School's in session...forever!

School's in session...forever!

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in Opinion

Wednesday, September 30. 2009

Comments (36)

It seems the government wants to extend school be it by the hours in the day or the days in the year. Either way, the decision has some parents and a lot of students up in arms.

The change would bring about a host of peripheral issues - childcare, budgeting for teachers/educators, school security, etc.

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#1 B.Smith on 09/30/09 at 07:08 AM

Extending the school year to all year will not help the students in anyway. Students that are failing will continue to fail because it all boils down to the quality of education. If the teachers aren't doing a good enough job then nothing will change. Use your head Obama.

#1.1 anON on 09/30/09 at 10:30 AM

What is your obama head level?? Big or small??

If you make your child study to exceed then the quality of the teacher should not matter....They are all given the same book to study from, and as I recall they all have the same words in them. Whats so hard about all this?? I believe it is sitting down with your kids at night making sure they are doing homework and studing for tests!!

#2 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 07:12 AM

What will help is parents standing up and doing there job, making there children do home work, helping them when needed and being involved with there childs academic progress. To many parents look at school as a child care service and want nothing to do with process, I think that is the first step in improving children's education.

#3 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 07:19 AM

Extending it by day wouldn't be so bad, except to the children of course. It's hard working 8-5 and your child getting out of school at 3. If you have an older child to watch the younger one then you can make it work (though you still have children left in the home alone). Children need some type of break during the summer though.

#4 anon on 09/30/09 at 07:39 AM

For many students, the system IS NOT working for them as is. Lack of discipline at home, no parent involvement and rules preventing school system from doing its job is the problem.

Every teacher I know wants to educate the kids and has the ability to do so. Its the kids that don't want to be educated and sorry parents that keep them from doing their job!

Extending the school day or school year is only going to extend the problem!!!

#4.1 JJ on 09/30/09 at 10:44 AM

I agree. Extending the day or school year will not correct what is happening in education today--in Barnesville or across the nation. Parental involvement is the main key. And in many cases, "the key is broken, lost or misplaced." Schools should not be used to fix social ills. Schools are to educate and assist, mind you I write "assist" in every other way possible as they educate the whole child. Too many laws and being political correct has created problems that only GOD can solve. And He will if will invite Him back into schools, homes and sadly, churches. He is waiting for the invite, we just have to ask.

#5 cake buddy on 09/30/09 at 09:35 AM

its not about how long they stay in school its about what there teaching and how there teaching it you could go to school 4 hours a day and still be smarter then someone who goes 10 hours a day

#5.1 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 12:41 PM

it's "...how THEY'RE teaching..."

#5.1.1 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 02:01 PM

Oh good GRIEF !!! *rolls eyes*

#5.1.1.1 M.S. on 10/02/09 at 09:20 AM

This poster needs or needed longer school days.

#6 O.B. on 09/30/09 at 09:48 AM

Extending school to 10 hours per day would really be bad for the kids as they would get tired and that would be the end of learning for that day and so on....

It would mean the end to school activities such as band, sport and etc.

#7 MINICoop on 09/30/09 at 09:53 AM

English students actually have a shorter school year. I don't think the quality of education has anything to do with the length of time spent at school. It's more or less the quality of the teachers, combined with the amount of parent involvement.

#8 dogboy on 09/30/09 at 11:19 AM

Extending the school year is just another effort to extend the "Nanny State." The teacher education folks believe that parents cannot take responsibility for their children, or should not be required to, and so the kids should be handed over full-time to the state. This of course means more money and more jobs for the education bureaucracy. It is also pushed by parents who consider their children to be an inconvenience to their desired life style and want the state to relieve them of parental responsibilities. For reasons stated by many who have already responded, there will be no improvement in education as a result of this, just more taxpayer dollars spent and one less reason for parents to worry about having children.

#9 H B on 09/30/09 at 11:32 AM

Obama leaves the impression he would like the schools like the sweatshops of the 20's. Those didnt improve production, until the workers were teated as persons. My opinion the schools are the same. Involvement by the parents and all persons concerned with these children, with focus on accomplishment.

I think Mr Obama should get his nose out of States activities, and deal with our real problems. Terrorists, they seem to be coming up more and more, and he is only interested, in my opinion, in things focused on show. Olympics, regulating schools and many other things that fail to hold the importance of the terrorist have to the safety of our country.

