Examining the Pros and Cons of a Four-Day School Week

Across the United States, several school districts have begun to explore, experiment with, and embrace a shift to a four-day school week.  Just a decade ago this shift would have been unimaginable.  However, the landscape is changing thanks to several factors including a slight change in public perception.   Perhaps the biggest shift giving leeway to the adoption of a four-day school week is that an increasing number of states have passed legislation giving schools the flexibility to substitute the number of instructional days for instructional hours.  The standard requirement for schools is 180 days or an average range of 990-1080 hours.  Schools are able to switch to a four-day week by simply increasing the length of their school day.  Students are still getting the same amount of instruction in terms of minutes, just in a shorter number of days. Too Early to Tell The shift to a four-day school week is so new that the research to support or oppose the trend is inconclusive at this point.  The truth is that more time is needed to answer the most pressing question. Everyone wants to know how a four-day school week will impact student performance, but conclusive data to answer that question simply does not exist at this point. While the jury is still out on its impact on student performance, there are several clear pros and cons of moving to a four-day school week.  The fact remains that the needs of every community are different.  School leaders must carefully weigh any decision to move to four-day weekend seeking out community feedback on the topic through the use of surveys and public forums.  They must publicize and examine the pros and cons associated with this move. It may turn out to be the best option for one district and not another. Saving School Districts Money Moving to a four-day school week saves the district money.  Most schools that have chosen to move to a four-day school week do so because of the financial benefits. That one extra day saves money in the areas of transportation, food services, utilities, and some areas of personnel. Though the amount of savings can be argued, every dollar matters and schools are always looking to pinch pennies. A four-day school week can improve student and teacher attendance. Appointments for doctors, dentists, and home maintenance services are able to be scheduled on that extra day off.  Doing this naturally boost attendance for both teachers and students. This improves the quality of education the student receives because they have fewer substitute teachers and are themselves in class more often. Higher Teach Morale Moving to a four-day school week boosts student and teacher morale.  Teachers and students are happier when they have that extra day off.  They come back at the start of the workweek refreshed and focused. They feel like they accomplished more over the weekend and were also able to get some extra rest.  Their minds come back clearer, rested, and ready to go to work. This also allows teachers more time for planning and collaboration.  Many teachers are using the day off for professional development and preparation for the upcoming week. They are able to research and put together higher quality lessons and activities. Furthermore, some schools are using the day off for structured collaboration where teachers work and plan together as a team. Better Quality of Life for Families The change can provide students and teachers more time with their families.  Family time is an important part of American culture. Many parents and teachers are using the extra day off as a family day for activities such as exploring a museum, hiking, shopping, or traveling.  The extra day has given families the chance to bond and do things that would not have been able to otherwise. Teachers Already on Board The change can be a great recruiting tool for attracting and hiring new teachers.  The majority of teachers are on board with the move to a four-day school week. It is an attractive element that many teachers are happy to jump on.  School districts that have moved to a four-day week often find that their pool of potential candidates is higher in quality than it was before the move. Evidence Against a Four-Day School Week Moving to a four-day school week increases the length of the school day.  The trade-off for a shorter week is a longer school day. Many schools are adding thirty minutes to both the beginning and end of the school day.  This extra hour can make the day pretty long especially for younger students, which can often lead to a loss of focus later in the day.  Another drawback to a longer school day is that it gives students less time in the evening to participate in extracurricular activities. Shifting Costs to Parents Moving to a four-day school week also has many drawbacks. The first of which is that it shifts a financial burden to parents.  Childcare for that extra day off can become a major financial burden for working parents. Parents of younger students, in particular, may be forced to pay for costly daycare services.  In addition, parents must provide meals, typically provided by the school, on that day off. Student Accountability The extra day off may also lead to less accountability for some students.  Many students may be unsupervised on the extra day off.  The lack of supervision translates to less accountability which could potentially lead to some reckless and dangerous situations.  This is especially true for students whose parents work and make the decision to allow their children to stay home by themselves in lieu of structured childcare. Moving to a four-day school week will potentially increase the amount of homework a student receives.  Teachers will have to resist the urge to increase the amount of homework that they give to their students.  The longer school day will give students less time in the evenings to complete any homework.  Teachers must approach homework cautiously, limiting homework during the school week and potentially giving them assignments to work on over the weekend. Still A Divisive Subject Moving to a four-day school week can divide a community.  There is no denying that the potential move to a four-day school week is a sensitive and divisive topic.  There will be constituents on both sides of the aisle, but little is accomplished when there is contention.  In difficult financial times, schools must examine all cost-saving options. Members of the community elect school board members to make difficult choices and they ultimately must trust those decisions.

