Around 23,000 elementary and middle school students at Boston public schools are up for longer school hours. Mayor Marty Walsh says it is a win-win for the local government and the students.
Last Friday, the local government of Boston has announced that elementary and middle school students at 60 public schools will extend school hours by 40 minutes every day. District schools and high schools are not part of the proposed plan.
The proposal was made by the Boston Teachers Union, the city government, and the school district. Teachers are scheduled to cast their votes on Jan. 14.
While this may not seem like good news to students, there are some undeniable benefits to it. The plan, if fulfilled, will help students prepare for higher education, upper grade levels, and eventually, employment.
The extended hours at school will give students a much better chance to succeed in the future, Mayor Walsh shared in a statement. The proposed plan will give students more time on subjects such as foreign language, art, drama and music.
The plan will be initially rolled out to 20 schools during fall, with more schools to follow in the next school years. Not only will the students benefit from it, but teachers are also set to receive additional compensation once the plan takes effect.
The teachers will be receiving an annual allowance of US$4,464 for the extra hours of work. Once the plan is in full effect, the district will shed US$12.5 million per annum.
Elementary students are spending six hours in school at present, while middle school students spend six hours and ten minutes.
"With this agreement, Boston is emerging as one of the country's leaders as it embarks on a plan to strategically redesign and expand learning time for both teachers and students," The National Center on Time & Learning, a Boston-based nonprofit organization said in a statement.
Plans of extending school hours are not isolated to Boston alone. Fresno is also looking at longer school hours.
"If you practice longer, you're going to get better. There's common sense to it," Ed Gomes, administrator for leadership development and point person for the extended day plan said.
