Cutting back services to four days a week helps districts reduce overhead costs, particularly in the categories of building operations and maintenance, transportation and food service. The schedule change isnt always successful. The issue is if students fall behind by a small amount in a single year, it's not that big of a deal. The chatter is getting louder. Nearly 43,000 Texas teachers left their job in the last school year, according to a July report from the Texas American Federation of Teachers. Kids being left at home unsupervised which then we are seeing a 20% increase in some areas that have previously done this in the nation of juvenile issues that have come from that, Donaldson explains. July report from the Texas American Federation of Teachers, bill passed by the 84th Texas Legislature, Are your kids reading on grade level? We love working with experts! According to Superintendent Dr. Kevin Siers, a four-day instruction week may entail an added hour to the school day, and weeks may run Monday through Thursday or . Ryan Knutson: Childcare, the free lunch program, transportation to sporting events on non-school days. Chris Helsinga: The academics. Some are saying no, and others are saying yes. Year-round education (YRE) programs (also called modified calendars or balanced calendars) do not extend the amount of time students are in school, but rather distribute the 180 school days more evenly throughout the year. On March 10, the state launched the Teacher Vacancy Task Force to address staffing challenges facing Texas public schools. I understand some people work on Fridays, and they want their kids to be in school. This was not a decision that was made lightly and our hope is by releasing our calendar in January that gives our parents enough time to adjust to a new schedule, Thompson said. Wendy Price is an Alba-Golden ISD parent and a former teacher. The school board voted on May 17 to make the switch to a four-day week, starting with the 2022-2023 school year. Introducing a 4-Day School WeekEverything You Need to Know The first school district to make this move in Central Texas was Academy ISD, saying in a statement that they would be shifting their schedule for the 2023-2024 school year. Twenty-four percent of the staff said they took the job because of the four-day week, and 53% said its motivated them to continue working at Athens ISD. We don't have businesses that are paying huge taxes like you would in Kansas City or Springfield or St. Louis. It requires our administrators to spend more time with them in development and that kind of thing.". This story was originally published August 14, 2022, 5:00 AM. Should Cell Phones Be Allowed In The Classroom? Updated: Feb 18, 2020 / 10:25 AM CST. East Texas superintendent says 4-day school week will give - KWTX Ben Chapman: Right. The district was able to fill all 14 open positions for the upcoming school year before June, much earlier than usual. The four-day school week: Research behind the trend - The Journalist's The specific day they may not attend varies. A four-day school week (4dsw) is becoming more common, especially in areas across the western United States. The fact that is that the pros and cons of four-day school weeks need to be fully understood before an informed opinion can be formed. Were going to provide them with some instruction thats not exactly the same as they get on a daily basis, Bartram said. Length of day for younger students. The meeting for parents with the district is set for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. For more on this story, follow Jeff Ehling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. But slowly over the nation, schools are switching to a four-day school week. Medical Tests in Your 20s and 30s. This allows school districts with little or no money for building expansions to handle a growing student population and save millions of dollars in construction costs. (Nair 2). Teachers felt the kids werent getting enough time in the classroom, and students test scores declined. Listen 4:18 Bill Zeeble / KERA News Athens ISD launched a three-year pilot program in 2019 as it transitioned to a four-day school week. by Denise-Marie Ordway| September 21, 2022 | Natural experiments, student performance, teacher pay >> Weekly Planner Box Style The idea of a four-day school week has gained popularity over the last decade, especially in rural areas where schools face budgetary constraints and staff shortages. A few cars ahead in line, mom Brianna Kramer, shared why she disagrees. Ryan Knutson: To get more teachers to apply, and ultimately stay, Chris has decided to try something bold, moving to a four day school week. So they had to learn how to conduct virtual lessons, and this was a lot of extra work for them. The change could make it difficult to plan a family vacation, go to summer camps. Think of this for example, Thomas is suspended and taken out of school for a couple of days. Ben Chapman: There are also perspectives from teachers who say that four day weeks don't solve other problems that they have on the job, such as class sizes that are too big or the lack of computers or the lack of professional development or any of the challenges that they may face that are unrelated to the time spent in the classroom. The Athens native had worked for seven years in other districts. Because we couldnt fill it, we had one pre-K classroom with 35 students last year, superintendent Chris Galloway says. This version may not be in its final form and may be updated. Fort Worth ISD gives teachers a raise. Teachers and students no longer come in on Mondays. 