For Once I agree with ObamaFollow

One of the things that causes lag in minorities and under performing, poorer children is what is known as "summer loss." Because they lack summer enrichment activities like camp, or summer school programs, or hell even sports activities, a lot of the knowledge gained in the school year is lost, and they restart the next year behind their more fortunate peers.

Increasing the length of the school year is definitely one way to improve this.

To be honest, I spent most of the summer weeks I wasn't at camp bored as ****. When you're a readaholic, the summer reading list is done in one week . . .

Bring in more physical education classes, music and art and it's perfect!

Summer vacation was never any concern. Distribute time off however you'd like.

My biggest time related problem in highschool was that it started at 7 in the goddamn morning.

Heck kids now have it even easier. I mean the internet gives them every book they could ever desire to read and add that to an ebook reader and you will never be in want of books to read no matter where you go.

I don't believe this. I know that not only do kids in Japan go to school on Saturdays, they also have "cram school" most or every weeknight for several hours after their regular classes.

Regardless, as much as I hated being in school, I don't think having kids there for more hours is a bad idea. If only there was really enough money to fund more extracurricular/art type studies.

Actually the @#%^ing joke is the Teachers Union and the ironic thing is school choice which is strongly opposed by the teachers union would lead to good teachers receiving higher pay.



Edited, Sep 27th 2009 7:55pm by ThiefX

I can guess many potentially applicable reasons, but I don't know which among them you're getting it.

By undermining their collective power by offering a replacement more easily? By turning teachers against each other by making them compete instead of collude? By making individual schools expendable so long as there is a better one nearby?



Education production is something over which to be fought to approximately the same degree as healthcare production: not at all.

Edited, Sep 27th 2009 7:59pm by Pensive

I read this differently.

Edited, Sep 27th 2009 8:44pm by Pensive

The school system is broken because too many teachers care too little and too many students are unmotivated by their family and peers. Extending the amount of time spent in an environment like this is unlikely to have a positive impact. Many other changes would be necessary such as:

* higher teacher pay and incentives
* more entertaining physical education options
* additional electives (like all those music and arts classes that have been cut over the years)
* a positive student incentive program for performance to motivate the slackers

Without extensive changes to the existing system, longer days and more of them would be a complete joke and a waste of taxpayers money. Yeah, don't forget who pays to keep those schools open longer.

I'm not opposed to the idea, but not merely because "Obama and Duncan say kids in the United States need more school because kids in other nations have more school". Doesn't Obama have enough to worry about? Sounds like this is a distraction from other more important things, to me.

#1-3 should apply globally. #4 will obviously have to be based on some gauge of performance, but it doesn't have to be test scores. Many systems should be tested. Maybe something such as a combination/average/whatever of test scores, class attendance, teacher job satisfaction, parental participation, and public opinion would work. I don't know - I'm no expert - but I do know that doing nothing and making excuses for it is not a good option either.

I don't know I mean what kind of incentive are you talking about for the students. The incentive should be good grades which potentially lead to a good future. I don't think the idea of bribing students is going to work. What we need to realize is that not everyone was cut out to go to college and bring back things that would be more helpful to those that aren't so the people that are can be better helped by the teachers.

For instance in my old highschool you were forced to take 3 math classes, and for a large portion of students this is utterly useless. We need to bring some sort of vocational studies to students who for some reason or another just aren't cut out for college and then we need teachers to focus more on helping those students who do intend to go.

Example:

Student A gets average scores.
Student A attends normal class schedule.

Student B gets consistently above average scores
Student B attends more flexible class schedule / gets more time off.


There's no reason all students should be forced to attend the same amount of class. If a student is willing to put forth the effort to pay attention and learn the material and shows a genuine interest in doing well in school, they should be rewarded with more personal time or at least a more flexible schedule. Treat it like college, IMO.