White House Backs Longer School Year
A young student listens to President Obama speak
Many education experts decry the length of America’s school year, saying it’s too skimpy and a century out of date. Now, President Obama has stepped into the fray, according to the Associated Press (AP). He told NBC’s Today show that the school year should be lengthened, and that teachers who perform badly should be fired. On average, the AP says, U.S. pupils spend a month less in the classroom than do their counterparts in countries that have better student achievement levels, including Japan, South Korea, Germany, and New Zealand.
“That month makes a difference,” Obama said. “It means that kids are losing a lot of what they learn during the school year during the summer,” and it’s an effect that hits poorer kids the hardest. The President also said teachers need to be more highly honored in the United States, particularly those who are effective. Those who are not, he added, should be given support and training, but if they continue to underperform, “they’ve got to go.”
The main hurdle to an extended school year is money. Few states can afford to keep schools open longer, and the federal government hasn’t got the fiscal wherewithal these days to provide them with grants. And, not all parents are keen on the idea of keeping their kids in school longer. One Kansas educator told the news service that a Topeka elementary school scrapped a trial program after a year. “Kids wanted to go swimming,” she said. “Their families wanted to go on vacation.”
Filed under: K-12 Education News
Tags: Education Policy, Public Policy
