Hundreds of school districts around the United States have implemented a four-day week to combat the teacher shortage and improve the quality of life for kids and teachers since the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic.
In the United States, this has been adopted by roughly 850 different school districts, many of which are now enjoying the benefits of a longer summer vacation. In most cases, the school week ends on a Friday or Monday, and the remaining school days are prolonged by a few of hours.
Smaller communities, such as rural school districts, have turned to the four-day week as a solution to their teacher shortage. Teachers might use a day off to relax with their family and get ahead on grading and lesson planning. With fewer days to travel to and from school, parents will save time and energy getting their kids to and from school events.
For the past year and a half, administrators at the small, private Bishop McCort Catholic High School in rural Pennsylvania have been debating whether or not to implement a four-day school week.
Thomas Smith, the administrator, claims that the majority of parents supported the decision, which was made to head off the risk of a teacher shortage. On snow days, Bishop McCort offers students alternate curriculum and pays teachers to be present.
They believe that the shift in their approach to instruction accounts for much of their success. However, working parents, who may have problems finding child care and providing adequate nutrition, continue to express concern about the impacts of a shortened school day.
Some students may be disadvantaged by the extended school days because they are required to spend a minimum number of hours in class each day. Some people are concerned that youngsters’ attention spans, particularly those of younger children, would decrease if school days are made longer. The absence of data on the topic makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the academic impact of a four-day week on students.