The Equal Opportunity (EO) is an important program to...

The Equal Opportunity (EO) is an important program to ensure fair treatment, justice, and equity for all people. This program frames and enhances a comprehensive effort to increase human’s potentials depending only on their eligibility, ability, and efficiency. Commanders and Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) have a huge responsibility on their shoulders toward their units; they should provide a positive EO climate for their Soldiers. Because NCOs are the number one factor to create a successful positive equal opportunity environment, they should implement a positive environment and a healthy impartiality atmosphere within their unit. The Army provides fair treatment and equal opportunity for service members, their families, and the†¦show more content†¦Sexism is the behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex. Discrimination is the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people. This paper will discuss and focus on the EO violations areas that include actions based on prejudicial and discriminative behaviors and how service member who takes an inappropriate action in any of these two areas will be accused of a discriminative attitude that breached the foundations of the EO program, which include race, color, religion, gender, or national origin. Prejudice within the military can be found when service members of racial and sexual minorities are being the target of favoritism. Back in 1948, anti-Black approaches were widespread movements in the U.S. military, what made President Truman order an end to the racial discrimination in the armed forces. Even though Whites approaches toward Blacks in the military have transformed in the past fifty years, racial prejudice is still common throughout the military society. Moreover, substantial numbers of heterosexual service members expressed negative attitudes toward gay men and lesbians (Race). Moving on into discrimination within the military indicates discriminative actions that appear in different types depending on the service members’Show MoreRelatedSSD2 Module 1 Notes31223 Words   |  125 PagesTo whom the SOP applies, and possibly under what conditions or circumstances. Definitions Sometimes needed to explain terms new to readers or to interpret acronyms. Responsibilities Brief, descriptive sentences telling exactly who is responsible to ensure what outcomes or provide what resources. Procedures An orderly system of specific actions taken to carry out an assignment including: who, what, when, how, and why regarding tasks to be performed, as well as expected outcomes. Files Any additionalRead MoreEssay Paper84499 Words   |  338 Pagesimplements DODI 1332.14 and DODI 1332.30. It prescribes the policy and responsibility of command, which includes well-being of the force, military and personal discipline and conduct, the Army Equal Opportunity Program, Prevention of Sexual Harassment, and the Army Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program. Applicability. This regulation applies to the Active Army, the Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and the U.S. Army Reserve, unless otherwise stated. DuringRead MoreOverview of Hrm93778 Words   |  376 Pagestheir bachelor degree program. This course is designed to provide you the foundations of HRM whether you intend to work in HRM or not, most of these elements will affect you at some point in your career. Either you will be working with some organizations or having people working for you, in both cases you will be dealing with people. To be understandable and lively means that we need to communicate you. We start every chapter with learning objectives. The most important thing you will get out