#9.1 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 02:31 PM

If something's not done, our children won't be smart enough to protect us from terrorists in the future.

#9.2 Sheila Tolley on 10/06/09 at 05:12 PM

Maybe obama should stay in America as much as our kids already stay in school. He just comes off vacation long enough to refuel.

#10 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 01:36 PM

Ask Chinese and East Indian students about the benefits of going to school all year and see what they will tell you..Even here in the U.S., California to be exact, I have Asian neighbors from throughout the Asian continent who send their kids for more schooling after attending the public schools that last to 8pm to 9pm...and you wonder why Asians are outperforming you whining Americans....

#11 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 01:41 PM

if the school year or days are extended i will have no other choice than to find an private school

#12 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 01:43 PM

I will look into other private schools also. most of them go four days a week and the math and english scores are above average

#13 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 01:54 PM

This is horrible. If this is Obama's answer to kids having a BETTER education, they need something BETTER to get it, and NOT MORE of the SAME.

Which is the teachers spoon feeding the kids information to MEMORIZE and not LEARN the answers to the state tests so they can pass, and the schools can GET MORE MONEY.

ALL thanks to the NCLB law, which parents don't know much about. If they did, they would be fighting mad about what THEIR tax dollars are doing to their own childs education.
SO, more days, hours etc means more money for schools.

Education in US is so far down the totem pole as it is compared to most other countries, so how does Obama think having more of the same will make it go up the pole?
IDIOT

Teachers already complain too much about how the parents don't take care of thier children and they are made to babysit them. I dont' blame them for complaining. So, I would think the teachers wouldn't want this either, having to babysit even MORE because Obama is wanting the teachers to do the PARENTS job.

#14 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 02:10 PM

This is horrible. If this is Obama's answer to better education, they need something BETTER to obtain, this and NOT MORE of the SAME.

Which is, the teachers spoon feeding the kids information to MEMORIZE and not LEARN the answers to the state tests so they can pass, and the schools can GET MORE MONEY.

ALL thanks to the NCLB law, which many parents dont' know much about. If they did, they would be fighting mad about what THEIR tax dollars are doing to their own childs education.
SO, more days, hours, etc means more money for schools.

Education in US is so far down the totem pole as it is, compared to most other countries. So how does Obama think having more of the same will make it go up the pole?
IDIOT

Teachers already complain too much about how the parents don't take care of their children and they are made to babysit them. I don't blame them for comoplaining. So, I would think the teachers wouldn't want this either, having to babysit even MORE because Obama is wanting the teachers to do the PARENTS job.

#15 Author Unknown But Having Fun on 09/30/09 at 02:55 PM

Can anybody tell me where I can find me a school that will teach those fancy Obama chants.

I'm writing a paper on cults and I couldn't find a listing for Hogwartz.

#16 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 03:21 PM

From Yahoo News: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090927/ap_on_re_us/us_more_school
"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 is despite the fact that Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong have longer school years (190 to 201 days) than does the U.S. (180 days)."

The problem is NOT how long the children are in school. It is the value that we put on education. In other countri es it is considered a privilege to be educated. We are one of very few nations to educate everyone and expect the same results from all. Most countries do not deal with students who are discipline problems or have trouble learning.

The problem with Obama's "wonderful" plan is that we are comparing apples to oranges. As long as our public education system stays the way it is, students could stay in school 24/7 and the results would still not compare with other countries because we educate EVERYONE.

#17 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 03:22 PM

Extend the school yeah all you want, make it 24/7, the governor will just step in and furlow the teachers to whatever amount of time he feels like it should be

#18 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 03:54 PM

The yahoo article did not add in the after school classes that these people attend..My point was the after school classes that asians and east indians go to...i'm sick of people blaming public schools for the way the education system is now...if you lazy ass parents would get off your butts and get involved my asians do with their children, it wouldn't matter if you go to public or private school....

#19 wdm on 09/30/09 at 04:32 PM

I hope Obama keeps coming up with ideas like this...he'll never get re-elected.

