I don’t know what the answer is, but I’ll know it when I see it.

It’s a public school system. It receives government money, tax money, etc. And my opinion is that if parents have such an issue with their children remaining in school longer – be it days or just hours – then they can home school or enroll their child in private education. I realize some parents may not have the means to do that. But if people are going to complain about the public school system, they should do whatever possible to remove their children from those environments. Or, simply put, they should deal with the stipulations set by the government who, in essence, runs the entire public school system.

Very interesting post!

Amanda: I don’t think it’s unrealistic for the federal government to step out of the education business. They haven’t even been in it very long. It wouldn’t be fast process, sure, but it could be done. They can reverse the trend and re-localize it, but I don’t think they will.

Carrie: That interested me as well. I get the idea of a longer school year and that’s something to be considered, but I was very surprised at the mention of a longer school day. Kids have a hard enough time getting in homework, time with the family, and extracurricular activities now…they’d be exhausted if they lengthen their day! Though I know this is a false, slippery slope argument, I can’t help but imagining a Giver-like society (or another, worse one) where kids are entirely controlled/brain-washed by the government.

Valentine: Definitely. Though I think a longer/non-traditional school calendar should be up for discussion, it should be done in the local communities.

WhatACard: I agree that a longer school year should be discussed. Or at least a non-traditional schedule. We have a lot of year-round schools around here, and by and large, the children/parents who go there like the schedule. I think that when we unreasonably marry ourselves to an antiquated system, we prove ourselves fools. (That’s not to say that there aren’t legitimate reasons why someone might prefer a traditional calendar, but the argument that this is the way it’s supposed to be just don’t cut it.)

Vicki: I agree. And I love the year-round format! If/when I become a teacher, I hope I get a year-round schedule!

Amanda: Something that might address the issue you raised that hasn’t been brought up so far is school choice. While I don’t think it’s THE answer, I think something can be said for allowing parents to have a choice in what school their school goes to (via vouchers), so that it forces public schools to compete to earn the money they get. Certainly not an easy solution, but it should be on the table, at least.

Ari: I find it interesting how quickly those who were against No Child Left Behind forget it when advocating for further government involvement. I don’t care if it’s a Republican or a Democrat in the Oval Office, federal government shouldn’t stick their nose into local/state issues other than to provide encouragement.

Camile: I’ll never forget the first time a parent said to me, “Thanks for letting me know that Suzie was misbehaving, if it happens again she’ll receive punishment.” I felt like the parents didn’t trust me to tell them the truth about their child’s utter misbehavior! I know that the parents I deal with are much more strict on this issue than the average, so I can’t imagine how many times you’ve had to fight both the student and the parent!