Your thoughts on four day work week

[seastarmath]

One of our teachers, when asked what she would do to save the county some money, answered that she would look into going to a four day week: the school day would be longer, but students--and teachers--would work from home on the fifth day, thus saving transportation and energy costs as well as cafeteria, custodial, etc.

I see a problem with parents needing child care. Also, those paid by the hour would suffer unless THEIR day was extended, too. I have heard that some districts have already gone to a four day week. What are your thoughts on this?

[Brit]

The "kids work from home" on the fifth day sounds like trouble to me. You'd have to prep for an extra hour a day, THEN prep and mark all that "from home" stuff...unless you're telecommuting, which would beg the questions A) who pays for the technology and B) why the heck wouldn't you do it full time?

As far as primary school goes, I don't see it. the kids won't last an extra hour in September in kindie or grade 1, and even grade 2 would be pushing it. We hardly make it through the day during the first week as it is!

highschool, however, I could see.

[Spectre]

I know the rationale for the four day work week and I understand its proponents, but I feel as though a longer school day would be counterproductive.:o

We did that, one year, to make up days missed due to inclement weather. That extra hour seemed like it would NEVER end and, honestly, everyone started shutting down around 3 Pm because we had just done all we could. :idontknow:

The reason for all this talk is obvious. The cost of fuel. I think this solution is more of us letting the problem control us, rather than we trying to seek a true solution to the problem.

1. Any nation that can send probes to the far planets and begin to find cures for cancer can find alternative sources of fuel and energy. Indeed, we've already found them; we just need to develop them. But with an oilman at the helm in Washington, what can we expect? I am hoping that begins to change in November!

2. Rather than busing half the planet to achieve...whatever, why not reinvest in neighborhood schools? I know this one is not politically correct, but I believe it a sensible way to manage things. Familes who attend a neighborhood school are more like to support that school. And if a lot of students can walk or ride their bikes to school, then we can sharply reduce the cost of cars and buses.

[seastarmath]

I LOVE the idea of neighborhood schools. I would like to keep some kids after school for extra help, but getting transportation home is always a problem. If they could walk home, that would be taken care of. (If in this day and age of lawsuits that would be allowed. We cannot take our kids on a field trip to the high school across the street to see their musical unless we get busses as the street--which goes right through town--is considered a highway.