Free Things or Free Will free essay sample

As you get older you realize that cool parents were actually just bad parents. In thestory To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a young girl named Scout Finch, and her brother, Jem Finch, go about town and do their own thing. Their father, Atticus Finch, has an interesting method of parenting. Atticus Finch schools his children on the lessons of life, leaving them to wander alone. Some have questioned Atticus actions as a father, and whether they are good or bad for his children. His actions are good!Many may view free range, being put into dangerous situations, and being given wisdomand life lessons over care and generosity as being bad for a child, however many of the worlds most inspirational people were raised in such a way. Letting kids roam freer with a little less supervision is not only fun for them, it helps make them strong in unique and important ways (Larson 1) Elizabeth Larson has written a detailed article stressing that allowing children freedom can help build them up, as opposed to do them harm. We will write a custom essay sample on Free Things or Free Will? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Children raised in freerange generally find very important things. After all, if you get lost, what better way is there to find that you know the way home. One reason that Atticus is a good parent is that he gives his children free-range to roam,and figure things out for themselves. His children need to earn the majority of their knowledge and experience. This has a positive effect for many reasons; it instills in them their own survival instincts, as well as allowing them to get their own handle on the world without being influenced by the views or opinions of Atticus. Another reason that this parenting method works well, is that Atticus does not always have the time to watch his children, what with his wife being passed away. I do the best I can with them (Lee 108). Atticus tries his darndest, and often regrets the fact that he cannot constantly give his children a hearth.Another reason that Atticus is a good parent is that he gives his children honest, truthfullife lessons. Atticus is a wise man, and he enjoys sharing his wisdom with his children. Through his wisdom, the children learn important lessons regarding intellect. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it (Lee 30). This lesson, for instance, goes to show that Atticus is a wise man, and through this lesson, Scout learns to be more understanding, as well as more accepting of other peoples views, beliefs, and opinions.The final reason that Atticus is a good parent is that he has influenced them in such a waythat they are not racist, they are not ignorant or impolite, and they are not rude, or overly rambunctious. But remember, no matter how bitter things get, theyre still our friends and this is still our home (Lee 76). Atticus is a compassionate man, and he shows empathy, and sympathy in many ways. One lesson he teaches scout, is the lesson that helps scout get through the trial, and the other times.In the end, Atticus is a good parent, as he has used his compassion, wisdom, and unique parenting ideology in order to raise two wise, intelligent children, both of whom are instilled with lessons such as try fighting with your head or appearances are often deceptive. Atticus, like many parents today, has raised two young, innovative children, who very well may go on to enact great change.

Interpersonal Relationship free essay sample

Chapter 9 – Interpersonal Relationships I. Advantages and disadvantages of interpersonal relationships A. Advantages 1. Lesson loneliness 2. Provide stimulation 3. Enhance self worth and self esteem 4. Maximize pleasure and minimize pain B. Disadvantages 1. Pressure to be vulnerable 2. Encroach on privacy 3. Increase obligations 4. Limit other relationships 5. Emotionally difficult to dissolve 6. Break your heart II. Relationship stages A. Created and constructed by the individuals B. People see their relationships differently C. Interdependence is primary quality of an interpersonal relationshipD. Six stage model (applies to all types of relationships) 1. Contact a. perceptual contact – physical appearance b. interactional contact (superficial and impersonal) *Flirting – verbal and nonverbal signals of romantic interest *Dark side of flirting – becomes harassment or stalking 2. Involvement – mutuality, connection, try to learn more about the other a. tests – find out how your partner feels about the relationship (start here but go throughout relationship) b. intensifying tokens of affection; increase contact; sexual intimacy; jealousy 3.Intimacy – further commitment; share social networks; quantity and quality of exchanges increase, talk more about the relationship Two phases of intimacy: a. We will write a custom essay sample on Interpersonal Relationship or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page interpersonal commitment – private commitments to each other b. social bonding – public commitment; you become an identifiable pair 4. Deterioration – weakening of bonds a. intRApersonal dissatisfaction b. IntERpersonal deterioration – withdraw, distance, conflict 5. Repair – change behaviors or expectations; not always pursued A. IntRAapersonal – analyze and try to solve yourself; consider changing your behaviors B.IntERpersonal repair – negotiate changes w/other *Recognize the problem *Engage in productive communication and conflict resolution *Pose possible solutions *Affirm each other – disclose, talk positively, compliments, nonverbals that say I care cherishing behaviors – small gestures you enjoy receiving from your partner (a wink, a smile, a kiss) *Integrate solutions into normal behavior vs. followed for a very short time and going back to previous behavior. *Risk – risk giving without certainty of receiving, risk rejection by making the first move, be willing to change, adapt.