104 SW 6th Ave, Suite B4, Amarillo, TX 79101, Looking Back with Gratitude: 40 Years of HPPR, HPPR Living Room Concerts & Ambassador Tours, Its a hot tarantula summer: The spiders aren't dangerous; they're just looking for a mate, Disability rights advocates celebrate passage of no kids in cuffs bill, How bills affecting rural Texans, including broadband & water infrastructure, fared at the Capitol. She holds a bachelor degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and went back to campus in 2007 for a Knight-Wallace fellowship. A few districts in Liberty County are now on four days or will be soon, but Crosby ISD would be the first in Harris County to make the switch. And one other solution that's been getting a good bit of traction is the four day school week. In touch with the world at home on the High Plains, Bill Zeeble has been a full-time reporter at KERA since 1992, covering everything from medicine to the Mavericks and education to environmental issues. Right after the district announced that it had a new four-day schedule in April, applications started rolling in. Video shows fireworks display didn't go as planned in Lake Conroe, Inmate who died should never had been jailed in first place, mom says, HISD sees hundreds at job fair amidst reform program under Mike Miles. School officials with the LaVernia ISD took up the matter during a board meeting Monday night. Four Day School Week Pros And Cons - Internet Public Library Texas school districts with four-day weeks: Pros and cons | Fort Worth Longer weekends would make school more and exciting for students because it would give them more opportunities for self-directed work. While most districts hope the change helps them hire and retain teachers, some Texas districts said they were motivated by increasing student enrollment. Others? Ryan Knutson: There have been some studies, there was one recently by the Rand Corporation, I believe, that showed a drop in test scores for students who had a four day class schedule. On Thursday afternoons, most kids are steeling themselves for the final day of the school week. The Benefits of Moving to a Four-Day School Week Financial Also, students in those districts as well as New Boston and Silverton who need academic help can get tutoring on certain Fridays throughout the year. Your email address will not be published. Teacher shortages aren't exactly a new problem, but during the pandemic, the problem got a whole lot worse. Moving to a four-day instructional week is going to increase our recruitment and our retainment and its also going to give teachers quality planning time that they can use to create great learning experiences for our students, Thompson said. But it gives us one more caveat where students, let's say they don't get their homework done, why not? Ryan Knutson: Were there other options other than raising taxes? The schedule is still being tested in many schools; but in others, results are in. States with large rural areas are spearheading this change. Get it done. Classroom is the educational resource for people of all ages. We have some teachers that say before they were struggling to get the curriculum covered, Francis said. Copyright 2023 KTRK-TV. A few others said they hoped it would help with student attendance and achievement. It's just harder. To be able to plan, do this and do that, and to be able to have a day off each week, I think is huge mentally. Ten states explicitly prohibit one uses of tenure status or seniority. When kids are focused they pay more attention and learn more. Teachers were leaving for bigger, better-paying, nearby districts. Required fields are marked *. The lack of effort correlates to teachers because it could dispirit them from doing work they want to assign in class. One thing that does seem fairly consistent in the research is the first five or so years of adapting to the new schedule for schools with negative side effects before seeing improvement in the later years. But that schedule shift has some asking what this means for the students. Regardless of how old we are, we never stop learning. Ben Chapman: More than half of public school principals are reporting that they are under understaffed this year. Speaker 5: Missouri classrooms were either left vacant or filled by someone not qualified. You guys are cowards. Find them wherever you listen to podcasts. Schools considering this move need to weigh the pros and cons carefully. on Should Cell Phones Be Allowed In The Classroom? Next, a drawback is that it could be hard on families if the children have different school schedules. The public was wary but willing. As drought becomes more common, we need to rethink how we address water rights, law expert says. In order to make up that extra day and keep kids in the classroom for the same number of hours over a school year, the school day would have to be longer. And so we hope that this extra day off for students will help them.. