Is it Time for Schools to Adapt to the Modern Family and Kill the Half-Day?
Photo Credit: © pyzata – Fotolia.com
May I share with you the delights of my children’s April school schedule?
They get out at 12:40 p.m. because of parent-teacher conferences on these days sprinkled through the month: Tues., April 1; Weds., April 9; Tues., April 29. Oh, yes, and just when you thought it was safe, one more on May 7. (Plus they’re off April 18 through 25 for spring vacation.)
That’s in addition to our new regular Friday early dismissals at 1:40 p.m. When we got word of that, one mother I know said to the superintendent, “You must really hate parents.”
I don’t think the administration hates us, but I do think that perhaps we haven’t spoken up loudly enough about the logistical stress these half-days create. And they’re common around the state, from year-round half-Tuesdays in Newton to April half-Wednesdays in Westwood.
They’re an old tradition. Many of us remember the joys of occasional half days from our own school years. You know, back when our mothers were mostly housewives. Now, many mothers work, and I venture to say that virtually all working parents wish that all our public schools provided universal, affordable after-school care.
Or at the very least, reliable after-school care on random half-days. At our school, a team of mothers has created a “half-day matinee,” gathering all the children who need looking after for a movie that runs until the normal 2:30 p.m. dismissal time. But their altruistic efforts are in danger of being overwhelmed by demand: More than 200 children have been coming to the movies this month, straining even their heroic volunteer powers.
Our schools face so many huge and complex issues. A few half-days may seem trivial. On the other hand, a small problem should be a more tractable one.
“First-world problems,” you may say, and I’d agree but go a step further: This is specifically a first-world middle-class problem. If The Shriver Report – Is it Time for Schools to Adapt to the Modern Family and Kill the Half-Day?:
“First-world problems,” you may say, and I’d agree but go a step further: This is specifically a first-world middle-class problem. If The Shriver Report – Is it Time for Schools to Adapt to the Modern Family and Kill the Half-Day?: