When extending school days or years, school and politicial officials should consider looking into the cost of more academic time. Massachussets, one of the states that has already implemented a longer school-day system, spends an additional $1,300 per enrolled child, according to the National Education Association, an organization that serves as the voice for school leaders and officials. And with more school time, teachers and school staff members would need to be paid more annually. A senior-level teacher would potentially make $20,000 more per school year for putting in the extra time, according to the NEA.
An extended school year means fewer summer vacation days. Many families throughout the nation look forward to their annual beach trip or family reunion, and these plans could easily diminish. Additionally, children typically look forward to a break from the books to do other things, such as hang out with friends and have down time without thinking about homework, deadlines and school projects.
Many teachers, students and parents think that prolonging school days or adding extra hours to a day could lead to exhaustian, or burnout, according to Scholastic News Online. With more time teaching, performing everyday duties could become daunting for educators, leading to a lower quality of education. Students' attention spans and willingness to learn could also be effected.
Adding an hour or two to a school day may not sound detrimental, but when considering the activities many children participate in after the bell rings, this extra time can have negative results. A longer school day would force a child to drop a few extra-curricular activities to accommodate an extended school schedule.