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We don't have to look far. Just look to poor neighborhoods where many, if not most, parents are working two jobs and are not home Saturdays and often not Sundays.
Once again you start out by arguing a child care angle. What do they do when school lets out and they're not home from work (or the bar) when their kid gets home?
I'm not an advocate at all for a four day week and believe many of the benefits are overstated.
Around here they have after school programs that run until about 5 or 530. So many kids are in them that one year ours asked to be in it just so they'd have friends to play with. She got tired of sitting around the house after school because all her friends where in the program.
This is ENTIRELY a money saving measure by mostly rural districts in red states. It lets them cut costs by paying everyone less from teachers to custodians to cafeteria workers to bus drivers.
Despite whatever mumbo jumble they might voice about the educational benefits of 4-day school, it is all utter BS.
When you see elite private college prep schools moving to 4-day weeks you will know it is for educational purposes. They would laugh at you if you suggested it.
You'd save some on transportation and utilities but you'd likely have to increase salaries to compensate for the longer school day as well as running utilities longer.
What actually happens is that hourly wage workers (custodians, maintenance, bus drivers, cafeteria workers) just get paid less.
Salaried workers like teachers generally don't get pay cuts. But it lets districts with teacher shortages (due to low pay) continue to pay less because a 4-day work week for salaried teachers is more attractive than a 5-day work week for the same pay. So they can cast a wider recruiting net and say "we can't pay as much as that neighboring affluent suburban school that has school 5-days a week, but if you come work for us, every weekend will be a 3-day weekend." And there are lots of teachers who will take that tradeoff. And possibly drive further for the opportunity to have a 4-day work week.
I'm a teacher and I'd be happy with a 4-day work week for the same pay for selfish reasons. But I don't think for an instant it would be better for the kids.
What actually happens is that hourly wage workers (custodians, maintenance, bus drivers, cafeteria workers) just get paid less.
Salaried workers like teachers generally don't get pay cuts. But it lets districts with teacher shortages (due to low pay) continue to pay less because a 4-day work week for salaried teachers is more attractive than a 5-day work week for the same pay. So they can cast a wider recruiting net and say "we can't pay as much as that neighboring affluent suburban school that has school 5-days a week, but if you come work for us, every weekend will be a 3-day weekend." And there are lots of teachers who will take that tradeoff. And possibly drive further for the opportunity to have a 4-day work week.
I'm a teacher and I'd be happy with a 4-day work week for the same pay for selfish reasons. But I don't think for an instant it would be better for the kids.
I’ve read of a few districts in my state that are moving to this. They are lengthening the school day, so the kids are not in class for fewer hours in any given week. I’m curious how the whole thing will turn out.
I must say that I would prefer having one weekday off each week, if I were a teacher. You could get your appointments all done that day.
It seems like some SAHMs would offer to take in people’s kids for that one day a week for $$.
Just what America's youth need- more time not in school.
The dumbing down of America. The plan is going along perfectly.
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