Comments on: Secretary of Education Pushes for Longer School Year

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:17:26 +0000

To what decade and to what economy is the secretary referring? I'm a public school teacher and most of my students' parents can't find 1 job, let alone 3!! In addition, most adults in my city are competing for the same jobs that my teen students are applying for. It does sound like glorified day care. I'm all for academic rigor and student accountability and competing with other countries. A longer school day is an idea. I support ideas as long as they WORK!!!!

By: Guest

Guest — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:35:25 +0000

Technically, teachers are not paid throughout the year. In my state we have the option of being paid during the school year or the entire year. So actually a teacher being paid the entire year in my district has chosen to have their check stretched out.

By: Guest

Guest — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:56:47 +0000

I agree with #7. Longer days equals more burn out for everyone, teachers and students alike.
And lets see 8 to 3, 9 to 4. Really what’s the difference? Not much. I think the typical 8 to 3 is just fine.
I also agree with #8. We don’t leave the non-producers behind, Japan does. We don’t leave children behind. So our scores reflect all the students in our system.
I think that shortening summer is not a bad idea. Most teachers are already paid throughout the year, so we would not have to pay them much more (I’m sure they would not like this though). Many students have a hard time retaining math and english over the summer to the next school year and they would benefit from a shorter summer.

By: Guest

Guest — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:15:05 +0000

When is someone going to figure out that we are comparing apples and oranges. The test scores from Asia are from children who actually do well in school. If you don't make the grade you don't get a high school education. We think all of our children should go to college so everyone goes to high school. That's why we compare well with the rest of the world in the lower grades. These people need to spend a week with regular high school kids and then see if they say that a longer year will make a difference.

By: guest

guest — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:39:29 +0000

I am a school teacher and I support the idea of a longer school year. that would provide more learning and better retention of skills. However, lengthening the school day I am against. A previous poster said they went to school from 9-4:30. My students start arriving to school at 7:20 some of my students are on buses by 6:15. The instructional day lasts from 7:45-2:45. I have to arrive at school no later than 7:30 so my personal children have to be at daycare no later than 7:15 each day. So if I extend my day by 3 hours my own children suffer and there will be an increase in teacher burn out because there is already little support in the school system as it is.

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:20:46 +0000

Great. Government run daycare paid for with our tax dollars. The good quality education is important here – not quantity. It is becoming glaringly apparent that government run schools are not the best option for our children.

By: Frank

Frank — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:07:22 +0000

not ignorant, just wondering who is going to pay for it? You?

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:51:32 +0000

Jeremy, in terms of education more is not less, more is actually more.

Re the teachers kids, I am a doctor; I do night shifts and at times I will not see my kids for 2 days. I accept that because that was the profession I chose.

Jeremy, you can come up with dozens of reasons for not doing this; I will give you the reason it should be done:

We are lagging behind India in terms of maths, this is India the 3rd world country btw.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:08:21 +0000

As most states are already strapped for cash how are we going to pay the extra teachers salary. What about the teachers that have young children at home. I guess they do not matter. Their children can be rasied by someone else. Come on people. It does not matter how long the kids are in school the majority are not going to care until the parents do and I do not see keeping kids in school longer is going to solve that problem

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:55:55 +0000

Best news I have heard in a long time, I was educated for a long period in Ireland, when I came back here I skipped two years.

In Ireland the kids get 6 weeks vacation and the school day is 9-4:30PM. Lets be honest, more education is not a bad thing. Anyone that will tell you otherwise is either ignorant or pay for private school.