State Senator Nancy Sullivan has proposed a 4-day school week in the state of Maine. Ray hasn't had a chance to look at the nitty-gritty details of the proposal, but he's intrigued by the idea.
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About Me
- Ray Richardson
- I live in Westbrook with my wonderful wife Dee Dee and our four children. We have been residents of Maine for a little over 22 years, moving here from Florida in 1985.
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10 comments:
I agree it should be discussed.
I believe a lot of teachers would love to have a 4 day week, but the good ones,and most of them are, who are interested in quality learning for children, would probably nix the idea.
We should not be looking at going to a four day week just to save money. We should do it if it will enhance the learning experience. Unfortunately I do not believe it will.
Some educators will tell you that young children especially will forget too much over a 3 day weekend and monday will be spent catching up and reviewing.
That is the case made for going to year round schools. Too much is thought to be lost over the summer.
I am sure there is a study out there somewhere that has been done to determine the impact of 4 on and 3 off for students.
In a perfect world, the 5th day could be spent at home doing projects or reading ,but we know that will only take place in a small percentage of homes.
As for you being in favor of a four day work week. I am with you there.
When I had a plumbing business we worked 4 10's instead of 5 8s as long as we could in the summer.
When I was teaching in the early to mid ninties, we went to block scheduling at the high school only.
The lower grade teachers wanted daily contact with the kids especially the foreign language teachers even at the HS.
Of course I realize that the conservatives do not think we should even have foreign languages taught in our schools.
Couldn't resist that one Ray
Some conservatives may feel that way, but I think foreign languages being taught are a good idea as long as they are not at the expense of English. English is the language of success and our students must master it to be successful.
I agree, we should not go to a four day school week merely to save money although money should be a factor in the decision. A quality education is a key element in the foundation for a successful life.
If we are to ever solve the real issues facing Maine and America, we must not be afraid to discuss every option, put everything on the table, fully discuss it and then decide.
Ray said and I agree
Some conservatives may feel that way, but I think foreign languages being taught are a good idea as long as they are not at the expense of English. English is the language of success and our students must master it to be successful.
One of the reasons we were always told to take Latin in the 60's was that it would help us with our English. They were right. learning another language, I believe, helps one to understand English "more better"
we were told to take french for the same reason in the 60's...mmmmmm...job security i guess...are the teachers going to put in 4 10 hr days..?..the little darlings can't do it...they barely can make 6 hrs a day..just like most teachers...of course bruce you and i are completely at the opposite end of this issue...seems like everything i read...hear...or watch about funding our education programs vs the final product...test scores...they're moving in different directions...just the other day heard about a survey/study/test center stated that 3 out of 4 4th graders cannot read at 4th grade level...vs 30 years ago it was just the opposite...and monies spent has grown by 500%...i know you'll disagree..no doubt..but you have to admit...it's not the amount of money spent..it is how they spend it...beginning of the summer on the net were listed the top 10 jobs to apply for if you want the most income with the most time off...# 1...head chef for a resort...# 2...yup...a teacher...$34.00 an hour...175 days a year...med/dental/eye insurance...5 sick days...plus retirement...ray...for some reason you have a soft spot for teachers who of course want to be called educators...just drive around any school system and count the cars sitting in the tachers parking lot after school is out....yes there are good teachers and some great teachers...some consider my wife a great teacher and some of my sons teachers were great but most were useless..nothing has changed for the last 50 years...no accountability...if there was...we might see a better product...ya never hear the "whinners" from the end of june till the first of september do you...mmmmmm....there is one thing i will admit about the education system...it is social experimentation in true form...open room concept...ed techs...mainstreaming...agendas....grading....mandates...the list goes on.....and considering a 4 day school week...it'll be another failed experiment...when it's proven not to work in real life(7hrs per 8 hr day...8 hrs per 10 hr day)..any employer will tell you that...whops!!..that's right too...can't fire a teach that doesn't perform...must be trained better and given 3 more chances...
I would be disappointed if that type of reponse about teachers did not come from CRS.
I guess somewhere along the line some teacher must have ticked him off and he does not like the profession he ended up in.
He is right about education being an experiment. There are no easy answers and everthing is reinvented every few years,not by teachers, but by the
"professional educators" that have pwople like W's and other politicians ears.
The teachers are just the front line soldiers who are expected to carry out the new agenda even when they know it might be a futile exercise.
How would you like it if the electrical code changed and they made you use a different type of wire or breaker that you knew was not going to work.
You put it in an something goes wrong and the customer blames you not the engineer who advised the state.
paying teachers more and less time on task is surely no answer either....you forget to mention one very important issue...called the "teachers union"...largest union probably in the world....money talks bull*** walks...and the whinner's union dictates all....i'm simply saying bring competition into schools...36 month contracts...and if scores don't meet or surpass standards...seeya later...there be a line standing outdoors to replace them..."there's always education"...that's what the dean of admissions told me back in '69...if i didn't make it in my major...education was considered bottom major for all who wanted a degree....of course now you can get a degree in just about anything....secondary education is big business and nothing more now....and they have successfully convinced soceity a degree makes you more intelligent....how sad....educated and intelligence are 2 different things...proof...the most successful people in the world rarely finish or even go to college....bill gates comes to mind...even though reading his bio...there's never a good idea he would'nt take credit for...oh well....have a good day commrade bruce......
Jenbon said...the most successful people in the world rarely finish or even go to college....bill gates comes to
While they make the headlines, those instances are rare and even you should know it.
I am not surprisd that you advocating that education is not important
From
"Comrade" Bruce
To you , Il Duce
you are so wrong commrade bruce....education with a purpose and successful outcome...just breathing successfully for 4 years without having to earn a living should not deserve a degree...hey bruce...did you hear...read or watch the news about the eight graders.......i so love being right...with the help of the freedom of information act...portland press herald got the truth about how well our little darlings are doing with those under paid over worked teachers....78% failed a test created and blessed by the NEA/MEA and God knows who else...78% failed bruce...how can you possibly argue with that proof...but i know you will because it was somebody elses fault...there's one of those facts again....
Jenbon
I guess I did not read the same report that you did.
The tests were created by "professional educators" not the teachers.
I think it should have been thown out.
You are "right" and I am sure you love being "right" You are just not correct.
Good thing wires are color coded
Sig heil
i am correct...you are wrong...and those nasty facts are just as stubborn as ever...waaaa....waaa...waaa....typical teacher...the question was too hard...was too misleading....throw the test out...ignore the scoring....change the test...why not throw out testing all together...don't want to hurt anybody's feelings....doesn't take much prying to find out how the education system is failing us and the country...not only that but how left the teaching has become...just this am...author of "28 lies about usa history" taught in class...the author..a professor himself...chose the top 20 history text books and would not use one of them because the absolute lies about history...oh well...doesn't matter anyways because they would never would be tested because someone might fail....commrade bruce...socialism...communism...collectiveism...liberalism...all have the same smell...if you want to be a peasant and cower...it is your right...no nazi here...i chose to stand and believe in freedom which you seem to fear...i believe in accountability...honesty...hard work...and yes...to be tested...some fail...some succeed...that is life...another concept the lib's can't get ahold of....
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