Four Day School Week

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It is not a well-known fact that twenty-one states in the United States presently have school districts operating on a four-day school week, but this is an idea that is spreading across the nation. States like Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, and Michigan have already implemented this policy in their public schools and it is working (“Four Day School Weeks”). The amount of time spent in instruction is the same, if not more, since the length of each school day is increased. The evidence supporting this change will quite obviously benefit teachers and students, and ultimately the entire community. Shortening the school week to four days is extremely advantageous because it saves money, it provides more academic assistance, …show more content…
Lucille Hodgson, a school administrator from Bogota, New Jersey, states, “A four-day school week could provide students with the opportunity to attend tutoring classes or access online learning sources to help increase academic achievement” (“Working for the Weekend?”, 7 ). If the students and teachers have an open day of the week, there will be time for teachers to be available to students for tutoring and individual instruction. Students will also have the time to complete school assignments and projects with the additional day off of school. It is stressful on students and teachers to accomplish what is needed to satisfy the curriculum during their busy days at school. This shortened week may give everyone time to accomplish meaningful educational tasks, so students can be more successful in their learning. This, in turn, will accelerate participation in sports and extra-curricular activities and decrease negative discipline …show more content…
With a decreased stress level, behavior referrals will decrease and school will be a more pleasant place to learn. Absences are known to become less as well. “A four-day week could improve attendance because students and staff would have a specific day to make appointments, such as going to the dentist” (“Working for the Weekend?”, 7) Extra-curricular activities will thrive as well. The extra day off could be used for competitions and practice sessions that might otherwise have caused students to miss academic time (“Working for the Weekend?”, 12). Not only will activities benefit from this change, but the morale in the school and community will be affected positively as well. Principal Renee Parker from Arkansas observes students have an initiative to take more time to study “and want to do better as young adults” (Parker, 12). She has seen many juniors and seniors take on jobs in the community which is a positive