Three-day weekends are a usually a rarity but in one school district, they’re a permanent thing. As part of the largest school district in the United States, 27J Schools in Adams County, Colorado made the change to a four-day school schedule during the 2018-19 school year, to mixed reviews.
With the big change nearing the end of its first year, teachers, students and parents are reflecting back to determine if the experiment was a success. Did it work? The answers are showing a pretty big divide.
Should students only have a four day school week? School districts across the country think so. Weigh in here: https://t.co/4TmZYZ2ZpO pic.twitter.com/sEdusEPMpj
— KARE 11 (@kare11) January 21, 2019
With 28 schools and about 18,000 students, 27J Schools in Adams County, Colorado had a lot of adjustment. Within the revised schedule, Mondays became part of the weekend by extending elementary school days by 40 minutes, while middle and high school schedules changed to longer eight-hour days.
The new schedule, which is set to continue for at least two more years, has seen an increase in promising teacher applicants and lower staff turnover. While teachers and students are loving the new schedule, parents are not is thrilled, as NBC News reports.
“I don’t like it one bit, and I feel like the district didn’t take seriously my worries about child care,” single mom of three Jessica Lore told NBC News. To help working parents, the district expanded its existing offerings to include an all-day daycare option on Monday for $30 per day as well as enlisting a Boys & Girls Club to provide all-day care for $20.
The real test will be when state testing results are revealed in the fall to determine the most important factor in this major change: the students’ academic success. We’ll be sure to fill you in on those results when they’re in!
—Shahrzad Warkentin
Featured photo: Pixabay via Pexels
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