Longer School Days Enters Education Reform Talk

December 13, 2010

A push for struggling schools to lengthen the school day may become a part of a larger education reform debate that lawmakers have hinted will be a major part of the spring 2011 legislative agenda.

Key lawmakers in the Senate and House have already said that a revamped proposal on teacher merit pay that was vetoed by outgoing Gov. Charlie Crist last spring will be on the table and Democrats have signaled they are interested in talking about the issue. But it’s possible that at least in the Senate, education committees will entertain a measure to extend the school day by one hour for the state’s lowest performing schools.

Newly elected State Sen. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, who previously served in the House, has told fellow lawmakers, including Senate Prek-12 Chairman Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville, that he intends to file a bill extending the school day, and Wise said he is interested in taking it up in committee.

“I will take it up and then let him and the appropriations committee worry where the funding’s coming from because I think it’s essential that we start out with that and do something along those lines,” Wise said following his committee’s first meeting in Tallahassee this week.

The Prek-12 Education Appropriations Committee, which Simmons chairs, would likely be the first stop for any measure related to a longer school day because of the potential fiscal impact. Simmons’ chairmanship of the committee would likely ensure passage of the bill as long as he can develop a funding mechanism for the bill. It would then likely go to Wise’s committee for consideration.

“If you’re an ‘F’ school, then I would highly endorse doing that and maybe that’s kind of what we do,” Wise said.

The Florida Department of Education released its grades of Florida public schools earlier this week, on an A through F scale. The grades are half based on students’ performances on the state’s standardized exam. According to the department, 140 schools earned an “A,” 192 earned a “B,” 69 earned a “C,” 58 earned a “D” and 11 earned an “F.”

Simmons’ proposal, which has not yet been filed, would target the lower schools.

“In a period of about five years, they’ll end up having an extra year of schooling,” he told the News Service earlier this month.

State Sen. Bill Montford, D-Tallahassee, who is also the director of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, said he has not had any extensive discussions with Simmons about the bill and the association has not been discussing about it either. As a lawmaker and former Leon County Superintendent though, he wants to see a proposal extending the school day advance.

“Superintendents in general support any effort to increase the amount of time that students are in class and before teachers,” Montford said.

In Volusia County, low performing schools have been experimenting with a longer school day for more than 10 years said Volusia Teachers’ Organization President Andrew Spar. It started as a voluntary program, but now it is a part of teachers’ contracts. The teachers receive additional pay for a school day that is an hour longer.

“The day is just an hour longer, so that way the teachers have more time because one of the problems we run into is they just don’t have enough time to get things done,” he said.

Mark Pudlow, a spokesman for the Florida Education Association, said that if the matter does advance, the union would support if it operated like the system in the Volusia County schools where teachers are paid for the extra time.

By Kathleen Haughney
The News Service Florida

Comments

4 Responses to “Longer School Days Enters Education Reform Talk”

  1. David Huie Green on December 17th, 2010 2:00 pm

    REGARDING:
    “The education of children has never belonged to anybody but the parent. God gave the responsibility of training offspring to those who brought them into the world. (See Duet.6:7; Psalm 78:3-6; Prov. 22:6 .

    “Many parents are not doing their job, it is not the responsibility of the government to educate our children, it’s our job!!! ”

    How does one get to be a doctor and not know: “Eph 4:7-11 ¶ But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. – - – And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; “?

    If the scripture says the Lord made some teachers, how can we deny the job of teachers?

    Parents decided to educate their children by ways other than solely parent to child. My parents could not have done a good job of teaching me Calculus but they could see to it that I learned. They DID teach the most important fundamentals but they didn’t stop there.

    It would be foolish to only teach via direct parent/child contact Consider how Paul studied under Gamaliel, I think it was. Or for that matter, how Paul taught Timothy, who was not his son even though he felt like a father to him..

    David for knowledgeable teachers

  2. Dr. Kevin R. Linam on December 14th, 2010 8:03 pm

    For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? — Matthew 16:26

    The education of children has never belonged to anybody but the parent. God gave the responsibility of training offspring to those who brought them into the world. (See Duet.6:7; Psalm 78:3-6; Prov. 22:6 .

    Many parents are not doing rheir job, it is not the responsibility of the government to educate our children, it’s our job!!! All the important things should be taught and reinforced in the home! Problem is, many-most are not raising Godly children!!! We are reaping what we have sewn!

  3. ProudArmyParent on December 13th, 2010 9:04 am

    The Doer,
    Amen, Amen, and Amen! It takes more to being a parent than just having children. A perent is the first teacher a child ever has. If you want your children to learn read, read to them, instead of telling them to get you the ball tell them to get it to you by color. When your driving ask them to count how many blue cars they see. Don’t use baby words, increase their vocabulary. These are just explains of teaching a child before they even know they are learning.
    The DOER, thanks for being straight forward. I couldn’t have said it better myself!

  4. The DOER on December 13th, 2010 6:20 am

    Everyone seems to have an answer for low-performing schools or for teachers unions, etc. As a current educator, I can sum it up for you in a nutshell: “If you’re kid can’t read, can’t do basic math or can’t write sensibly, get busy doing what it takes to ensure that he/she catches up!” If that means you need to spend two hours a night going over skills that should have been learned in the 2nd or 3rd grade, then so be it. Parents need to take responsibility. Parents need to know what their kids’ skill levels are. Teachers and parents can work together to make sure learning is taking place, but parents have a much greater impact than a lot want to admit!

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