Facts About the Crystal Jelly

Facts About the Crystal Jelly The crystal jelly (Aequorea victoria) has been called the most influential bioluminescent marine organism. This cnidarian possesses green fluorescent protein (GFP) and a photoprotein (or a protein that gives off light) called aequorin, both of which are used in laboratory, clinical and molecular research. Proteins from this sea jelly are also being studied for use in early detection of cancer. Description The aptly named crystal jelly is clear but may glow greenish-blue. Its bell may grow up to 10 inches in diameter. Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: CnidariaClass: HydrozoaOrder: LeptothecataFamily: AequoreidaeGenus: AequoreaSpecies: victoria Habitat and Distribution The crystal jelly lives in pelagic waters in the Pacific Ocean from Vancouver, British Columbia, to central California. Feeding The crystal jelly eats copepods, and other planktonic creatures, comb jellies, and other jellyfish.

Molecular basis of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase II activity Coursework

Molecular basis of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase II activity - Coursework Example The RdRP activity has also been implicated in the replication of the RNA Genomes of HDV virus and plant viriods. 3) What is meant by HDV? Why would investigators want to study HDV? In your answer, tell me about HDV and why investigators would want to study HDV. What is the ANTIGENOME? Why is it important in the experimental design? HDV is Hepatitis Delta Virus. The investigators have taken HDV for the study as RdRP activity of Pol II has been established to be involved in the replication of the viral genome. Antigenome is the complementary positive RNA which serves as the template for the synthesis of the negative strand of the virus. To understand the physiological significance of the RdRP activity, the terminal segment of the HDV antigenome, which directs RNA synthesis and is sensitive to the Pol II inhibitor alpha- amanitin, was studied. 4) What is meant by â€Å"FAM-labeled RNA products were separated by denaturing gel electrophoresis†? DO NOT give me cookbook recipes, i.e. do not provide a ‘step-by-step how to’ that could be used to perform an experiment. Describe the method in general terms. FAM is 6 carboxy- flourescein label. Nucleotides labeled with such flourophores, have shown improved sensitivity, versatility and normalization when separated by denaturing gel electrophoresis. After purification of the nucleotides the fluorescein tag was attached by incubation with the 5’ terminal of the nucleotides. 5) DATA INTERPRETATION: Evaluate Figure 1. Break the analysis down. Strive to understand what each lane of the gel represents. Make note of the controls as well. Your focus for your response is the part of the figure labeled b, c, and d. Use part a in assisting you. Summarize what each part (b, c, and d) of the figure suggests. The RNA synthesized by the RdRP activity of Pol II is fluorescent labeled and separated by gel electrophoresis and viewed. Lane 1 in the gel shows only the reactant RNA.

Class Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Class - Movie Review Example The opening clips are really not surprising because the United States Secretary of Defense is always accusing the Iraqis of presenting a biased view of the American operation yet the Iraqi Minister of Information was doing the exact same thing. The way that the documentary shows these two opposing views side by side is making fun of them in a way because it shows how single minded some news organizations can be when they have already decided what the news will be and then they find a story to suit that. Other networks are shown to only select news stories that fit their point of view, while a producer for Al Jazeera comments that he wants his news channel to set the standard for news reporting in the Middle East. â€Å"Control Room† follows the careers of three main individuals: Josh Rushing, David Shuster, and Tom Mintier. All of these reporters are American and so they have instruction to only show the Iraq War in a certain light. Josh Rushing is perhaps the most interesting of these three reporters because he works at the U.S. Central Command, or what is known as CENTCOM. At the start, Rushing shows how much he dislikes the Al Jazeera network because it does not show any of crimes committed by Iraqi soldiers. An American reporter then claims that there is no footage of such events even though they are likely occurring. The problem is that without any evidence of these crimes, most Arab people had a hard time believing it. Rushing also says that many American news media are guilty of the same thing, except in the opposite way. The whole film is built around this central idea that news media organizations in general are bias and only show stories that fit their beliefs. The problem i s that the truth is not told, and this is a really important during the time of war. The film changes tact part way through and focuses on American