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Yes. But on the other hand, most adults do not work a 10 hour day. Why do we think children should?
I don’t think anyone does. The OP got mixed up, the kids will not be in school 40 hours a week, the school day will be expanded by 40 minutes a day. Kids don’t currently attend school 40 hours a week, they aren’t extending the number of hours a week as a cost saving measure. That would increase the cost.
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Students will attend regular classes Tuesday through Friday and class time will be extended by 40 minutes per day.
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I wish they all would. It would make daycare arrangements easier for parents, allow a day for appointments, save on auxiliary costs such as busing, cafeteria, manning the front desk, and utilities. Busing savings alone would be in the million dollar range for most districts.
It also would make childcare arrangements easier once the community adjusted.
How would if make daycare arrangements easier for parents if students are in school 40 minutes longer for four days and not in school one day? If the schools are providing day care on Mondays for $30 per child, will the parents now have to provide transportation on Mondays? If the schools have to be open to provide daycare, doesn't that negate the savings from having the schools closed?
I do think this is a better idea than what some school districts in my area have done. They go to school 4.5 days a week. Students get out early on Friday before lunch but they can still order a bagged lunch. Classes for middle and high school students are usually around 27 minutes long. This means they usually don't test on Fridays and it is usually just some fun activity like watching a movie. They also prefer that teachers don't give tests on Mondays since the students typically haven't covered the material for three days.
One of the benefits one school district listed when they made this change was a cost savings for substitute teachers, but now they can't get subs on Friday because the subs work where they can get a full day. Moving to a 4-day schedule would make it harder to hire bus drivers and cafeteria workers who don't want a reduced pay check.
How would if make daycare arrangements easier for parents if students are in school 40 minutes longer for four days and not in school one day? If the schools are providing day care on Mondays for $30 per child, will the parents now have to provide transportation on Mondays? If the schools have to be open to provide daycare, doesn't that negate the savings from having the schools closed?
I do think this is a better idea than what some school districts in my area have done. They go to school 4.5 days a week. Students get out early on Friday before lunch but they can still order a bagged lunch. Classes for middle and high school students are usually around 27 minutes long. This means they usually don't test on Fridays and it is usually just some fun activity like watching a movie. They also prefer that teachers don't give tests on Mondays since the students typically haven't covered the material for three days.
One of the benefits one school district listed when they made this change was a cost savings for substitute teachers, but now they can't get subs on Friday because the subs work where they can get a full day. Moving to a 4-day schedule would make it harder to hire bus drivers and cafeteria workers who don't want a reduced pay check.
The longer day would allow for shorter latch key situations, in most places adding 40 minutes daily would make it over an 8 hour day - more closely aligned to adult work days. Adding an hour daily would be more appropriate, by the way, for a number of reasons, including lost instructional time.
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If the schools are providing day care on Mondays for $30 per child, will the parents now have to provide transportation on Mondays?
Yes. It is their child, after all. The state does not guarantee free, appropriate daycare, despite the fact that a huge number of people think that is school’s main function. Also private places would start offering camp/care on that day, just like they do during breaks.
I had not considered the substitute saving of cutting days, but that would happen. When there is a sub the teacher still gets full pay/benefits and the district has to fork over $100+ to pay the sub. However, the cost savings from less days of busing, along with cuts in food services, and some clerical cuts, are where the bulk of the savings of less days really comes from, so I see no real benefit in going 4.5 days. All those costs would basically remain the same for a half a day as a full day. Did your district have an issue of losing funding over non-attendance on Friday afternoons, or something? Honestly, it just seems like they are giving everyone bonus time off.
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The longer day would allow for shorter latch key situations, in most places adding 40 minutes daily would make it over an 8 hour day - more closely aligned to adult work days. Adding an hour daily would be more appropriate, by the way, for a number of reasons, including lost instructional time.
Yes. It is their child, after all. The state does not guarantee free, appropriate daycare, despite the fact that a huge number of people think that is school’s main function. Also private places would start offering camp/care on that day, just like they do during breaks.
I had not considered the substitute saving of cutting days, but that would happen. When there is a sub the teacher still gets full pay/benefits and the district has to fork over $100+ to pay the sub. However, the cost savings from less days of busing, along with cuts in food services, and some clerical cuts, are where the bulk of the savings of less days really comes from, so I see no real benefit in going 4.5 days. All those costs would basically remain the same for a half a day as a full day. Did your district have an issue of losing funding over non-attendance on Friday afternoons, or something? Honestly, it just seems like they are giving everyone bonus time off.
