User post: Four-day school weeks are the way to go!

I just read some brouhaha about four-day school weeks. In some districts that are trying them, it's working wonderfully; in others, not so much. Many of the comments back were complaining that children will learn even less if they spend fewer hours in school, and the global economy requires more education, not less.

Obviously, to be competitive in a global market, one must possess a significantly higher education level that a few generations ago, and have a much broader area of expertise. However, merely spending more or fewer hours in a school building is not going to contribute to one's knowledge base. What counts is what the student brings to the table. Having a seven-day school week isn't going to do a thing if the kids are sleeping or cutting most of that time.

The argument that the school districts for whom this has been effective are using is that the kids have more time off to rest, and so they are able to pay more attention in school. The teachers, too, have a much lower rate of absenteeism for the same reasons (they are using 1/3 the number of substitutes this year). When one has three days to rest and recuperate, to spend time with family and catch up on homework, one is naturally more prepared for the remaining four days of work. One is then not spending class time day-dreaming and wishing one could be at home, because one has the had the opportunity to take care of what needed to be done.

From the perspective of a teacher, I agree. The days off that I get, especially when they coincide with my husband's days off, are so precious and recuperative. I am able to get a full night's sleep, to clean the house, and even to go out of town to visit friends and family. I can also set aside a whole day for grading and get caught up on that. When I return, I feel refreshed and prepared. I do not spend my days thinking about how much I need to do when I get home. It's already done.

However, and this is a great big however, it is not ultimately the layout of the school that is going to matter a darn. What matters here is what matters in every situation: the parents. When children have parents who treat an education as the top priority, when they are willing and able to spend the necessary time helping the kids with their homework (or hire a tutor when it's beyond their knowledge or ability), when they bend over backwards and then some to help their children succeed - then, the children succeed. It's like a magic pill for academic success!

Perhaps the schools where the four-day week has worked are in districts with especially high levels of parental involvement. Naturally, it would take some serious parental commitment to occupy those children on that fifth day, especially if the parents work. But having a third day to spend with one's parents, provided that those parents are responsible and use that time wisely (and thus make the kids do so as well), could mean more trips to the museum, the library, or the park. What a precious gift to give these children!

Because, ultimately, it's the parents that make or break their children's education.