Longer School Days/Year: Is This AN Answer?

Chicago Wants Longer School Days; Foes Want Details

Longer School Days That Work

Obama Calls For A Longer School Year

Iowa Considers Longer School year

Speak Your Piece: Longer School Year, and Better

 

 

I was just on an interview for a job I would love to have. One of the questions I was asked was about the working hours: would I mind working the longer hours this new school would schedule. What struck me is that it needed to be asked at all: there are many, many reasons why extended school time is needed today.

Before I continue, these are MY opinions from what I’ve observed in the field (I have taught as a Teacher, Teaching Artist and as a Substitute Teacher); I’ve left you five links above for others on the subject. Object if you must, but do so with justifications and always keep it civil.

I have heard from too many educators that there is just not enough time in the school day to accomplish all that must be done. I’ve experienced it myself: you just get things going, and they have to rush to another class instead of investing the time needed t o really explore. I’m not talking about busy work, which I have seen in an abundance. Actual student engaging moments get cut short many times.

We have a  shrinking teacher base, due to budget cuts in places there should not be budget cuts. Classrooms are overcrowded. Tests and evaluations and  rote “learning”  practices shove aside a real chance for connections and actual learning.

Yes, we should have more teachers, more classrooms, and less students per class.

With the changing economic realities, parents are not always home until later in the day. The idea of Mom always being home after school is antiquated in many parts of the US; that has changed, but the schools have not changed with the times. There are after school clubs and such already in place; but again, the idea for a longer day is not just social activities (which they do need to foster as well, since much of home life gets truncated that way).

Double blocks of teaching (80 to 90 mins) during the day gives the teacher and the class to work on projects. The time constraints we have now means that there are only three classes per day that way. A longer day would allow more constructive work.

Advisory meetings, portfolio work, special projects that have a true impact and are not busy work (again, seen too much of that), planning sessions; individualized work (NOT study halls: I saw, in one location, 12 students on computers playing Halo in study hall; not making that up, and it was not my place to stop them)…there is so much that can be accomplished with proper time use.

The long summer breaks were originally set up by agricultural needs: farmer kids needed to work on the farm. School came second.

Education should not come second in anything we do.

 

Your Ideal School: Conceptualize it!

A few months ago, I was asked to join a planning committee for a proposed Performing Arts and Media Technology Charter School.  For me, this was heaven. I love brainstorming, creating, sharing ideas, researching new philosophies and principles, collaborating on the idea and plan at hand. If I was asked what my ideal job would be, it’d be this. A think tank: let’s put the whole thing together, then hand it off to someone to do. Onto the next idea.

One of the things that drew me so into this was the like mindset of the group. We wanted a school where the models we would examine would be from successful programs already in existence from the top ranking countries in Education. Finland education is rated number one in the world. If you read what I’ve just linked, it gives a great summary of ten principles. Please go read it. There are many successful school models out there in the US  and around the world. I am just giving you one. Look them up and compare what makes them a success. Then look at what we are doing to our kids and why we’re in the middle, at best, in world education rankings.

In the end, it’s all about the students and supporting the teachers and the schools for the betterment of  their future. Doesn’t that make sense? Instead of this infighting, backstabbing, disinterest, misunderstanding way of doing things, they realize it’s not about political agendas but what is ultimately best for the future of their country: the kids. Is it perfect? I don’t believe in perfection. Does it work to it’s best abilities, and allow new reform to happen? Yes.

Are you sick of hearing “well, we’ve always done it this way”?  I am. Very much so. I have heard that statement from so many people over the years, in so many industries. It is a defeatist attitude at best; at worst, it is the most debilitating system that too many in this country works through.  It’s lazy, shows fear of change, fear of listening or accepting a better model.  To me, it sucks the soul out of doing anything. If you hated doing something as you were coming through the rank and file,  and you get to a position where your voice can be heard, why make someone else suffer like you did? Because it’s always been done this way, even though times change and this “new” idea can solve that problem?

So, my question to you: YOU have the chance to create your ideal school. There are NO restrictions, no money hassles, no political agendas. This is you conceptualizing your ideal school. What are five to ten things that you feel must be in place to achieve success for the students? I’m asking you to dream, then write your dream down. Forget pragmatism. Forget logistics. WHAT IS YOUR DREAM IDEAL SCHOOL?

“Imagination is more important than knowledge” ~Albert Einstein

Things Iwould want in place:

1. Arts integrated in all core curricula
2. State of the art technology
3. Team Teaching model
4. Parents as school partners
5. Local community professional mentor ship
6. Unilateral decision and planning making (empowering teachers with school Leaders)
7. Allowing a system of learning from “failure” (and I’d want to change that label, too)
8. Professional Development that means something, not fulfilling hour requirements
9. Student and Parent accountability
10. Inquiry, critical and creating thinking and problem solving skills based philosophy (yeah, it’s four in one)

Those are ten of my top choices, but I have many more. Didn’t even touch on the facility, resources, fair pay, and much more. That’s for another time.
I really do want to know: what would you want?