Longer School Hours

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090927/ap_on_re_us/us_more_school

Obama wants to lengthen the school day by a few hours. Apparently they tried this in a few states with some success. Still sounds like an expensive prospect.

I'd post here, but you are not as controversial and living under a rock, Sym. 😛

It does sound expensive due to the hours they would have to pay teachers for teaching longer in the day, but I think overall it'd pay off.

I don't like longer school hours at all. I know if I had even an hour longer at school when I was in grade school, I wouldn't have been able to play on my athletic teams, something that was just as beneficial to my development as school was. A different summer schedule, sure, but longer days? I don't know about that.

this cold work if done properly

The only reason I'd be against it would be for work reasons in high school; longer school days means less time to work a job.

Originally posted by REXXXX
I'd post here, but you are not as controversial and living under a rock, Sym. 😛

😆 😆

And to your comment about working:

You shouldn't be working in highschool, really. But, I had to work in highschool because my parents were too poor to afford extra things. Didn't impact my grades at all. In fact, they improved. But, I did see it impact other students.

I don't understand why they can't start highschool later in the day

I get elementary school, the kids are too young to look after themselves, but come grade 9, there is no need to force kids up at the crack of dawn to try and learn...

Originally posted by inimalist
I don't understand why they can't start highschool later in the day

I get elementary school, the kids are too young to look after themselves, but come grade 9, there is no need to force kids up at the crack of dawn to try and learn...

I agree with this. In fact I recall reading a newspaper article (years ago) that said a school had tried starting later and scores then improved. Sure, correlation/causation but still it didn't seem to hurt.

I just remember being so tired in highschool

Originally posted by inimalist
I don't understand why they can't start highschool later in the day

I get elementary school, the kids are too young to look after themselves, but come grade 9, there is no need to force kids up at the crack of dawn to try and learn...

It's ridiculous, since later starts are proven to improve performance.

A longer school day is not necessarily the answer (perhaps if done on some kind of voluntary basis, ie, teacher and students genuinely motivated to learn). Valuing education with more than lip service is what's needed.

A number of years ago, a Newsweek or Time magazine columnist wrote that if you want to see what a society really values, look where it puts its time, energy and money. Clearly, much more goes into movies, music, pro sports (ie, entertainment, or escaping from reality) than education (preparing for reality). To much of the population, the ol' addage, "Those who can't do, teach," still holds.

As someone else once put it, "Well, what do you expect from a society that puts real lemon juice in its dishwashing liquid and artificial lemon flavor in its lemonade."

Treat educators like, say, rock stars (and I don't necessarily mean pay them more)...then you'll see a difference in how well students learn. Quality is the answer, not quantity.

I got high school from 8 to 3
this is bullshit

I had it 7:30 - 4:00 (in my country). it's not that bad, guys...

or so you say...

no really, it isn't. and there is still time to hang out with friends and practice afterwards... it's not really that bad.

yeah I know

Originally posted by Jaeh.is.Awesome
no really, it isn't. and there is still time to hang out with friends and practice afterwards... it's not really that bad.

indeed, for you it might not be bad, but more many kids it is

now, imagine that the only reason you are struggling with school is because you have to work a night shift, because your parents kicked you out and you need to pay rent, and you don't get enough sleep at night. Don't laugh, I'd need both hands to count the number of people I've known in similar situations, including myself for a couple of years.

there are people who excel in the current system, and we can talk about what qualities they probably have, but there are also huge numbers of kids, mainly boys, who the school system just abandons for no fault of their own, maybe aside from them being a 13 year old boy who can't sit still for 6 hours straight. School is difficult enough without there being such artificial hurdles for people to overcome. Flexible hours is one that is long overdue.

Originally posted by inimalist
indeed, for [b]you it might not be bad, but more many kids it is

now, imagine that the only reason you are struggling with school is because you have to work a night shift, because your parents kicked you out and you need to pay rent, and you don't get enough sleep at night. Don't laugh, I'd need both hands to count the number of people I've known in similar situations, including myself for a couple of years.

there are people who excel in the current system, and we can talk about what qualities they probably have, but there are also huge numbers of kids, mainly boys, who the school system just abandons for no fault of their own, maybe aside from them being a 13 year old boy who can't sit still for 6 hours straight. School is difficult enough without there being such artificial hurdles for people to overcome. Flexible hours is one that is long overdue. [/B]

However, flexible hour costs money and there are too many Americans that think teachers aren't doing their jobs or that kids who fail want to fail and will oppose any attempt to improve the system.

Originally posted by inimalist
indeed, for [b]you it might not be bad, but more many kids it is

now, imagine that the only reason you are struggling with school is because you have to work a night shift, because your parents kicked you out and you need to pay rent, and you don't get enough sleep at night. Don't laugh, I'd need both hands to count the number of people I've known in similar situations, including myself for a couple of years.

there are people who excel in the current system, and we can talk about what qualities they probably have, but there are also huge numbers of kids, mainly boys, who the school system just abandons for no fault of their own, maybe aside from them being a 13 year old boy who can't sit still for 6 hours straight. School is difficult enough without there being such artificial hurdles for people to overcome. Flexible hours is one that is long overdue. [/B]

I was referring to people in my country. actually, here, public schools have morning and evening classes, so students who need to work can work. besides, I posted this without knowing what time you guys usually go to school in another thread, for I don't know. I'm from another country, so.. yeah..

I guess I sorta spoke out of turn without finding out the facts first - sorry. I was just expressing a random thought, but yeah, I'll gather facts first and probably repost.

although, I do know some kids who do well even if the hours in school are long and they still do stuff afterwards.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
However, flexible hour costs money and there are too many Americans that think teachers aren't doing their jobs or that kids who fail want to fail and will oppose any attempt to improve the system.

hey, its not that those kids aren't there either, but ya, education is so messed up. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but it is something I really want to actually effect. lol, go passion for education reform!

The American problem is double fold, with the whole taxes and socialism crap, but I don't see a whole lot of improvement in other places. Its like, education initially was implemented to keep urbanized youth busy during the day and out of trouble. Its come maybe a baby step or two from there.

Originally posted by Jaeh.is.Awesome
I was referring to people in my country. actually, here, public schools have morning and evening classes, so students who need to work can work. besides, I posted this without knowing what time you guys usually go to school in another thread, for I don't know. I'm from another country, so.. yeah..

I guess I sorta spoke out of turn without finding out the facts first - sorry. I was just expressing a random thought, but yeah, I'll gather facts first and probably repost.

although, I do know some kids who do well even if the hours in school are long and they still do stuff afterwards.

ha, no need to apologize. Its not a bad thing that school works for you.

And ya, there are kids who can work 25 hours a week and still do 30 of school. Then again, there are those for whom just the school is nearly impossible. My point was rather to the lack of flexibility in the system to accommodate the people who it is supposed to serve. Really interesting that night courses are offered for highschool aged kids. I would have been all over those.