4 day school week?

[SWOHTR]

Well, they won't be growing/developing by the time they're in the workforce so they won't need the extra sleep at that point, thus making it far less problematic to be up earlier.

Kids aren't just small adults, they're still growing and developing.

My two high school girls start classes at 9, but go until 4. I think they like it better than 7:45-2:45 which they've done previously.

A 4 day week seems to make lots of sense in terms of efficiency. One less day of bus routes, one less day of school lunches... I'm betting that adds up to significant savings over a full year.

I’m betting that savings is approximately 20% of the budget!

I see the merits in both ways. I’d have loved me a 4- day week. I’d have used it to work in HS. Go from 16 hrs on the weekends to 24, in addition to the 8-10 hrs I did on the other nights.

 

[xsn10s]

Apparently my school district has done this for quite a long time. The disadvantage for the kids is they have a harder time adjusting to a five day work week.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’m betting that savings is approximately 20% of the budget!

I see the merits in both ways. I’d have loved me a 4- day week. I’d have used it to work in HS. Go from 16 hrs on the weekends to 24, in addition to the 8-10 hrs I did on the other nights.

The operating costs saved are like 20%, teachers still draw the same salary. Hourly workers just don't get paid that day. At least thats how I've generally seen in broken down.

The developmental thing is self correcting, when those kids grow up and get into the workforce, they eithe rget up and go to work the hours they agreed to....or they dont get to pay rent and buy food. Thats on them. THe ones that go to college are going to get waaaaay more off schedule/routine in that 4-10 years than any k-12 kid who gets a 3 day weekend.

In some school districts, they pay close to 1.5 million (or more) dollars a year on internet, many tech directors have mentioned that internet providers are willing to slash costs by quite a bit to not use bandwidth on those days (Im sure the ISPs would get that money paid by the government in other ways).

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Apparently my school district has done this for quite a long time. The disadvantage for the kids is they have a harder time adjusting to a five day work week.

BS.

a three day school week is going to have far less of an impact on that than 4 years of college is going to have. Additionally, if they go directly into the workforce out of highschool, they are either going to go to work or not. So many low paying hourly jobs have weekend hours as well. Not many people are working at mccdonalds or grocery stores on a 9-5 m-f schedule.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

No doubt the savings would be significant. Heck, a reduction on electricity and heating/cooling would be realized also.

It's huge, There has been a drop in government subsidation for schools heating as well, at least in AK. Costs are way up and funding to help schools pay is down. Some of the larger districts have already gone to purchasing jackets for students who need them because those costs are offset by dropping the heating across districts by 5-10%.

Public education is in a worse situation than many folks realize, the money has to get saved somewhere and with the teacher shortages across the country they can't really save by hiring fewer teachers. Not that hiring a few less teachers would save much $$$ anyways.

Some districts have stopped serving lunches even for students who qualify for free/reduced lunch programs.

 

[307]

It's huge, There has been a drop in government subsidation for schools heating as well, at least in AK. Costs are way up and funding to help schools pay is down. Some of the larger districts have already gone to purchasing jackets for students who need them because those costs are offset by dropping the heating across districts by 5-10%.

Public education is in a worse situation than many folks realize, the money has to get saved somewhere and with the teacher shortages across the country they can't really save by hiring fewer teachers. Not that hiring a few less teachers would save much $$$ anyways.

Some districts have stopped serving lunches even for students who qualify for free/reduced lunch programs.

One would think that automation of education should be able to help with the reduction in funding. In our day and age, self paced learning from online sources is a pretty critical skill so I don't see why it shouldn't be part of our education system, especially as kids get a little older maybe 10+ yoa.

Obviously that didn't go well for SOME students during the pandemic, so I can see the hesitation to develop it more but it certainly checks some boxes in terms of efficiency.

 

[xsn10s]

BS.

a three day school week is going to have far less of an impact on that than 4 years of college is going to have. Additionally, if they go directly into the workforce out of highschool, they are either going to go to work or not. So many low paying hourly jobs have weekend hours as well. Not many people are working at mccdonalds or grocery stores on a 9-5 m-f schedule.

Not according to one of the kids that worked at our pharmacy.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Not according to one of the kids that worked at our pharmacy.

What was his job at the pharmacy?

 

[xsn10s]

What was his job at the pharmacy?

She's a pharmacy tech working to become a pharmacist.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

One would think that automation of education should be able to help with the reduction in funding. In our day and age, self paced learning from online sources is a pretty critical skill so I don't see why it shouldn't be part of our education system, especially as kids get a little older maybe 10+ yoa.

Obviously that didn't go well for SOME students during the pandemic, so I can see the hesitation to develop it more but it certainly checks some boxes in terms of efficiency.

I'd think they would need to be older than 10, maybe even like 18. That pseudo online education stuff that took place during covid was a joke. We monitored it and about 5% of students actually logged in and did anything. Because it wasn't curriculum directly approved by the state, there was no recourse and kids just got to move on to the next grade because....covid.

That being said, I got my masters degree online and really liked that Vs. doing it in person.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

She's a pharmacy tech working to become a pharmacist.

Then she is going to go to college for at least 4 years where she likeley wont have classes more than 3 days per week.

 

[xsn10s]

She was working prior to covid.

 

[xsn10s]

Hmm okay well it's been awhile since I went to college but I don't know anyone that went only 3 days a week. Unless they were part time students.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

She was working prior to covid.

And?

 

[xsn10s]

If businesses thought a 4 day work week was so great then they wouldn't be pushing to get back to a 5 day schedule. They still have some work remotely or a shortened work week. But some have already said those that opt for such schedule won't advance like those that get back to 5 day schedules.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Hmm okay well it's been awhile since I went to college but I don't know anyone that went only 3 days a week. Unless they were part time students.

I went to school full time and had school between 2 and 3 days a week depending on the semester. SOmetimes Id sign up for weightlifting so I could hit the gym and I'd do that on days I didn't have a full schedule.

 

[Customweld]

My wife is a special needs pre-k teacher. Her school is headed that direction next year. The way it is planned out now, would be kids Mon-Thur and teachers still coming in on Friday. She isn't sure how she feels about it. Her little guys regress super fast, so a day missed in the classroom really messes with them.

 

[Nhenry]

When I was in high school (in southwest KS), a couple schools in my league went to a 4 day school week and all my friends from those schools loved it. They weren't burnt out by the end of the week and the longer weekend helped them recoup and do homework for the coming monday. I don't see any harm in it. I did it in college for my drafting classes as well and I liked it a lot.

 

[xsn10s]

Probably not. Some of the chatter about a four-day school week is that it saves on some operating cost.

Any savings that a school will see will be somehow spent.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Any savings that a school will see will be somehow spent.

Perhaps but some schools are simply out of $$$. The school where I live dosent have money to pay substitutes anymore since they have had so many subs due to the lack of teachers.