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More BPS schools to get longer hours
By adamg on Thu, 12/08/2016 - 10:16am
BPS announced yesterday it will spend $14 million to add 40 minutes to the school day at an extra 39 schools starting in the fall of 2017.
The move means 23,000 BPS students will now be covered by the extended-day program, which officials say leads to better standardized-test scores.
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Comments
Because
getting good government standardized test scores hasn't yet sucked enough life out of children?
It's working so well
They're going to do it more
I'm fine with the extended day
for a few reasons.
First, a majority, if not all, charters do it. And while I am not a big charter fan, they have shown how the extended day can benefit students.
Two, BPS has an incredibly short school day. It is time to catch up. Who knows maybe that 40 minutes could go to something like recess, physical education or the arts that have been cut from so many schools.
Three, as a family where both of us work, the extended school day is needed in Boston. How many full-time jobs allow you to arrive at work after 9AM and leave before 2pm? (and that is if you can drive. Never mind if you have to take the T.) Every extra minute kids are in school they could be learning and help working class parents balance their schedules.
Yes, all good points
A longer school day gives more time for co-curriculars and core learning both. At the charter my kid attends, they have either art, music, gym or dance every day but Wednesday, which is a 1/2 day.
I wonder how this slots into the interest in improving the transportation issues previously raised.
Bold Idea by Mayor Marty
It appears to be a bold creative solution, I look forward to the rebuttal by Tito Jackson.
Credit where it's due
My main reason for being such a vocal supporter of Question 2 is that I didn't expect BPS to ever do much to improve - but here's their first shot across my bow. As Vaughn points out - probably one of the best things charters do is keep kids who need longer learning time in school longer.
Good for BPS. Keep going! (and for those who say I just want to starve BPS - I'm calling your BS - $14 million sounds like a bargain for this - SPEND IT!)
It's all about
how well the extended day programming is. My son did an extended day at a local middle school and it was way, way too long a day (7:15 am to 4 pm). Some of the programming was run by Citizen Schools. They would take groups of kids by bus after the regular school day to various corporate locations and teach them about things such as (I am not kidding) Forensic Accounting. I think the idea was to expose the kids to various career paths. I can't speak for the other kids by my son found it boring and tedious. I doubt it had any effect on his standardized test scores, except to make him dislike school more than ever. More outdoor recess would have been the best and cheapest option.
Extended day can be great for kids who don't have access to music, theater, art or other extracurriculars but I would not choose it for my child.
Double Time
I think some of the charters use the extra time to have extra math and English classes - a) the kids need them and b) that's mostly what they are tested on - so it improves their test scores (not an entree to a discussion on the merits/demerits of testing - just an observation of why they probably focus on these subjects)
Too broad a brush
Which is swell for those kids who need the extra time and attention and a day killer for those who don't. My daughter also did extended day in middle school before she went to BLS and it was an exhausting day for her. She used to be a voracious reader for her own pleasure. But that year she was so tired and just done with anything that even seemed like school, she stopped. Which is a tragedy.
It also meant that none of the kids could do afterschool sports, one of the carrots that keeps many students focused on keeping their grades up and being in school.
I totally understand the desire to have extended hours as free babysitting, I'm objecting to it being required for every kid in the school.
There is a difference though
between an "extended day" school setting and "extending" the school day. This proposal would "extend" the school day to go from 8:30AM-2:30PM to 8:30AM-3:10PM at some K-8 schools, roughly the equivalent of schools in Newton, Milton & Brookline. It would not set up BPS for the 7:15AM-4PM school day as it may seem by previous posters.
AFAIK
Each school can decide themselves how to use the extra time. SPCs and administration can portion it out to address what they see as the biggest challenges for their students.
Start Time Problem
I'm not happy about the extra time for my kid when the start times don't shift. Younger kids in the early grades, especially in inclusion settings, are not going to get much out of extra time when it comes tacked on to the end of the day from 3:30 on.
Why doesn't BPS switch bus schedules for middle and high schools since there is lots of data showing adolescents need later start times?
I promise you that first graders don't need to sleep in for a 9:30 start.