Journal+Review+Page

Switching to a Four Day School Week

There are over 120 districts switching to four day school weeks to cut costs. Doing away with friday classes saves schools around $50,000 per year. This has caused some uproar with parents who are not convinced that this can be done without sacrificing their childrens' education. There are some parents who believe that their children are going to suffer, yet there are others who are willing to give the change a try. There will be 30 minutes added to each school day and lunchtime will be shortened to make up for no friday classes. Schools that have chosen to go with this method have not only saved money but are also convinced that it will not put a damper on academic performance in any way. While this issue is still very controversial, many schools already have adopted this change and the numbers continue to increase. The author seems to be in agreement with the four day school week. While he does express examples of both pros and cons, the author seems to put emphasis on the comments that are for four day school weeks. The author emphasizes how schools achievement tests have not suffered due to the switch to a four day school week. He also states that a school district's failure rate has decreased because there is more time in each day for tutoring. The author ends his article by quoting someone who said that people do not necessarily like change, but they tend to adapt. It seems the author is in a way recommending that schools at least try this method because towards the end of the article there is an example of a school who is trying the four day school week once a month to see how it works for their students. In my opinion, I like the idea of a four day school week. While it will have its downsides, I feel that the pros out way the cons in this situation. Students will be in class for a longer amount of time, and this will allow for extra tutoring and practice for the children. It will also benefit the teachers because it gives them an extra day for planning, and the children an extra day to relax. I think many people will be hesitant at first because it is definitely a different concept, but in the long run I really think it could work out for the best.

Reflection: Writing this journal review really helped me to see just how important it is to keep up with educational articles. There is so much going on in education, and it is important to be informed so I can form an opinion. These reviews were a great way to analyze articles and get us looking deeper into these educational issues.