everytime behavior becomes out of control, students will always act up, because they know that you are calling mother or dad and they are going to get to go home.

The longer school day will also incur more behavioral issues with students that already dislike school. President Obama stated that this would give the kids somewhere to go on the weekends. My suggestion to him for this, is to include activities that the students would enjoy that you could somehow tie in some of their academics with fun activities as well.

I really do not feel that by making the school day longer is going to make our children any smarter, it takes educated people to produce the smartest children.

Laura

 I think we need a little sarcasm to really understand how absurd this issue is.

http://www.smdp.com/Letters-4405.113116_A_little_sarcasm.html