NJ state of the state

[rr]

It'll be interesting to watch Chris Christie and the reaction from unions and parents when he proposes to lengthen the school day and school year during his state of the state today. The bridge scandal will likely hang over everything else he does but this is something I'll be watching closely.

abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/christie-proposes-longer-school-day-amid-scandal-21522788

While I agree with the sentiment I just don't anticipate this gaining much momentum. If by some chance it does happen in Jersey does anyone think it could happen in NY?

I can see the protest signs and Facebook groups forming now...

[Chris_Wendt]

When you consider that almost every year teachers and administrators get step raises of 2+% and the salary schedule is increases by some additional percentage, asking faculty to extend the school day or school year should be an easy quid pro quo. Then, when you realize that secondary teachers spend less than three hours in the classroom teaching students each day, the potential for expanding the school day may seem like a "no brainer".

But not so fast!

Generally, parents have historically been at least as resistant to increasing either the school day or the school year as the teachers and administrators have been. As a matter of fact, there has been a long-standing desire to shorten the school year by moving up the last day of school, but this has been continuously and repeatedly thwarted by NYSED who stubbornly drags-out the end of every school year with their year-end test schedules.

Personally, I think the school year is long enough, although I would like to have seen the end of school moved up a week earlier. Quid pro quo for that could be an extension of the school day by one period across-the-board. In elementary schools, that time could be dedicated to structured extra help or structured enrichment or some of each. In the secondary schools, that period could provide a meaningful extra class/subject, and/or be used to relieve crowding in some lab courses.

In some areas where educational results had been historically poor, longer school years have been instituted. These may include 12-month trimester scheduling, Saturday Academies, and/or night classes.

Bridgeport, CT, has numerous Saturday Academies, for example:
sites.google.com/site/yalegearup/enrichment-programs
bcyl.org/Education/caribe-youth-saturday-academy.php
reachinghigherground.org/leadership-acadamies/saturday-leadership-academy/
sites.google.com/a/bridgeportps.net/bridgeport-military-academy/
www.gfacademy.org/horizons
www.zillow.com/bridgeport-ct/schools/achievement-first-bridgeport-academy-7177/
bridgeport.ct.schoolwebpages.com/education/school/school.php?sectionid=345
www.ctdhe.org/oeo/gearup.htm

That's a lot of kids in Bridgeport taking classes on Saturdays!
Most of these programs fill-up (are filled).

Interesting that one program is run by Bridgeport Lacrosse which includes, separate from LAX practice and athletic skills development, SAT Prep and academic assistance in a Saturday Academy setting.

Chris Wendt