Op-Ed: California has been slow to adopt the four-day school week. That could be a good thing (via latimesopinion)
The bill, AB 2932, would change the definition of a workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours for companies with more than 500 employees.Proponents contend that the shorter school week can save money and improve student attendance. It can also help with recruitment and retention of teachers by offering them an extra day off each week, a benefit that has been particularly important to many school administrators.
Some school officials told us the small savings in operating costs were of marginal benefit. They shaved about 5% off their budgets by spending less on transportation, substitute teachers, food and other costs. Yet they said even small savings made a difference because they allowed districts to retain staff and preserve or invest in other instructional support.
However, the shorter week played a significant role in helping districts attract and retain staff by offering employees an extra day off a week. One superintendent we interviewed recalled that the district went two or three years without a certified math teacher because no one applied. It was just one example of “how dire the recruiting efforts” are for some critical positions, the administrator said. The four-day school week “with absolute certainty, improved our ability to attract candidates and … improved the quality of applicants.”
Typically, the days were about 50 minutes longer in schools with four-day schedules, coming in at seven hours and 55 minutes. Students also spent 58 fewer hours in school over the course of a year. The shorter week did appear to come with educational costs. While test scores in four-day week districts improved, they did so more slowly than they would have if the schools had maintained a traditional schedule.
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