The bell schedule at my local elementary schools is 9:00 late bell and 3:40 dismissal bell. Students are not to arrive before 8:35 and must be out of the building by 4:00. For someone needing daycare, adding 40 minutes will not help much unless there are two parents involved.
Sure they save money with subs since they don't get many subs but it means teachers have to cover the classes. For middle school and HS, they simply send all the classes without subs to the auditorium.
This is Pennsylvania and the state law states: All public schools are to be open each school year for at least one hundred eighty (180) days of instruction for pupils. The number of instructional hours in a school year is to be at least 450 for half-time pre-K and kindergarten, 900 for full-time pre-K and kindergarten and elementary, and 990 for secondary. The districts with Friday early dismissal still meet the hours requirement. I think the PA state law would have to change for PA schools not to be in session for 180 days. Just an FYI, many districts have Act 80 days where the students don't have school and it is an in-service day for teachers. They still count as part of the 180 days. I've seen districts where the students have 175 days of school.
The bell schedule at my local elementary schools is 9:00 late bell and 3:40 dismissal bell. Students are not to arrive before 8:35 and must be out of the building by 4:00. For someone needing daycare, adding 40 minutes will not help much unless there are two parents involved.
Sure they save money with subs since they don't get many subs but it means teachers have to cover the classes. For middle school and HS, they simply send all the classes without subs to the auditorium.
This is Pennsylvania and the state law states: All public schools are to be open each school year for at least one hundred eighty (180) days of instruction for pupils. The number of instructional hours in a school year is to be at least 450 for half-time pre-K and kindergarten, 900 for full-time pre-K and kindergarten and elementary, and 990 for secondary. The districts with Friday early dismissal still meet the hours requirement. I think the PA state law would have to change for PA schools not to be in session for 180 days. Just an FYI, many districts have Act 80 days where the students don't have school and it is an in-service day for teachers. They still count as part of the 180 days. I've seen districts where the students have 175 days of school.
While that has undoubtedly happened, and for the reason you said earlier, that wasn’t they way they were planning on it saving them money. They were looking more for teachers to quit taking 1/2 day Fridays - in other words, being absent less. There are teachers that almost religiously take 1 or 2 Friday afternoons off every month. Poor logic, it just means those same teachers will just religiously take 1 or 2 Friday mornings off a month instead.
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While that has undoubtedly happened, and for the reason you said earlier, that wasn’t they way they were planning on it saving them money. They were looking more for teachers to quit taking 1/2 day Fridays - in other words, being absent less. There are teachers that almost religiously take 1 or 2 Friday afternoons off every month. Poor logic, it just means those same teachers will just religiously take 1 or 2 Friday mornings off a month instead.
I forgot to mention that in at least one local district, Friday afternoon is an in-service for the teachers. They do training on using technology in the classroom.
Last edited by villageidiot1; 08-16-2018 at 02:57 PM..
The bell schedule at my local elementary schools is 9:00 late bell and 3:40 dismissal bell. Students are not to arrive before 8:35 and must be out of the building by 4:00. For someone needing daycare, adding 40 minutes will not help much unless there are two parents involved.
Sure they save money with subs since they don't get many subs but it means teachers have to cover the classes. For middle school and HS, they simply send all the classes without subs to the auditorium.
This is Pennsylvania and the state law states: All public schools are to be open each school year for at least one hundred eighty (180) days of instruction for pupils. The number of instructional hours in a school year is to be at least 450 for half-time pre-K and kindergarten, 900 for full-time pre-K and kindergarten and elementary, and 990 for secondary. The districts with Friday early dismissal still meet the hours requirement. I think the PA state law would have to change for PA schools not to be in session for 180 days. Just an FYI, many districts have Act 80 days where the students don't have school and it is an in-service day for teachers. They still count as part of the 180 days. I've seen districts where the students have 175 days of school.
Could it be an “or” situation? For example, here in Virginia it’s 180 days or 990 hours.
Could it be an “or” situation? For example, here in Virginia it’s 180 days or 990 hours.
It can be. The district has to make a request to the state to change to the hours method. The regulation states:
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Exceptions to the requirement for 180 days of instruction or to the daily school hours may be made based upon Section 1504, as amended by Act 80 of 1969.
It can be. The district has to make a request to the state to change to the hours method. The regulation states:
I see. Ours is just an either/or, so the district schedules 180 calendar days but those days contain well over the required 990 hours. When a day is used for snow for example, the district starts counting hours. Because of the excess hours we can miss 20 days of school before having to make any up.
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