The Yellow Board

4 Day Week

Posted by Percguy on 11/30/2022, 10:42 am

I had a department chair meeting this morning, and my principal shared some of the conversation that has been happening at the district level about considering a 4 day school week. I have no idea exactly what that would look like for us or what Friday responsibilities would look like. Apparently part of what is driving the discussion is that several neighboring districts have openly committed to transitioning to this either next year or the year after, and from the administrators' perspective, they're considering how to retain and hire quality teachers when they could make the same amount of money in nearby districts while only working 4 days a week.

I'm already thinking through the ramifications of what that could mean for our band program, and while I don't think the sky would be falling (I've taught in modified-block scheduling before where I've only had kids 4 days a week, and we were successful), I have some concerns, particularly during marching season with busy weekends.

The wind seems to be blowing this direction both in education and the private sector, with more businesses and schools experimenting with a shortened work/school week. I know it's not widespread yet, but I'm hoping that people who have or are teaching with a 4 day week could share some experiences with how it has affected your program and how you adjusted your schedules and routines to minimize the affects or even to capitalize on new opportunities. If you don't want to comment here, I'd love an email at hillcountrybandguy@gmail.com. Thanks!

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Tim- TYB Host on 12/6/2022, 10:24 am, in reply to "4 Day Week"
Board Administrator

My question is, and has always been this.

Is this good for kids? Does it meet their needs and is there research that indicates this meets the kids' learning styles. I do say kids as in plural. Some it may be great for, but the issue is that I have not seen any evidence that says its good for the vast majority of students.

Tim

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Does it hurt? on 12/6/2022, 3:00 pm, in reply to "Re: 4 Day Week"

Does it hurt though? I haven't seen any evidence either way. At the same time, our calendar is built off of an ag calendar when kids needed to be in the fields. Some of our greatest technological inventions were made by dropouts and folks that went to school from Labor day to Memorial day.

Other than block scheduling being horrific for learning, (that is studied and published), I don't know that a 4 day week is necessarily bad. An awful lot of people are clamoring for 4 day work weeks in the private industry and have offered that as a perk for decades, (my wife was on a 4 day week for years during the summer months and a buddy of mine for his entire career in the oil industry worked every other Friday).

And well, budget has to play into the conversation because there isn't a blank check so if it isn't hurting a rural district to go 4 days and it's significantly cutting cost of transportation then isn't that good for the community and tax payers thus a positive for the kids?

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Well... on 12/7/2022, 6:42 am, in reply to "Re: 4 Day Week"

Nobody has seen any evidence either way because the 4 day week system hasn't been around long enough to compile valid data yet. We know that block scheduling doesn't work because schools used it for a long enough time for enough data to be generated and the results and trends to show up.

That's the problem when someone comes up with "the next big thing" in education: It may look great on paper, and might look great in a controlled classroom in controlled settings like at a lab school, but until it has been in enough actual districts for at least 5-10 years you really don't get the data needed for a true assessment of its worth. And if it is something that ends up being detrimental, you don't really see the effects for several years.

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Another thing on 12/7/2022, 4:33 pm, in reply to "Re: 4 Day Week"

The biggest way to see it will be in standardized testing and college admissions and readiness. With Covid throwing a wrench into learning it may also skew things in trying to figure out what was damage from staying home versus the 4 day week versus the traditional calendar.....

There are some schools that have been on the 4 day week for probably 5 to 10 years now, (if I remember a few rural schools changed many years ago during the last budget crisis). Those schools should have seen either a rise, drop, or same in their state testing.

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Dissenter on 12/5/2022, 1:22 pm, in reply to "4 Day Week"

Ours is a 4 day week with Friday being the day off. What I have noticed is that beginners being 4 on, 3 off makes it harder to build momentum and consistency, esp. since we have 0 input on scheduling and every class is every instrument (completely different conversation, and one I’ve been fighting for 8 years now).

My high school group has done ok, but they’re getting a bit sour about having to do football on Fridays when ‘everyone else’ is off. I haven’t seen a numbers drop yet, but it’s only year 2 AND we’re working through the COVID dip like everybody else.

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Yes... on 12/6/2022, 8:29 am, in reply to "Re: 4 Day Week"

That's why at my school I pushed for Monday to be the day off. If you have school on Friday, you don't have to worry about the band, cheerleaders, or football team missing the bus to go out of town or otherwise being on campus....they are already there and you just heard them onto the bus and go.

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Innocent Bystander on 12/7/2022, 12:40 pm, in reply to "Re: 4 Day Week"

I think Monday makes more sense simply because so many holidays are on Monday. On a week with a holiday falling on a Monday, you would only have 3 days of instruction if Friday is the off day.

