Four-day school week is bad idea

To the editor,

I think four-day schools are a bad idea. I have a college degree in business. Education lifted me out of poverty. I lived with my grandmother and foster parents until I was nine years old and joined my dad who was in the US Air Force. I attended six different schools in different cities including Panama as the military moved us a lot. The best schools were in the Panama Canal Zone that were funded by the federal government. Teachers had master’s degrees and challenged us. The most valuable part of attending six different school systems were the lifetime learning skills that led to my 18 months of military electronic training, 25 years of IBM computer training that averaged 30 days annually, and the discipline to go to night school for three years to earn a college degree at age 50.

When I asked Governor Otter if four-day school weeks provide the same competitive education level as a five-day a week school, his answer was “jury is out.” Idaho Education News just released the ED Trends of Idaho Education. You can read more at https://edtrendsreport.idahoednews.org/. Idaho is not doing well. Most of the research for four-days is about money and teachers, but very little on the effect on children’s leaning with longer days. 7,000 STEM jobs are not filled. The go-on rate after high school is 38% compared to 60% in other states. American Falls with about 2,000 enrolled does a pretty good job today. Many families who have one income like four-days but many dual Income families do not. I have traveled to other countries like Finland where children speak multiple languages, have time to play, three hours of classroom time, and no homework. Read more at https://www.businessinsider.com/finland-education-beats-us-2017-5. Why change to a four-day school week when nothing seems to be broken?

Mike Saville

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