[mquintana]

No, as a parent-I disagree. They need to be in the school 5 days out of the week just as though it is work, because it also helps build responsibility. I also think that if they have one extra free day, it gives them one extra free day to roam the streets. I heard they are doing this in Ocala (my mom moved there and was telling me about it).

[dmccauley]

I am not sure about any of you but my kids have such a long day as it is. Elementary School they get the bus at 8:15 and get home at 3:45, Middle School gets the bus at 9:05 and gets home at 4:45. If you add in the extra hours to their already long day they will eventually be mentally burned out and not be able to comprehend what they are suppose to be learning to begin with.

[mquintana]

What about parents who work Mon.-Fri. I mean, sometimes it's hard enough getting after school care, what about finding care for the WHOLE day on Friday. I hope they don't pass this because it'll be a BIG mistake. Here Obama says he wants our country to be #1 in the world for educated people by 2020 but here the state is talking about school 4 days a week! This isn't going to work out to the advatage, this will be the worst action if they decide to take it. I wonder if there is a petition or something we can sign to go against this...???

[At1WithNature]

See, a child isn't programmed to be a robot, or human capital, in a society like ours. They can't withstand 10 or 12 hour days like us adults can. Why? because we have already been trained, through schooling, to wake up and go to a commitment every single day in order to prepare us to work for the rest of our lives. Little kids are not like that. They are still human and filled with joy and wonder. It takes years, years i tell you, to suck that out of them () and program them for the long work days that they will spend decades of their remaining life on. Most kids can't handle 6 hour days as it is. In fact, doctors prescribe all kinds of crazy pills for kids exhibiting natural child like behavior, to ensure that they are able to buckle down and be a robot. longer school days will just result in more kids being hepped up on goofballs not to mention tons of more kids getting in trouble with drugs, gangs, the police, and sexual misconduct. I can see it now...my parents aren't home till 6 or 7 tonight, let's party in the garage!

[kwflconch]

Mmm...this poll is a big difference from the Orlando Sentinel Poll, yesterday, their poll said 50% approved this idea, 35% didn't, and 15% unsure.

[donnaluv]

They are far enough behind as it is here.

[At1WithNature]

Originally Posted by kwflconch

Mmm...this poll is a big difference from the Orlando Sentinel Poll, yesterday, their poll said 50% approved this idea, 35% didn't, and 15% unsure.

maybe more students voted in the Sentinel poll than this one

[PBCboy]

Originally Posted by mquintana

No, as a parent-I disagree. They need to be in the school 5 days out of the week just as though it is work, because it also helps build responsibility. .

To me it helps build conformity, and makes sure that everyone in society thinks and behaves the same. Adding school uniforms makes it even more Nazi-like!

[dmccauley]

Originally Posted by PBCboy

To me it helps build conformity, and makes sure that everyone in society thinks and behaves the same. Adding school uniforms makes it even more Nazi-like!

I don't think school uniforms are nazi-like. I went to a public school growing up and decided to switch to a catholic school in middle school. I loved the uniforms. Everyone was equal. If you didn't have the money to buy the hollisters no one would ever know, we were all dressed alike. Maybe some had shorter skirts but that was another issue.

[miamiman]

And here I thought Arizona was bad. There are many districts in Florida (especially in rural areas and in the Miami area) which are terrible as it is. Cutting the school week to four days would be DETRIMENTAL to children, especially in those districts. I would hope if state officials are willing to cut the school week, that they would at least be willing to add a month on to the school year, though I know that would basically go against their overall goal of cutting costs.

It's just a shame that in the recession state officials can't figure out how to cut spending without jeopardizing K-12 education. If we want to be on top of other countries in terms of the quality of our education and the number of skilled workers who come out of our schools, we need a better solution. Unfortunately, Obama nor anyone else at the federal level has no control over what states do with their public school systems. Floridians must rally as loud as possible for this not to happen. Students should be going to school 6 days a week, not 4.