Should Schools Have Longer Days at the Expense of Afterschool? A Debate in the Washington Post
By Jodi Grant
Should schools have longer, structured days? That was the topic of a debate in The Washington Post’s Answer Sheet blog last Wednesday. The entry featured a point-counterpoint between Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant and Jennifer Davis of the National Center on Time and Learning on using 21st Century Community Learning Center program funds to extend the length of the school day at the expense of afterschool programs.
More than 85 comments have been posted to the blog since Wednesday morning, with the vast majority supporting 21st CCLC funding for afterschool programs. The comments come from a number of afterschool program providers, community based organizations, Afterschool Ambassadors, parents and other friends of afterschool programs. Here is a sampling from the discussion:
“Now is not the time to dilute high quality programs that are working for millions of students and their families… Now more than ever we need to fund more after-school to ensure these programs are accessible to all students.” – masp1
“Let me say that afterschool programs are a necessary and important partner in ensuring that our students achieve a well rounded education that not only includes necessary academics, but also positive youth development opportunities.” – lbarton1
“Federal funding has been critical to this program, as it has to many other fine afterschool programs in this city and throughout the country. Diverting that funding to a longer school day would be a mistake.” – gskittner
“In short, afterschool provides opportunities for children to grow: socially, emotionally, physically, and yes, academically.” - adamgreenman
“At-risk populations do not need more of the same. They need before school and afterschool experiences” - kenks
“Let’s remember to support the super cool and effective programs that provide opportunities for youth who have the most to gain from them… What makes afterschool awesome is that it often looks nothing like the school day (let alone an expanded version of it).” - DeeRenato
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/do-schools-need-a-longer-school-day-a-debate/2012/01/02/gIQA0GPGZP_blog.html
learn more about: 21st CCLC Advocacy Education Reform Extended Day Federal Policy Media Outreach
Comments: (2)
1 A better, perhaps final answer, can be found at http://Onlinevideoclassroom.com. It will come into play in some way in some day.
-- Thomas Albright
2 Ironically, the research for extended school days is based on the research around the positive impact that non-school based afterschool programs have on kids! Who fills in the hours when schools close until parents get out of work? We do. On Saturdays, school professional development days & over the summer. My cost per child: $760 a full YEAR or $2/child/day with a budget raised mostly from private sources, not taxpayers. State funded Extended Learning Time (ELT) grants in my state right now: $1300 per child for a couple of extra hours a day, and only for 180 days a year. We cannot go to our private donors and ask for the same funding when our services have been cut from 6 hours to 2 or 3 but our building and fixed costs stay the same. How do I find staff willing to work for just 2 or 3 hours a day? Will at-risk kids benefit from extra hours in a school setting where they are already failing and are perceived that way? What is the long term cost? We are already failing to fund universal preschool, special education, regional school transportation, and all-day kindergarten. Should extended day programming be added to the long list of programs run in schools that are not fully funded? Or will there be a fee, like we already have for sports, school buses & music. If this experiment fails, how do you replace the traditional infrastructure of after school care once it is broken? What is the impact of an extended school day on non-school youth sports and local for-profit businesses that provide services to children and families in the after school hours? Businesses like dance studios, martial arts academies, music instructors, art instructors, private for-profit child care centers and similar businesses will all lose business when schools extend their learning time into the afternoon. Policy makers need to seriously look into the repercussions of extended days if CBOs can no longer stay in business and there is no place left for kids to go during the summer, school vacations, and half days. They should also take a good look at the backlash that could come from private for-profit business people who are losing income, particularly when the economy is so bad to begin with.
-- R Provost
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