Here's An Idea We Can All Hate!

A few days ago I wrote a post So What are Public Schools Doing to Cut Their Budgets? looking at the various proposals that are being floated to get public school budgets under control. Those ideas included larger classrooms, consolidating school districts, renegotiating contracts, eliminating summer school, and a number of other smaller cost cutting measures.

Recently I heard about an idea that I know would never work in our own Jewish schools because of the already extended school day and because there is almost no way parents would accept such even if suggested. So I'm NOT suggesting our schools should even look into this idea, but it is good to understand the mechanics because we will understand how the dominoes fall when a major cost is slashed from a budget.

I ran into the idea of a Four Day School Week (note: same hours of classroom time) recently while thumbing through the newspaper. Another note: NYS is considering this ideas as I type. A quick Google search brought me to numerous articles, and I was quickly intrigued (nerdy, I know). I worked for an office where the majority of staff were switched to a 4/40 work week schedule in an emergency cost cutting measure. Auditing is travel intensive and when you have the 50% of your staff out on travel on any given week, cutting one day from a hotel stay, one day off gas bills, one day off rental car bills, and one day off the per diems quickly becomes a realized savings. In addition, there are smaller savings to be realized when utility costs fall. Ultimately, staff came to enjoy the longer days and the day off, and turnover decreased, helping the office to realize further savings in training costs.

But, a four day a week for schools? Even I, a blogger with some rather "outrageous" cost cutting ideas, would never have dreamed this idea up. (Turns out the idea is not new at all. In the 70's gas crisis, some schools switched to this schedule temporarily). From an economic standpoint, the savings, if a four day school week is instituted smartly, the savings are obvious: one less day of bussing (particularly significant because this four day school weeks are becoming more popular in rural areas, where long bus routes are de rigour), less utility cost (once again, particularly significant cost savings that can be realized in more rural communities), one less day of serving school breakfast/lunch, less insurance costs, and more. But what of education?

Turns out, many of the articles I have read have reported positive academic gains, which surprised me. Turns out that schools suffer less absences with this schedule. And, another domino falls economically, because schools also have less teacher absences and, in turn, the budget for substitute teachers fall (which is probably an academic gain in and of itself). Many schools, it turns out, have seen academic gains as well. As per this Time Magazine article, some of the financial savings in one district have been used to invest in more instruction including tutoring.

But what of teachers? The day is super long. And while many private sector employees deal well relatively well with extended days (there is a trade off for productivity I believe, but that is made up with worker satisfaction and other cost savings), we don't have to be around large groups of noisy students for hours on end. I think I was most surprised to find that there are teachers who claim to like this schedule, after trying it. Teachers had to make adjustments, of course, but I've yet to see an article with anything too negative in practice.

But what of parents and their schedules? Much of the resistance to four day school week proposals rightfully comes from parents who are wondering how to find, and how to pay for, an extra day of care for younger children. Few parents and educators want kids in front of the TV an extra day. Some parents have found that it is easier to find a full day of care for children, than a few hours daily. In communities that have come together to save school budgets, churches have stepped in to provide day care. In families where children need to work, there are reports that it is easier to commit to a job when a student has large blocks of time. Many families have come around, finding it easier to schedule time with kids because of their own work schedule, when their kids have another full day off from school. And, parents who enjoy traveling for weekend trips, enjoy this extra day off.

I've enjoyed by reading and have come to see there are quite a few benefits to a four day week beyond the financial for rural schools. I don't see this idea flying in an urban area. And, I don't believe it is at all relevant to Orthodox day schools and yeshivot (our kids have a long, long day as it is). . . . . . . .but I love reading about innovative ideas none the less.

Comment please.