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by But on 12/6/2022, 2:55 pm, in reply to "Re: 4 Day Week"

What about the basketball players that play on Tuesdays and Fridays all season long? Or the Saturday soccer matches? Or the Volleyball kids that start their season the second week of August? Or the schools that have Saturday games and contests? Or the Ag kids spending all of their weekends from October through April showing?

At some point we have to realize that there is more to a school schedule than 10 football games and the inconvenience that might pose to the band students who honestly, probably couldn't care since most of them joined band to be with their friends, not sitting on a couch bored. Make game days an experience with a little rehearsal, a little dinner, and a little trip with their friends. It's 10 Fridays out of an entire school year.

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Anon on 12/3/2022, 2:19 pm, in reply to "4 Day Week"

I want Wednesdays off

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by If I was going to do that.. on 12/2/2022, 8:55 am, in reply to "4 Day Week"

I’d prefer Monday off instead of Friday. That way, most smaller districts could run their normal Monday rehearsals. Actually, it might be easier to work around football practices in the fall.

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by 59 on 12/1/2022, 12:47 pm, in reply to "4 Day Week"

There are multiple districts along the 59 Corridor North East of Houston that you might reach out to. From what I have gathered from conversations they are very happy with the schedule and have had no impact to their band programs. One of them does 5 days a week in the Fall and then starts the 4 day week in the spring so as not to disrupt the fall athletic schedule. I would LOVE it!

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by ForeverN00B on 12/1/2022, 7:38 am, in reply to "4 Day Week"

We went to a 4-day week this year, and I have to say that I'm really enjoying it. We have a staff work day one Friday a month, and the rest are just days off.

We started Aug. 10 and our last day will be June 1. We went 5-day weeks in August and September, and will go 5-days in May.

It actually boosted our program, giving us Fridays in October to practice. After that, it just gave me free time to get caught up on everything. (Not that I always do, but I have the opportunity.)

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Percguy on 12/1/2022, 9:49 am, in reply to "Re: 4 Day Week"

I appreciate the feedback! Would you mind sharing where you're at, or if you don't want to do that on the board, shoot me an email?

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by BDSO on 11/30/2022, 5:34 pm, in reply to "4 Day Week"

From what I understand, the districts that are going to a 4-day week are doing four days for students only. Teachers still have to go in for inservice or a workday on that fifth day, or at least for most week. Also, the days are either longer to make up for the hours or they are extending the school year. No matter what, they still need to get in 75,000 hours. One of the best 4-day week calendars I saw was M-T, Th-F where Wednesday was the off day. It avoids the 3-day weekend reteach issue on Mondays, and provided a nice break in the middle. Plus, it didn't cause issues on game days since no one has games on Wednesdays. Yes, there are some regions that have marching contests on Wednesdays, and it is inevitable that there will be C&SR on a Wednesday, but if enough schools in the region are on this same sort of schedule, it can be adjusted. I can't remember which district it was that was was doing this schedule, but I do know it was a small school. Personally, I would love a 4-day schedule like this. It might keep me in a few more years past my "magic number". BUT, the the end my be heading towards 4-day weeks, but I doubt it will catch on unless parents work schedules match up. The only districts in Texas that I have seen exploring this are small ones. I doubt district in DFW, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, etc. will do this.

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Schedules on 12/1/2022, 12:51 pm, in reply to "Re: 4 Day Week"

My contract on a traditional 5 day week was already running from Mid-July to the end of the 1st week of June with days running from 7 AM to 3 PM contract time not including after school time.

The increase in the length of the day is minimal on the 4 day week. Especially when you figure you have a full 3rd weekend day a week. I'd work 30 minutes longer M-Th if it meant Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. You aren't working a full 8 extra hours strapped to the 4 day schedule.

I have also noticed that a number of the non-traditional schedules whether 4 day weeks or the ones with the additional weeks off in October, February, and April are actually running shorter calendars than I was running prior to retirement.

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Smart@$$ on 12/1/2022, 10:37 am, in reply to "Re: 4 Day Week"

If your kids are going to school for 75,000 hours - that's around 8.5 years. 75,600 minutes for students

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Somebody you could talk to on 12/1/2022, 8:12 am, in reply to "Re: 4 Day Week"

Talk to Scott Cross at Farmersville. They are on a 4 day week where students are not in school on Mondays, although most of the extra-curricular students are up there on Mondays for their respective practices.

Re: 4 Day Week

Posted by Scott Cross on 12/2/2022, 10:19 am, in reply to "Re: 4 Day Week"

There are pros and cons to any schedule, and that certainly applies to the 4 day week. If anyone has specific questions or wants more info on my experience, I'd be happy to talk with you.
scross@farmersvilleisd.org

« Back to index

[ The Yellow Board ]