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers require around 8 to 10 hours of sleep in order to function at full capacity; otherwise, they will not be productive in school (National Sleep Foundation n.d.). Teacher retention is important, according to Russell. How would it affect our families? Heres the full list. If they were to stay after school the students who ride a bus would risk missing their bus which lead to a difficult situation for their parents. While there are some concerns about the four-day weeks impact on test scores, Michelle Francis, superintendent at Silverton Independent School District, says STAAR scores have actually increased since the shorter week took effect last year. Will they budge? A four-day schedule can free up professional development time for teachers and save school districts a modest amount of money, but the change involves challenges for school stakeholders. When it comes to talking about the advantages of this system, the one that is mentioned first is savings. Ryan Knutson: Why are teachers leaving their jobs at such a rapid rate? Were excited about those days, because were going to be able to target some students that possibly need some extra help that in a normal setting they might not even be able to get, Brannen said. What was the challenge that you saw that needed to be solved and what were the options that you felt like you had? Speaker 3: Across the Sunshine State, around 9,500 open teaching jobs. And if they're here, I don't care on a four day or five day week, they'll be successful. Utility bills were less, as well as a decrease in labor costs and bus expenses. Ryan Knutson: When you were considering this plan, did any concerns come up from anybody? Updated: Feb. 8, 2023 at 8:00 PM PST. Our board would have to approve it. Supreme Court guts affirmative action, effectively ending race-conscious admissions. The Four-Day School Week Is Here To combat a teacher shortage, some school districts across the country are adopting a four-day week. At least three staff members with over 20 years of experience came to DeKalb from other districts, mainly due to the four-day week. And do our kids also want to be here? The first is cost; districts can cut transportation, staffing, and nutrition spending. It's Wednesday, September 28th. Fort Worths Texas Wesleyan makes school history with newly hired president, 4-day school week helps some rural Texas districts hire teachers. After implementing a 4% raise, Ward was still able to hire enough teachers for the school year. So, overall it was supportive. Some Small School Districts Switch to 4-Day Week Chris Helsinga: Childcare. Having a school system run on a four-day rotation would increase their success by offering more opportunities for lesson and work time. So what are the pros and cons? Parents were worried about all these things and that wasn't everything. And so we proposed to pilot it for three years and see what the public thought about it.". All rights reserved. Some districts have tried to solve this problem by using high school students as babysitters on the off day, but paying for child care may not be an option for lower-income families. Better Information for Better Women's Health - WebMD It's all farm ground. Supreme Court reverses affirmative action, gutting race-conscious We also feel like its going to help us with our mental health program for students, Kuhn said. With three years of the shortened schedule under its belt, Athens Independent School District calls itself Home of the 4-Day Instructional Week. Superintendent Janie Sims says its helped the rural district compete with larger districts in Dallas-Fort Worth and Tyler. (KWTX) - The growing trend of a four-day school week is making its way into conversation in Central Texas. Ben Chapman: The four day school week does solve the teacher shortage for rural districts that are using it, at least in the short term. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Whether it's a four day, five day week, the teacher in the classroom makes the difference. A lot of our kids work. The research is scattered over four-day school weeks, a study in one state shows thousands of dollars saved, with reading and math scores going up, while another school shows no money saved and test scores dropping for a few years before they start to rise again. So what we did find was that we were attracting the mid-range, the teachers we were attracting had 10 to 12 years of service, which is phenomenal.. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. The districts said they will be watching the rate closely this year to see if the shorter week improves attendance. That was our goal. Prior to the change, the district conducted a survey and found that 75% of students, 78% of parents and 100% of teachers were interested in the four-day week. So as we were experimenting with it the first year, March of that year is when all schools closed, said Nick West, who was superintendent at the time. Pros and Cons of a Four-Day School Week. Superintendent Sims said polling revealed more than three quarters of school parents agreed the four-day week had a positive or mostly positive effect on students and families. Ryan Knutson: The teacher shortage is being felt around the country and it's especially challenging for rural districts like Superintendent Chris Heslinga's in Missouri. All these sports can cause serious damage to their brains and hurt their grades in the process. Critics