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is MORE School Really The Answer?
Posted by:
Judi Diamond on
September 29, 2009 at
12:29PM CST
Let me first say, I do have respect for President Obama. That doesn't mean I agree with everything the man comes up with! And this, thank you very much, is a BAD IDEA!
I'm talking President Obama wanting to expand the hours that our kids attend school. Obama says American kids spend too little time in school, putting them at a disadvantage with other students around the globe. "Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas," the president said earlier this year. "Not with Malia and Sasha, not in my family, and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom." The president, who has a sixth-grader and a third-grader, wants schools to add time to classes, to stay open late and to let kids in on weekends so they have a safe place to go. On one hand, the President is saying that our kids need to go to school more to keep up with the “scores” of the rest of the globe. On the other hand, he's saying that kids need to be in school longer so that they can be babysat while their parents are at work. Let's look at the “one hand”, that we need to keep up with other countries. In the Fox article I read, it said: “Kids in the U.S. spend more hours in school (1,146 instructional hours per year) than do kids in the Asian countries that persistently outscore the U.S. on math and science tests — Singapore (903), Taiwan (1,050), Japan (1,005) and Hong Kong (1,013). “ That right there tells me that it's not about the amount of HOURS spent, but about the curriculum being taught in the classroom! Many U.S. Public schools have taken out Physical Education and the Arts programs in favor of MORE math programs. It's STILL not working! So NOW we should put even MORE hours into programs that are already NOT working for our kids? How about studying the programs that those Asian Countries are implementing, instead of just tacking on more hours that AREN'T working here in the U.S.? Now, the second hand. That kids need a place that is Safe to go while their parents work longer hours. Believe me, as a family with two working parents, I get that! But is forcing ALL children to stay longer the answer? Why can't we take that Government money and implement better, free, FUN after school programs and activities that the kids can go to if the parents WANT and NEED them? There are some places with programs like that. Such a program needs to be available across the board in all U.S. Public schools. Let's also think about the teachers. My high schoolers' class sessions run 90 minutes. She is an “A” student, very smart, very involved, and can barely keep her eyes open for so long on one subject. And this is even when she loves the teacher ! I've heard from many teachers who say they have a hard enough time keeping kids attentions for more than 30 minutes! And what about the other employees in the school district. Bus drivers. Janitors. Counselors. When do they go home and take care of their own families? What about the expense of keeping schools open longer. The cost of water and power, heating, air conditioning? And let's not forget the big one for many families. Sporting and other outside activities. Forget them. There would be no time. Definitely no time for social activities, and certainly no time for kids to just “let loose” and have fun. We ALL need that down time. I believe kids need it even more than adults! So what is the alternative? What can be done to bring up our kids to the level of other Countries? Again, it's all about the programs. In many Asian countries, music is extremely important. They still have music programs in their schools. And it is stressed as equally as the math and science programs. I feel we fail our own children in that department in many U.S. Schools. I'm lucky. My school district still has wonderful music and arts programs. But I'm in a good school district, which is NOT the norm in the U.S. When I moved from Los Angeles to St. Louis, they had just taken out all Physical Education from the L.A. school my kids were in, and most music classes from the school. One of the reasons we moved from Los Angeles was the deterioration of the schools. St. Louis has similar problems. We just happened to move to a suburb that was separate from St. Louis City to a separate school district county. But why should we be the only lucky ones? Longer school hours is NOT the answer. Better school programs are. Give better incentives. Pay our teachers more, so that teaching might be a career young, bright college students might actually consider. Please, President Obama. THINK about this! Besides, aren't your own daughters going to a private school? I'm just saying......
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