What do you guys think of this?!

Personally, I don't like it. I don't believe that having our children spend even more time in school is the solution.
Our country is deteriorating because we've lost the core relationship - FAMILY.

If this does happen I will most likely home school Owen.

I'm not trying to start an argument - I justed wanted to see what everyone's thoughts on the subject are.

I too think that is stupid, it also puts more pressure on parents to work more hours and have no family time, i believe children these days dont spend enough time with thier family as it is. Also children learn through play, so having play at home and at granmas etc also teaches them alot, children also need to know how to function in society not just in a regimented routine everyday. i am all for children becoming smarter and having better education, however i do beleive it comes down tot he teachers and how they teach. i still have teachers that left a HUGE impression on my life byt he way they taught me things. Maybe longer school hours would suit families that unfortuantly do not get a "normalor safe" home life, but it disadvantages the families that actually spend time with their children and teach them things themselves. if that was going to happen here i would also home school
just my opinion

I didn't take time to click on the link, but I think I know what it's all about.

I actually have been thinking of this lately and have a few thoughts about why it's not a good thing.

Longer school days: I have a feeling there are studies about how many hours a child can be in school and then once that period of time is exceeded, it's basically wasted time because child is overloaded. I want to ask my best friend, a kindergarten teache, what she thinks of this to see if I'm right.

Ummm, the economy anyone? Some cities, some communities, are SHORTENING the school week to save on fuel for the school buses. Lengthening the school week would cost more in fuel. And hey, don't we need to pay the staff and teachers more for working a longer week? Where is this money coming from? I constantly hear in the local news about how the school systems are having a hard time coming up with budget.

I'm not an advocate of home-schooling although I understand why parents may choose it (my mother was a teacher, my brother and best friend are teachers so I'm a bit biasd in that sense). But I do agree that here in the US that our public schools and students need to do a better job. I think the parents could help a great deal with that though. My best friend says she can tell the students whose parents work with them and the ones who just get plunked down in front of a TV set. We're talking kindergarten though.

i agree, bein g a preschool teacher and director of a child care centre, you can DEFINATLY tell the ones who get help/attention from parents

I don't agree with lengthening the school days by some hours, but I do agree with adding some extra days in there throughout the year(minus Saturdays, that's just dumb) More and more, the parents just aren't there enough to help their kids in school, whether because of jobs, other kids, or just lack of knowledge. So, if they somehow were able to add like 2 weeks more into the school year by shortening a couple breaks here and there, then I would be all for it. But, Jadah is very smart, and also very talented in gymnastics. Lengthening the day would definitely affect that and our time as a family. If they passed it though, I wouldn't be irate, because it wouldn't be the worse idea someone's had for our kids.

Well this doesn't apply to me seeing as I'm a Canadian, but I would think of it as a good idea for my lifestyle. That's because I work full time though and I leave for work at 7am and get home after 5pm. I think school gets out around 2pm here and that will mean that I'll have to put my kids in daycare in the morning and afterschool. Also I'll have to have my kids in daycare during the summer Anyways that's my thought on the matter.

I guess with anything there are pros and cons - and those can differ from person to person. I was wondering how they are going to pay those teachers the extra salary as well and it makes me wonder if fewer people will become teachers because of the extended hours. I mean, if they are in the class room during those hours they have to take their lesson plans home and work on them after working an 8 hour day. I'm learning first hand right now how much prep time goes into planning for just a few hours of class - can you imagine the work load that must go into preparing for a class with 30 students?

Also - what about extracurricular activities likes sports, music and dance lessons or church activities? How are children (and parents) going to fit it all in?

I just think that education is often about the QUALITY and not the QUANTITY. More hours in the classroom may make our kids smarter - but at what cost?

That a good point, Lou Lou, about the extra ciricular stuff. I had thought about that too.

I don't like it. I am sorry some people are unable to keep their kids off the streets and out of trouble, but I don't need the nanny state telling me how they are going to take care of my kids. Maybe it does take a village ut the village should be there as your backup and support, not dictating to you how you are going to lead your life.

