As I am reading these comments, it souonds like most of you have not spent anytime in a classroom. Therefore, you do not know what goes on during the day in most of the schools. The amount of disrespect and lack of effort from both the students and parents would blow your mind. Then we have to deal with adminstrations that do not do anything to support the teachers. Does anybody know how many assults do not get reported? A lot. Why? Because principals do not want to report them because the district will repremand them for not having a safe school. Then every day after putting up with all the BS, we need to bring the work home. That’s time away from our family. I am sure if you would add up the hours we spend at home doing work, people would see how stressful and draining it is.

Add to the mix all of the times students do not come to school prepared. But they have their cell phone and ipods. Throw in dealing with the parents who do not give a you know what about their kid’s education. Never see them at back to school night or report card conferences. But when the student is not graduating they are pounding on the school doors and want blood.

I have been teaching for 16 years and just as I thought I have seenit all…I have not. It takes a special kind of person to put up with what we do. Unless you have walked in our shoes, I suggest you keep quiet and take a long look in the mirror. If you have a complaint, take it up with management.

In PA, it is a mandatory 180 day school year. I am sure that this would not change, unless the school days were lengthened. The way that this would save MILLIONS of dollars is the maintenance and utility costs!!!! Wouldn’t it make sense to save that money and put it towards the actual education of our children?!?!?! I am willing to consider any and every option to make that happen!!! Oh, and anyone who thinks that teacher’s do not deserve EVERY penny that they get has obviously never stepped inside of a classroom in the last 10-15 years! The teachers today have to do at least 5 jobs at the same time: teacher, parent, behavior specialist, sheep herder, and nurse for 30 kids all at the same time!!!

How noble of the department of education to consider a four day working week as opposed to five.. and of course mentioning the concern of the teachers about extending the days that they are working.. I have never ever come across a more entitled profession in my life!! Didn’t they want their 401 k reimbursed too with the economic decline in the past???? Working now as it is only 180 days.. people they are already working part time!!! do the math.. get a calendar out and calculate hours worked days worked within a calendar year.
Time for them to consider pay cuts and less entitlements that will straighten the budget out..
I am a nurse and I know that I am reimbursed for what I actually work!!! That did include Christmas, Thanksgiving etc.

WHAT A JOKE

I don’t know, hmm? Some folks try to work during school hours, those workers pay taxes. I suppose it would work if part time employees were eligible for affordable healthcare and retirement benefits~like that would happen? Hmmm, guess it’s best to provide black top to for roads for America’s SUVs…the balance just shifted…

Yeah That way we can give teacher more monies and even less days to work for it GRAND IDEA ( NOT)

Fine if you can afford a Nanny or are a “stay at home” mom. But many people HAVE to work today to keep their households going. A four-day school week further punishes the disadvantaged children and their parents. Why can we always find money to wage war but not to fund education for our children–the hope for the future.

I cannot believe that board administrations are actually considering cutting our childrens education. Why don’t they cut the their pay checks that would increase revenue and funds for our state. Its bad enough that America’s children are far behind China’s children when it comes to learning. The saying children are our future will become a myth, because they won’t know anything. In the city of philadelhia schools are closing or have to get a sponsor to stay open, because they children cannot even pass basic standardized testing, and thats with a 5 day school week. imagine how much worst they will do with only a f4 day school week. This State this country is ridiculous. does anyone not see the problems with these things. we all myself included sit back and watch as our country falls apart becasue of out dated philosophies, too many so called conservative republicans, an overall laziness on the part of the AMerican people. We pay the salaries of these Idiots that say stupid things and make outlandish decisions. pretty soon our so called great capitalistic society will be nothing more than a third world country, especially if the future of our country rest in the hands of uneducated children. Yes it is the parents who our the first teachers and have to aide in teacher their children but for the thing that parents don’t know or cannot explain or cannot teach because of other obligations such as work, that’s why we have teachers and schools, For those purposes. If this is allowed to pass pretty sonn Monday Wednesday and friday will be all the time kids spend in school. It it will be our fault for failing our children. And instead of creating ggreat men and women , will created children who’ll have as much knowledge about things asa a slug.

Great rid of Administrators and bad school board members to start

this sounds nice in theory but is the child going to continue getting poor education why not sit them in front of computers and home school..might actually learn more with your guidance than the history and geography lessons taught now

In my state, the school year is a MANDATORY 180 days.

If it is the same in PA, how will changing from 5 days a week to 4 days a week save anything if the are going to be in school for the same number of days?

I am sure the parents who have nannies or can afford day care will not care, but for parents who structure their time at work around their child’s school schedule will not like this one bit.

…And people wonder why some of us are for vouchers for private education and charter schools.

[...] Awesome idea! And hey, while we’re at it, let’s just fold up our tents and declare the country dead. America was a nice idea, but we got careless with our money, so we’re closing up shop. A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Education says state officials are open to the idea of four-day weeks in classrooms as school districts look for ways to save money. [...]

First generally teachers want to provide what is needed to help the students learn but their hands are tied and the districts are too top heavy with administrators. They can’t do their job alone parents have to be available to help their children.
Second has any one looked around to see the ancestry of the top students these days.
Finally, parents have to make education a priority. Sports are great for exercise but all too often the focus is in beating another team. How about putting all that effort into math, science. We are becoming less and lesss marketable

All i see are problems for families. Where are the actual savings???

I say fire all the loser politicians we could use that money for schools

Why are we concerned about what unions think? They have done most of the damage in destroying the education in this country.

If parents accept this asinine proposal without standing up for their children, this country is doomed. We need a six day, eleven month school year just be able to compete and these idiots want to shorten the school year.

How is it that Philadelphia’s school budget is 3 billion plus per a year to educate 154,000 students half who don’t show up or know how to read or write. How is it that Queen Akerman is making more then the mayor or governor ? The school district in Philadelphia is a joke. Get back to basics which is education, not day care, not free meals, not after school baby sitting. Stop all of the feel good programs that do not work yet drain the tax payer

Why balance the budget on the backs of students who need MORE learning just to keep up! You want to save a day a week in terms of money? REDUCE THE SALARIES OF OVER-PAID ADMINISTRATORS BY ONE DAY A WEEK!

Guess Arlene Ackerman needs & wants a three day weekend.

Love this idea!!

No matter the alternatives, the kids will be the ones to suffer & as a nation we continue to fall further & further behind other nations. Philly teachers are abysmal.