of the shortened school week point to the fact that children who are at risk, especially those having learning difficulties may not be able to get the most out of the new program. College Tuition: Where Does the Money Go? In Athens, families have been satisfied with the four-day schedule, Sims said. According to our partners at the Houston Chronicle who spoke to the district, it comes down to staffing. Ryan Knutson: Ultimately the Maysville School District took the leap and decided to adopt a four day school week. Over the course of their first year on this new schedule, they reported that the frequency of discipline referrals for their students dropped by 73%. The district plans to go over that very idea with parents during a meeting Wednesday night. Chris Helsinga: They love it. The Journal is a co-production of Gimlet and The Wall Street Journal. To combat a teacher shortage, some school districts across the country are adopting a four-day week. Will Texas put up the money to pay for it? Central Texas counselor weighs pros and cons of schools shifting to To help ease students, teachers and parents into the new schedule, several districts are providing meals, low-cost childcare and academic enrichment on days off. The reasons for this change, as well as the perceived effects on children, teachers and the overall quality of education, are being debated. Weve got a whole bunch of ideas that are going to take place on that, but it is going to be for all students.. Officials hope the schedule attracts quality teachers and helps retain the rest, as many schools struggle to stay fully staffed. Then, she got pregnant with her second child. Lowered motivation creates low performance, which discourages the students even more. Though schoold districts can save money with four day school weeks, it is the other way around for many parents. To me, that's the main reason why we're here, learning, student learning. An additional hour was added to the school day to make up for Fridays being off. Say if we did Monday through Thursday, they would have to find childcare for Friday. Implementing this routine would allow teachers more time to teach and give students the option to do their homework during class, in turn creating student success. The Four-Day School Week Is Here - The Journal. - WSJ Podcasts After a few months, the pandemic made implementing the schedule a nightmare for administrators. The Alba-Golden community has mixed reactions. Your 60s and Up: Healthy Body, Sharp Mind. Youve got more class time. Athens school officials knew theyd get some pushback when they first considered a shorter school week. The number of days they work would fall from 187 to 176. Central Texas counselor weighs pros and cons of schools shifting to four-day school weeks, Nearly 300 calls about illegal fireworks on the 4th of July kept Central Texas law enforcement busy, Its indescribable: Waco family home damaged after being struck by lightning. Published: Jan. 12, 2023 at 4:52 AM PST. Thats just better for education, and potentially this will help us do that, says Billy Harlan, the superintendent at Academy ISD. Chris Helsinga: There's a lot of key indicators, is this working? This year, it has been a much easier hiring season, weve been able to get more certified teachers, weve been able to retain some of our great teachers, and theyve said its because of the four-day.. Honestly, we go into it cautiously optimistic, says superintendent Ray Keith. But they also had big problems the schedule might solve. Dalia Faheid is a reporter on the Star-Telegrams service journalism team. Lawmakers also approved a $15 million grant program to improve local mental health options for children and families. Can Four Equal Five? Assessing the Four-Day School Week | RAND But if they fall behind by a small amount every year for 12 years in a row, by the time they are graduating from high school they might be significantly behind further out. We need parent support. While trying to raise success, reduce costs, or better serve their communities, many schools have altered the traditional school calendar. Greg Abbott wants to call lawmakers back to pass a school voucher plan. Its just hard for us to stay on the same pace as them.. Not so much By Dalia Faheid Updated August 16, 2022 11:42 AM Gloria James-Bell teaches her fifth grade class at. 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Pros to a Four-Day School Week Financial Benefits Most school districts cite budget constraints as the top reason for making the change. As a result, its hard to make a comprehensive statement. The salaries have not kept up. And are all kids studying at home? Instead of making dismissal making over the basis of tenure status or seniority, 12 states require that teacher performance be the primitive consideration. LaVernia ISD Board weighs pros and cons of 4 day school week - KTSA He. April 6, 2023 The past two decades have seen an explosion in the adoption of the four-day school week. Heard on: The Athens Independent School District launched a three-year pilot program in 2019 as it transitioned . And so when we surveyed the parents, it was about 70 to 80% in favor. And the overall project in the school system is to educate children. And this is because there have been a bunch of complications thrown at teachers in their jobs. Class runs