We have a modified school year already. The kids get 2 months in the summer, then two weeks at every quarter break. It is good, because it is so hot here in the summer kids just sit inside and vegitate anyways.

I think Obama needs to get his nose out of education, that is a state's right, not a federal thing. I bet it is just another shiny distraction so we won't notice what he is really trying to slip by us with the healthcare or something.

Princess_Longbottom wrote:I understand that there are families who have two working parents who don't have the option to be home with their children right after school. Perhaps they should give the OPTION of extended school hours/tutoring for those children. They shouldn't force it onto everyone, no flipping way. My kids will be homeschooled so fast. Unless of course they make home schooling illegal so they can cram whatever they feel like and as many hours a day as the GOVERNMENT wants down my kids throats.

That's a good idea for those parents to have an option for after school programs...

You know, Tiff, I had wondered if they may try to make home school illegal or it they will make it very difficult to home school, ie, lots of paperwork, certifications for parents to teach........

I am really considering home schooling now. I don't want my child taken away from me at the tender age of 5.

I also taught in a daycare/preschool and was with some kids from 7 am to 6 pm. I fed them their breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner. Those kids took on more of my behavior and personalities than their parents. It really made me realize what an impact I did have especially with the younger kids. I could get their kids to eat the dinner from the night before when their parents couldn't but I spent more waking hours with their kids. So I think the big question is more what are they learning in that time frame and who from.

I can partially understand a full school year. In the past kids had a summer break for planting season. We aren't farmers and we don't have our children's help in the field in the same way but I think kids need breaks. Kids deserve to be kids. It is bad enough that they have to grow up as fast as they already do knowing the things they do. And I cannot imagine how longer hours would help unless there was a different structure in the school day. I know when I was in high school I was lucky if I had 15 minutes to eat my lunch before my next class.

Well now I am just rambling. I think we do need education reform in the US but I think it is very difficult not to get wrapped up in pushing kids too fast and too hard. I have seen both sides and there has to be a middle ground.

Princess_Longbottom wrote:Did you guys know that Kindergarten is actually optional? There is no law that says your child has to attend kindergarten.

Same here, Grade 1 is the first grade they need to attend. I'm so crazy because Audrey will start junior kinder when she's 3 going on 4 in November 2011.

My friend's daughter goes to a year round school in San Diego, where her summer break is shorter, but some of her normally short breaks, are longer. And they love it. At first, I thought she was crazy, but she said that her daughter didnt' have to regroup after the summer break like most kids. Even Jadah, who loves school, was not ready to go back, and had to readjust to being in school again after 12 weeks of summer vacation. Looking at good money making jobs today, a lot of people come over on work visas, and land outstanding jobs. Now, I don't care that they are not "American", if they're qualified then they deserve it. But, what if our kids grew up really excelling more than they do? They would be more viable for those jobs. I remember growing up in school, where school was more work than play, but it worked. I also remember my younger siblings growing up in school, and remember lots of changes being implemented, and by the time Jadah was in school, it almost like bad juju to actually make the kids sit and learn structurally in a classroom setting. It was all about learn through fun. And I hated it. I had a hard time finding a preschool that I felt would actually "teach" my child, and not leave it up to her to realize relate the fun activities with actual hidden lessons. I think the education system needs some changes(how they do raises, tenure, quality of teachers). Now, I do NOT think that adding hours to a school day will help the kids, but less time off could certainly help. I also feel that as parents, we have a responsibility to our childrens to establish discipline, and nurture their education, but I feel that when it comes to "book" stuff, my girls should be getting their bulk learning from high quality educators who actually care about the students(I that many don't).

