Hundreds of school systems around the country have adopted four-day weeks in recent years, mostly in rural and western parts of the U.S. Districts cite cost savings and advantages for teacher recruitment.

It’s a Monday in September, but with schools closed, the three children in the Pruente household have nowhere to be. Callahan, 13, contorts herself into a backbend as 7-year-old Hudson fiddles with a balloon and 10-year-old Keegan plays the piano.

Like a growing number of students around the U.S, the Pruente children are on a four-day school schedule, a change instituted this fall by their district in Independence, Missouri.

To the kids, it’s terrific. “I have a three-day break of school!” exclaimed Hudson.

But their mom, Brandi Pruente, who teaches French in a neighboring district in suburban Kansas City, is frustrated to find herself hunting for activities to keep her kids entertained and off electronics while she works five days a week.

  • agitatedpotato@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    15·
    1 year ago

    With the amount of funding US schools get, they’re glorified daycare centers so making them 4 day weeks is a good way to keep the poorer parents reallll poor. This lady is lucky shes got a 13 year old, because you’re not leaving that 7 year old alone without fucking them up either mentally or physically.

    • UniquesNotUseful@lemmy.world
      72·
      1 year ago

      What would they do for the hours after school finished normally or if work on weekends?

      Sounds like a work / life balance problem. Companies will have to be made to change their working practices, allow more remote, flexible working hours and reduced time.

      UK is, very, slowly starting to move to a 4 day week for work (reduced hours, not cramming in 4 days x 10 hours). The productivity increases along with recruitment make it worthwhile. My company isn’t there but 35 hours + 50 days holiday so not far.

      That would solve the 4 day school day. Also allow for parents to educate their kids for 1/2 a day if needed.

    • andros_rex@lemmy.world
      1·
      1 year ago

      Cutting costs. At this point teachers are expected to stock their own classrooms. There’s very little money for anything.

      Also it’s recruitment for teachers. Extra day off = actual time to get things done/restore sanity. A lot of rural districts do this because they’d have no one otherwise.