#20 B.C. on 09/30/09 at 06:51 PM

I have to agree with J.J., H.B., and Anonymous #15. I am a teacher here in the state of Georgia, and our test scores have dramatically declined in the last 20 years. The "powers that be", (i.e, Governor Perdue, President Obama, Cathy Cox, superintendents, etc.) want to put the blame on failing test scores on the teachers. I will take blame for what I didn't teach clearly enough--however, I cannot open the child's head and shove it in, nor can I go home with that child every night to make sure he or she is reviewing what he/she has learned. Yes, it takes parental involvement, qualified teachers, administrators who have a clue, and the children themselves to get education back on the agenda. Do I agree with longer days? Not really...but I do feel that in order for children to succeed, blame should not be placed solely on the teachers. We need to start working TOGETHER, and not working apart!

#20.1 Anonymous on 09/30/09 at 07:43 PM

Makes sense to me.

#20.2 Anonymous on 10/01/09 at 07:40 AM

Communication between parents and teachers also helps. My child lies to me about school work, I look in his agenda and it's blank. I was lucky last year and had a teacher that communicated by e-mail, and my child did really well. But this year, I am not so lucky. No books, No homework!

#20.3 Anonymous on 10/01/09 at 02:53 PM

I do make sure my children do their homework but it would be a whole lot easier if the curriculum today was like it was 40 years ago. I hate having to learn how it is supposed to be done today to get the same answer we got years ago. How many times do we have to re-invent the three R's.
And,it makes no sense for three teachers to assign "projects" at the same time, due in the same time period, I hate trying to purchase and scrounge materials for projects. Schools need to get on the same page with parents and parents need to agree to make the most of it if they do.

#20.3.1 Anonymous on 10/02/09 at 11:27 AM

I agree with you, some of us don't have the money for all those projects! I had a teacher mark an answer wrong because even tho the main answer was right, he didn't show the correct problem solving method! It's confusing, cause the way I learned it, was much easier for my child to learn. What's the diff. it's the same answer, and easier for the child to understand.

#21 LvMI on 09/30/09 at 09:47 PM

Privatize it. The free market can easily take care of this.

#22 Enoc Siuol on 10/01/09 at 06:35 AM

What it’s going to take is a change in attitude and that will require a change in culture/environment. Once a child realizes that it’s fun and exciting to learn and all that they do learn will enrich their experience and help further them in life, teaching becomes a piece of cake. Teachers can only do so much when a child’s mind-set has no interest in learning. Children learn by example and if the parent/parents do not value and pursue education in their own life, except in uncommon cases, neither will the child.

#23 Crystal on 10/01/09 at 07:49 AM

I personally think kids are pushed too hard. What happened to the days when kids could be kids? Every year it seems like things get tougher and tougher. I am a parent who is 100% involved with my children, and nothing gets done until we have finished homework or school projects. I work hard to be sure they know what they need to with whatever they are learning. The problem is this, they are in school all day, by the time they have done homework and studied for their weekly test, they have maybe 45 minutes of play time (they are in 1st and 3rd grade). Kids are getting burned out. I don't believe all kids should be punished because some kids out there aren't getting it, wether it is due to oarent involvement or not. Isn't that where summer school comes in?

#24 ananymous on 10/01/09 at 07:44 PM

our kids. there is the key word "kids". they grow up to fast as is.you know when they started taking things out of school like vocational classes[shop,auto,typing,ect.]that's when kids started loosing interest in school. things that would help some kids get a good job after school because some kids will not go to college.but i'm just a mom what do i know. i have watched my children grow and become discouraged with school because they are not learning anymore the are memorizing things for these test they have because of the nclb crap. obama needs to get rid of all his advisors step up and run this country or step down.face it how better are we now than last year. none. wake up get on your knees pray to god and hope he's not to angry with us to pull us out of this mess we've created. put god first it has amazing results.

#25 cats on 10/02/09 at 10:37 AM

We lived in California for 3 years and my kids attending the year-round school and we all loved it. It worked like this- 10 weeks of classes, then 3 weeks off, 10 weeks of classes, then 3 weeks off.
We had 4 different choices of vacation time, and schooling became a lifestyle for my kids, instead of something to endure for 9 months until they got the summer off.
This is not to say that there weren't times in my kids' school years when we didn't have trouble with homework, behavior, and boredom, but we as parents always were part of their school life, even while working full time.
We Americans have so much available to us that we forget what a privilege our free education is.

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