Longer school year

[PMDragon]

Major factor affecting the academic performance of students in Asian countries is the respect and desire for education. Students there actually attend school with the full intentions to learn all they can. That which is a part of their home influence: parents / families that have high expectations for their children to do well in school and instill the importance of education. 

[Rick Rowlands]

Its our American culture that values immediate gratification and materialism over work and duty to oneself.  Americans don't have to work to "Create a better life" for themselves, we've already achieved it. Even the poorest in America have it better than most of the rest of the world. 

[Towntalk]

Why are the Youngstown and Warren school districts doing so poorly?


OHIO EDUCATION REPORT CARD

http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/profile.asp

More school: Obama would curtail summer vacation
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iaZ6R77zq5_ZYc77h178ePWRNJwQD9AVLOCG0

President Obama:
"Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas," the president said earlier this year. "Not with Malia and Sasha, not in my family, and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom."

Education Secretary Arne Duncan:
"Our school calendar is based upon the agrarian economy and not too many of our kids are working the fields today,"

FACT CHECK
Obama and Duncan say kids in the United States need more school because kids in other nations have more school.
"Young people in other countries are going to school 25, 30 percent longer than our students here," Duncan told the AP. "I want to just level the playing field."
While it is true that kids in many other countries have more school days, it's not true they all spend more time in school.
Kids in the U.S. spend more hours in school (1,146 instructional hours per year) than do kids in the Asian countries that persistently outscore the U.S. on math and science tests — Singapore (903), Taiwan (1,050), Japan (1,005) and Hong Kong (1,013). That is despite the fact that Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong have longer school years (190 to 201 days) than does the U.S. (180 days).



From yesterday's White House Press Briefing:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

___________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2009

PRESS BRIEFING

BY PRESS SECRETARY ROBERT GIBBS

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

Q Your Secretary of Education today talked about the possibility -- or I guess in an interview over the weekend talked about the possibility of seeing the school day expanded, with shorter summer vacation. How can the federal government influence that?
MR. GIBBS: I would direct you to the Secretary of Education. Obviously, I assume there are incentives that can be given -- obviously these are state decisions, but there are incentives that could be given that you could test grants for all-day schools -- I'm sorry, year-round schools. You could do any of those types of things.
Q And the President supports --
MR. GIBBS: Well, I think the President has talked in the past about the fact that we have to try new things in education to ensure that we're doing everything we can to educate as best as possible the workforce for tomorrow -- whether that's -- the President was a big believer and a leader in the Illinois State Senate in expanding the number of charter schools, something that Secretary Duncan has done. And I think the President believes strongly in the education reform agenda and has somebody at the Department of Education that's implementing it.

[Towntalk]

Point well taken about teacher unions and the need for teachers needing to take summer classes to stay certified.

The question then becomes how can we increase results while maintaining the present schedule?

As you know this has been a bone of contention for a number of years with American education being compared to the educational systems in other countries.

I'm sure we can all agree that all of the blame can't rest solely on the shoulders of our school systems as witnessed by the fact that many school districts right here in North East Ohio are rated excellent while others are rated poor or failing.

And how can we force families to take a more serious role in their children's education without creating a police state?

I would hope that the U.S. Department of Education is not looking to take a more direct control over local school districts.

[Rick Rowlands]

School is good, but children also need some time to play, explore and enjoy the good weather.  Once they grow up and graduate they will be stuck in a five to six day work week for the rest of their lives.  Why take away those summers in the sun?   The current schooling schedule used to work fine up till now.  Lets fix the problems that caused the downgrade in educational achievement instead of taking away precious time from our children. 

[irishbobcat]

It depends on what you mean by implemented. It you are talking a longer school day and more longer school days during the year, your unions would want a pay increase which would mean more levys on the ballot box.

If you all talking about year round school, still going 178 days, you would still need to negoiate it with your unions.

Having worked in a year round school, 2 drawbacks: teachers can not take summer classes to renew their licenses since most classes are offered during the day when they are teaching.

and, the tourist industry would fight year round school across America worse than your tea parties. Summer means vacation spending, and many vacation spots like Cedar Point would not like the idea of kids in school when they should be riding their 17 roller coasters.

[Towntalk]

Dennis, as a school board member, how could this plan be implimented by local school boards?

More school: Obama would curtail summer vacation
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090927/ap_on_re_us/us_more_school


Actually I think that it's a good idea.