Monday- Thursday with an added 40-60 minutes each day to compensate for the lost time by not having the schools run on Fridays. Breaks like these give student and teachers much needed time to blow off the anger built up inside of them. So you started doing this four day school week since the start of this year. Whether youre studying times tables or applying to college, Classroom has the answers. Central Texas counselor weighs pros and cons of 4-day school week for students. Follow NPR's live coverage for the latest . Chris says that in his district, recruiting teachers is a struggle. In 2016, Olfen ISD in West Texas became the first school district in the state to make the switch to a four-day school week. Scholars are studying how it affects students, teachers and school district budgets. Chris Helsinga: The demographics here is rural, got 525 students, very conservative. Pros And Cons Of 4 Day School Week | ipl.org - Internet Public Library With longer school days, that means there is less time for after-school extracurricular activities such as sports and clubs, which some feel are an integral part of a childs education. Our working families, they would have to find childcare, she said. Grandparent Maria Romero, while waiting in the carpool line, explained why she likes it. The teachers are leaving the profession because it's harder. If Crosby goes to four days a week, teachers would work eight and a half hours a day, four days a week. Students start looking forward to 3pm on Friday the minute their alarm wakes them up on Monday morning. Concerns arise over kids ability to sit attentively in a classroom for such a long duration, especially for younger students who have a shorter attention span. Ryan Knutson: But there are some drawbacks to the new four day schedule. The four-day school week is an advantage because it can reduce discipline referral frequency, reduction in financial cost and can impulse a better morale for the teacher and the students. Shortening the week is a hot topic across districts around the state,. Studies have shown that less time in the classroom can lead to lower test scores in reading and math. Teachers argue that certain at-risk or special needs students will have a tendency to forget what they have learned over the long weekend instead of retaining that information and forging forward the next week. Theyve been able to keep experienced teachers and hire more. Ryan Knutson: Not only does the district struggle to fund building maintenance, it also struggles to pay teachers. A traditional school calendar in the United States of America provides 180 days of instruction and a prolonged summer vacation that is roughly three months long. ALBA, Texas (KLTV) - Alba-Golden ISD recently approved a three-year pilot plan for a four-day school week for the school year beginning in Fall 2023. We might do more hands-on that day, it may be team teaching where a couple of teachers are team teaching a small group. Ryan Knutson: So your move was more proactive? However, the landscape is changing thanks to several factors including a slight change in public perception. See you tomorrow. Four-day school weeks (Feb. 28, 2023) - Houston Public Media Before joining the podcast, Ryan covered the wireless industry, and was responsible for a string of scoops including Verizon's $130 billion buyout of Vodafone's stake in their joint venture, Sprint and T-Mobile's never ending courtship, and a hack of the 911 emergency system that spread virally on Twitter. A growing trend across the country is a move from the traditional five-day school week to a shorter four-day week. Superintendent Macie Thompson explained this came about as a way to give teachers more planning time for their lessons as well as for teacher recruitment and retainment. Chris Helsinga: Remember I told you they were conservatives. She said having a Friday off can become a workday for teachers. (KWTX) - The growing trend of a four-day school week is making its way into conversation in Central Texas. Although parents we spoke to did not want to go on camera, some tell us they are worried about how this schedule impacts childcare costs and transportation timelines with the additional time per day. In Mineral Wells, there are optional instructional Fridays for elementary students, with 55 students signed up so far. One other area that is debated is the impact the change in the length of the school day will have on children. Ryan Knutson: Our colleague Ben says that while a shorter school week might help attract teachers, it's definitely not a cure-all. Welcome to The Journal, our show about money, business, and power. So these rural schools do not have a tax base where you're getting sales tax or you're getting personal property taxes. Let us know if you're interested in contributing a high quality educational guest post on anything related to finance and education, student loans, classroom practices, studying abroad, tips for college, or other related topics. And the recent bump in student performance means its working for kids too. It slows down. They seem to vary. Just throwing that on to them very quickly, we might not be able to supply some of our students with home care, said Taina Maya with Killeen ISD. The Pros and Cons of a Four-Day School Week - SchoolMoney.org
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