SENATE BILL: 2011 Education Act (Law'd)

[HappyWarrior]

As far as increasing class time goes, I can see that resulting in students "burning out" faster.  You can get away with skipping in High School but for younger students that behavior can be academically devastating.

Well, some schools have actually done this, drastically lengthening the school day until 5pm, so the school day is more than 8 hours long.  The results have been very good.

http://www.kipp.org/news/star-tribune-minneapolis-st-paul-mn-a-longer-school-day-a-smarter-kid-

As for the utility costs:  Again, that is the point of the grants.  If you don't support this, then don't.  But don't say you'd somehow support longer school days except that we have to do the obvious:  pay people more and heat the buildings longer.

Both of those things are part of the general operational budgets in schools, and these grants would pay for precisely that. 

And if you oppose paying for longer school days to keep kids off the streets in vulnerable inner city schools (that apply for the grants on a voluntary basis), are you also opposed to the rest of the bill?

Knowing this now will aid me greatly in deciding whether or not I should move forward or compromise.

I agree with the long school days but not the gender seperation.  A critical part of school is learning social skills and I think keeping genders seperate can only hurt children's social skills.

[HappyWarrior]

As far as increasing class time goes, I can see that resulting in students "burning out" faster.  You can get away with skipping in High School but for younger students that behavior can be academically devastating.

Well, some schools have actually done this, drastically lengthening the school day until 5pm, so the school day is more than 8 hours long.  The results have been very good.

http://www.kipp.org/news/star-tribune-minneapolis-st-paul-mn-a-longer-school-day-a-smarter-kid-

As for the utility costs:  Again, that is the point of the grants.  If you don't support this, then don't.  But don't say you'd somehow support longer school days except that we have to do the obvious:  pay people more and heat the buildings longer.

Both of those things are part of the general operational budgets in schools, and these grants would pay for precisely that. 

And if you oppose paying for longer school days to keep kids off the streets in vulnerable inner city schools (that apply for the grants on a voluntary basis), are you also opposed to the rest of the bill?

Knowing this now will aid me greatly in deciding whether or not I should move forward or compromise.

I agree with the long school days but not the gender seperation.  A critical part of school is learning social skills and I think keeping genders seperate can only hurt children's social skills.

I guess I should have been more clear in my bill.  The only classes separated are the four basic subjects:  language arts, science, math, and social studies.  Boys and girls would be together in PE, music, technology, art, recess, lunch time, any field trips or all school activities, and in the classroom during times when they aren't working on the 4 subjects.  Teachers would have a mixed classroom.. and then during the 4 subjects, the boys from one room would team up with the boys from the "buddy" classroom and the girls from that room would come over to buddy up.

The parts of the school day where most socialization occurs... during the classes and activities I mentioned above... students would be mixed.

Socialization is just as important as academics... but I think my proposal would increase academic performance without hurting socialization.

How does it improve academics?

[HappyWarrior]

Aye