School board just voted in favor of 4 day school week for next year

[sarah13]

@martin777 This is a terrible idea. It’s obvious this is a huge detriment to working parents and low income families, but beyond that, it’s cheating all kids no matter what their family situation looks like. If they think they can cover all the traditional academics in 4 days well (doubtful, but ok…), that 5th day should be used to broaden the experiences of students in so many important ways - more time to focus on the arts, sports, community service, creative/flexible learning, interpersonal skills, mental health, etc. It’s nuts that they are just going to let kids flounder for that 5th day. The economically privileged kids moving ahead and the disadvantaged kids being left behind - making the class class divide in the US even greater.

 

[finch09]

@martin777 Might be an unpopular take, but school IS daycare. It's primarily education, sure, but it also looks after your kids so you can participate in the workforce. That's part of the reason taxpayer-funded free public education is a good idea - it benefits everyone to have more workers directly contributing to the economy.

 

[bfdd6988]

@martin777 This isn’t even happening to me and it makes me want to cry.

I just want to go back to work and as I sit on endless waiting lists just… waiting… my child getting old enough for public school is starting to seem like my only option. I can’t imagine having that taken away, too.

 

[katrina2017]

@martin777 This is amazing! A huge step forward for schooling. Sucks for working parents BUT the workforce need to also transition to a 4 day work week. Ideally work need to make the switch and schools after but this is great news for kids, their mental health and the school will probably see an improvement all round.

We're not meant to be stuck in classrooms and offices until we die.

 

[gtformula]

@martin777 Whattttt. I’m sorry but one of the big purposes of school is exactly childcare, to even the playing field for parents who can’t stay home to care or teach their kids. Maybe in an ideal world 4 day works but only if all the parents also have 4 day work weeks..

Honestly I would try to challenge this at a state or legal level, I don’t know how, but it clearly discriminates against poorer families

 

[katrina2017]

@martin777 That’s bullshit, school providing childcare was 1 million percent pa part of the social contract. I support the 4 day work week completely but if the cost of living and wages require parents to work 5 day work weeks than the society is absolutely on the hook for ensuring there is a safe option for kids.

 

[crystal28]

@martin777 Seriously, how’s this even allowed for public school. They also need to change the length of a semester, right? This is so ridiculous, on one hand I see many PTAs have insane amount of control over petty small school stuff. One the other hand, we have this….

 

[krys89]

@martin777 Raise hell at the school board meeting, get other parents to go with you.

 

[hannah28]

@martin777 I'd be fucking pissed. Are their school days going to be longer to "make up" for this ?

 

[jc_beebee]

@martin777 We are so, so screwed in this country.

 

[bernardjordan]

@martin777 Our schools are also deliberating on this. We went from every 2nd Friday off to every Friday is now a half day. And now waiting for every Friday off news.

And while I only work 3 days and my kids are teens this still impacts me in that now the day I had.to myself where I have a time slot for my own health is now going to be spend telling two teen boys to be less raucous while.their dad is in meetings and stuff at home.

Fingers crossed they put on extracurricular clubs at the school that both my boys want to do. Means they can go play volleyball or something instead of annoying us and my nightshift neighbour

I really feel for the people who have younger/multiple/no village/work situations

 

[clashley]

@martin777 This has to be the south or the Midwest where sports are more important than academics. Way to fk over poor/working/middle class families. My city had issues with kids falling behind academically so as a solution they created an entirely free summer program that runs 6 weeks, includes transportation, and meals.

I’m sorry, this really sucks. This is not going to turn out how the district thinks it’s going to. Parents will be forced to leave kids home alone because they can’t afford childcare and overall outcomes will be worse.

 

[adeline92]

@martin777 I had a 4 day school week from 7th on and loved it! But I agree, if my kids were daycare age I would not love it lol

 

[yovanen]

@martin777 Are there 9 and 5 year old student athletes?!

 

[japenator]

@martin777 And I thought it was annoying to have a half day once a month... Argh.

 

[katrina2017]

@martin777

They said parents shouldn’t rely on school as a “daycare”.

This comment irritates the fuck out of me. Parents have built their lives around school schedules. I didn't choose my hours because I absolutely love working during the day, but school is M-F during the fucking day. Which means I work when he is at school.

 

[batboy4241]

@martin777 I work in a school district w/ 4 day workweek. People around here took a bit to adjust but now there are lots of options.

 

[ewetsade]

@martin777 While I agree that schools are not daycare, our entire social fabric is built around children being in school Monday through Friday. That’s such a bullshit line. I hope you find a way to make this work. I think it could be potentially a huge step if more school boards or other large organizations start to make these kinds of changes, it could potentially trigger a change in that social fabric, but this scenario fucking blows. Could you perhaps ask for an every other Friday accommodation to wfh and your partner could ask for the opposite Friday as accommodation?

I feel like parents (men and women) could also really band together here for some parent (not just mom, but dad too) led changes. Are there any other parents affected that you work with, especially men, that you could band together with to petition management?

 

[littlepippen88]

@martin777 Local school districts started doing it here and I’m grateful it’s probably a big hell no in my district as our 2-parent working household makeup is high. I’m a full-custody single working mom. If our district did this I’d probably be moving.