It is a terrible idea for most young children. Did someone forget that 10,11, 12, 13, 14 should still be playing on the playground, not trying to be mini adults with adult expectations to meet? Who made this up? I bet they wouldn't send their kid to public school for that many hours a day. My 6th grader has learning disabilities, anxiety and is borderline Asperger's. He barley makes it through the day in one piece. He is so exhausted. Kids need time to play outside and they need down time to be their with families. My son is up at 6 and asleep by 7:30. Coming home at 3 he has enough time to play outside, shower, eat a relaxed dinner, do up to an hour of homework and then up to an hour of review and studying for tests and still have time to play video games or watch TV for half an hour and read for 20-40 minutes. If he came home two and half hours later he would be fried. Homework would never happen. He would eat dinner, shower and fall asleep reading. A longer day does not leave room for kids to have down time and just be kids. Most kids need that. Of course my children have the benefit of a mom that is home and schedules play and down time as if it were the real work of a child. I would be in favor of a longer school year. As a single income family it is a huge expense in the summer to hire a tutor so he does not regress or fall farther behind. If the summer were shorter I could spend the tutor money on fun recreation like robotics or farm camp, going to museums. My younger son, who is an A student would not like a longer day but he would love a shorter summer. he loves school and by August 1 is counting the days to get back to it. I will be watching to see how this turns out for those kids who have an IEP in general ed and need AIS for reading and math because they are not on grade level due to learning disabilities. I also think it is a huge burden for the teachers. That is a lot of hours to prepare for and a lot of time spent away from their own children.

I was very slow at learning to read. If someone kept me in school for a longer day, I would have shut down or refused to go to school. I needed tutoring. However, I hated school and what I needed most was dance (ballet). I would have never made it through high school if I did not attend a performing arts school. Today I have a MFA in sculpture. Thank god no one forced me in an extended school day. And...oh yes...I did learn to read!

Our outdated school calendar does not give schools enough time to prepare today’s students for success in higher education, in the workplace, and as engaged citizens. Expanding learning time offers opportunities that students, particularly those in low-income communities, might otherwise miss.

But more time doesn’t mean more of the same. We can’t simply tack time onto the school calendar and expect to see strong results. Expanding learning time enables schools to redesign the school calendar to better meet the needs of all of their students and empower their teachers, by giving them the time they need to individualize instruction and to collaborate with colleagues.

The best part - expanded learning time offers additional opportunities for subjects like art, music, and physical education that ensure a well-rounded education and help improve students’ well-being and engagement in school. www.timetosucceed.com

More time at school is great idea. DOE, can we see the proof that shows it is working in the pilots? some before and after objective and subjective data ?

"We’ve seen incredible data results from it. We’ve seen test scores go up, confidence improves..."
It's quotes like this that make me skeptical. For many schools, adding hours to the day may be quite beneficial. Not only could it lead to kids receiving more educational opportunities, but it will also serve the purpose of keeping kids off of "the streets", so to speak. However, if improved test scores are going to be the goal and measure of success, then I think this idea could be a disaster. Kids spend far too much time being prepped for high stakes exams as it is. If this extended time is used for more test prep (and if that's the measure, I assume it will be) this will be an opportunity wasted. The additional time should include things that have long been missing from middle schools: music, trade skills, art, sports, etc. Obviously, "academics" are important, but kids need a more balanced education. For many kids, being involved in sports or the arts is what keeps them motivated in school. its what makes them want to be there. Adding an extra hour of math and an extra hour of English is not the answer.

i say that children have a right to child hood and how much schoolwork someone puts them thourgh

What if a longer "school day" simply means a safe environment for kids to engage in creative, playful activities under the supervision of licensed and qualified adults? If you are a family who cannot afford to spend the afternoons with your kids or to pay the private cost of after-school programs or child care, then this seems like a valuable option.

Every year the the City threatens to cut support for publicly funded after-school programs and every year parents all over the City have to worry about who will watch their kids from 3:00 until they get home from work. Why do we even have to debate this? Let's acknowledge that children require supervision and if you cannot afford private child care or your school does not offer any affordable on-site after school programs, then we need to be discussing what is in the best interest of these families.

Safe, affordable, quality, dependable childcare is one of the main barriers preventing employment-eligible parents from entering and staying in the workforce.