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school days...?
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Lengthen School Days</span>
Nancy Kalish is the co-author of “The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It.”
NY Times
Michelle Obama got off to a great — if uncontroversial — start yesterday by heralding the new law making it easier to challenge pay discrimination according to gender. But that was a slam dunk. After all, who’s going to disagree? If Mrs. Obama truly wants to fulfill her vow of helping American women and their families, she’ll need to do much more — and put her obviously formidable strength to the test.
“If the school day were expanded until at least 5 p.m., it would take a big burden off of parents and allow children to do their homework at school, freeing up the evening for true family time.”
She could start by pledging to extend the school day. As every working mother knows, the fact that our children’s day ends at 3 p.m. while ours ends several hours later wreaks daily havoc on our working lives — and sometimes our ability to have a job at all. At the same time, there are not enough hours in the current school day to fit in everything our children need and would benefit from. As schools increase academic instruction time to prepare for standardized testing, they’ve been slashing physical education, art, music and other activities deemed nonessential. Research shows that all of these are necessary for our children’s proper cognitive development, not to mention happiness.
But if the school day were expanded until at least 5 p.m., it would ensure enough time for such enrichment, eliminate the need to have so many latchkey kids and take a big burden off of parents as well. Children would also have time to do their homework at school, freeing up the evening to be true family time.
Unlike pay equity, there are plenty of people who will object to this one. The costs! The extra work hours for teachers! The bus schedules! But when Mrs. Obama is ready to take a strong stand, this important issue will be waiting for her.
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Lengthen School Days</span>
Nancy Kalish is the co-author of “The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It.”
NY Times
Michelle Obama got off to a great — if uncontroversial — start yesterday by heralding the new law making it easier to challenge pay discrimination according to gender. But that was a slam dunk. After all, who’s going to disagree? If Mrs. Obama truly wants to fulfill her vow of helping American women and their families, she’ll need to do much more — and put her obviously formidable strength to the test.
“If the school day were expanded until at least 5 p.m., it would take a big burden off of parents and allow children to do their homework at school, freeing up the evening for true family time.”
She could start by pledging to extend the school day. As every working mother knows, the fact that our children’s day ends at 3 p.m. while ours ends several hours later wreaks daily havoc on our working lives — and sometimes our ability to have a job at all. At the same time, there are not enough hours in the current school day to fit in everything our children need and would benefit from. As schools increase academic instruction time to prepare for standardized testing, they’ve been slashing physical education, art, music and other activities deemed nonessential. Research shows that all of these are necessary for our children’s proper cognitive development, not to mention happiness.
But if the school day were expanded until at least 5 p.m., it would ensure enough time for such enrichment, eliminate the need to have so many latchkey kids and take a big burden off of parents as well. Children would also have time to do their homework at school, freeing up the evening to be true family time.
Unlike pay equity, there are plenty of people who will object to this one. The costs! The extra work hours for teachers! The bus schedules! But when Mrs. Obama is ready to take a strong stand, this important issue will be waiting for her.
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