All I want to know is, what is the point anymore with the schools? When I was a kid, which was not so terribly long ago, we got out on real holidays and for severe snow and ice. That was it. I seem to remember maybe getting out early for parent-teacher conferences. When a kid in my class had a birthday, we had a little birthday party. On Valentines we played games. There was about one field trip and two school assemblies a year. We were out for Spring Break and for Summer Break and Christmas and New Years. We got a long weekend at Thanksgiving. I have no National Statistics, only my own anecdotal observations based on what my niece tells me, and things like the school calendar.
I count 200 weekdays in the school schedule. Subtract 10 days of Xmas = 190 days. Subtract Three days Thanksgiving= 187. Subtract 3 Federal Holidays= 184. Subtract four days Spring Break =180. Subtract 3 Teacher Work Days =177. They are missing almost a month of regular school time. 
There are 12 early out days, in which class periods are 31 minutes. Days with activities receive shorter class periods as well. A normal “period” is now only 47 minutes. That is three minutes shorter than when I was in school. According to my math, and only estimating the number of “activity schedule days” kids get an average of 26 hours of class time a week, while they are in supposedly in school an actual 35 hours a week. By the time the bell rings, the teacher walks in, takes roll, etc, how much actual class time do you think these kids get? They have effectively shortened the school week to 4 days. No wonder our kids are learning less. Forget quality of instruction, that is getting the cart before the horse, they first have to BE there long enough or often enough to actually learn something.
-Kook
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Clay · 803 weeks ago
UncloggedBlog 35p · 803 weeks ago
Not only that, my personality does not tolerate rude, disrespectful teens....and apparently these days we are all supposed to be bending over backwards trying to figure out why bullies are bullies and what horrific damages they suffered in early childhood to drive them to bully behavior... I like kids, I like teens, but I also think that when they cross the line and get hurtful, or destructive , we who are the adults ought to be able take control of the situation and put them back in their place...they need to respect authority...
I don't know about your district, but the districts here start school the second week in August and don't let out until after Memorial day. And the bus shows up at 7 am, and doesn't drop off till almost 4 pm. In my book, that is too much time away from home. If they were actually teaching.....instead of having to babysit, and coral and control....then there might actually be some instructing and teaching...
But personally, and My opinion....school fails on many levels, not just lack of time or too much or what have you. It fails on not having enough teachers to pay attention to kids...and really, there should not be any more than 10 students per teacher for true tutoring and help.....
This system fails on the level of trying to force all those 30+ kids into the same mold....fine for military...but for getting kids jazzed about learning...IT FAILS.
KOOK 91p · 803 weeks ago
-Kook