I look at Jayden, who turns 2 tomorrow, and I look back at Jadah. Two very smart girls in their own unique way. Jadah, due to circumstances, had to start structured daycare at like 4 months because I was still in college. She is very advanced for her age, both educationally and mentally. Jayden started in home daycares at the ripe old age of 6 weeks. She received great quality care from a wonderful woman who really cared about her. And Jayden has constantly been in in-home daycares(more like babystters) ever since because of me and DF's crazy work schedules. And I will say, although she is very intelligent and social, her basic learning is behind because those in-home babysitters just didn't have the time and resources to put into "teaching" her. We do what we can on our days off(she's resisitant to us though), but I see the need for structured daycare for her. Luckily, we found one that will take her at 5am, and she started this morning. I know she will do well, I can see her potential. I just wish she could have started sooner.

I know this is crazy lengthy, but I guess my point to all this is, great quality education is essential. I do not think that the average our education is great. Yeah, some schools are awesome, and some just plain suck, but overall it's just average. If the government/educational system/ whoever can figure out a good plan to give our children a better education without lengthening the school day by more than 1 hour a day and definitely no school on Saturdays, then I am all for it. I also think there should be more kindergartens offered as full days one. And I'm done. I know that I'm in the minority on this one. But, I do not think my close family as it stands today would suffer if the kids were in school a bit more.

I agree totally that the quality of education needs to improve. Our school district has 5 schools in it that they call traditional academies. We put both of our older children in it after we were having disasterous problems at our regular school. They are soo different. It is very structured, and stresses fundamentals. As far a schools go it is awesome. All the teachers have their masters, and they really are dedicated to the kids.

Not to bash on teachers, I know there are alot of good ones, but there are also some who are not. Before we changed my daughter's first grade teacher was preoccupied with her boob job she had gotten over the summer, and was dressing to display those puppies and stuff -- way more than she cared about what the kids were doing. And my son's kindergarten teacher, when given tactics to try to get him over a traumatic start to the school year just documented everything that went wrong and berated him and bashed him non-stop. I did not know that last part til later. If I had known it at the time her ass would have been fired -- after I kicked it a few times.

That's great mscherry that your girls are excelling in that environment. I am all for people having that choice for their kids. And you choose carefully and are aware of what is happening, alot of parents just don't have that commitment.

I know my older kids have lots of issues and baggage, but daycare after school was just not an option for them. We took them to good ones, but they just were not up to the level of challenge my two can present. For them, being home after school (after I quit my business) was a huge leap forward for them developmentally.

My problem is a man who took 6 months to decide exactly what kind of puppy would be best for his familiy is making these sweeping statements on generalities - and just ''boom'' we need to change this. I think there is plenty of space for improving the quality of education without extending the quantity.

I agree totally that the quality of education needs to improve. Our school district has 5 schools in it that they call traditional academies. We put both of our older children in it after we were having disasterous problems at our regular school. They are soo different. It is very structured, and stresses fundamentals. As far a schools go it is awesome. All the teachers have their masters, and they really are dedicated to the kids.

Not to bash on teachers, I know there are alot of good ones, but there are also some who are not. Before we changed my daughter's first grade teacher was preoccupied with her boob job she had gotten over the summer, and was dressing to display those puppies and stuff -- way more than she cared about what the kids were doing. And my son's kindergarten teacher, when given tactics to try to get him over a traumatic start to the school year just documented everything that went wrong and berated him and bashed him non-stop. I did not know that last part til later. If I had known it at the time her ass would have been fired -- after I kicked it a few times.

That's great mscherry that your girls are excelling in that environment. I am all for people having that choice for their kids. And you choose carefully and are aware of what is happening, alot of parents just don't have that commitment.

I know my older kids have lots of issues and baggage, but daycare after school was just not an option for them. We took them to good ones, but they just were not up to the level of challenge my two can present. For them, being home after school (after I quit my business) was a huge leap forward for them developmentally.

My problem is a man who took 6 months to decide exactly what kind of puppy would be best for his familiy is making these sweeping statements on generalities - and just ''boom'' we need to change this. I think there is plenty of space for improving the quality of education without extending the quantity.