Close To 200 Texas School Districts Adopting Four-Day School Week

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of a four-day school week has become increasingly more popular, especially west of the Mississippi River. More school districts have been making the move, claiming it is important for teacher retention. But with every idea there are negatives, and there are plenty with the new four-day week. Texas has joined the train, with 181 districts now going to a four-day week this last school year. That is up from 62 in 2017.

The idea has always been simple. More hours in the classroom means more learning. It also equates to what it will be like when students grow up and work a 40-hour work week. It has worked for years. Now with teacher retention hitting new lows, districts are taking action to keep their educators. But the impacts could reach well-beyond retention and actually impact the education of kids.

Education expert Dr. Carole Haynes says the numbers show that students who spend more hours in the classroom are learning more, compared to those who are in there four days a week.

"It is making a difference in the subjects of math, English, reading, and we see that with student scores being lower in those areas," she says.

Each district is taking their own approach to the idea. Some claim it is for a better 'work-life balance' for their staff. Other are doing it to attract the best teachers to the district. But the bottom line is that while they say it will help education, it simply will not.

Public schools have long been on the decline academically in Texas. Some of that is a generational thing, with kids now addicted to cell phones, causing chaos in the room, and generally having attention spans of goldfish.

So, just keeping those educators, no matter how good, does not mean success for the student.

"It is also how they spend that time...what are they doing in the room? They take 10 minutes to get inside, 10 minutes to settle down...then you have disciplinary issues to deal with as well," Dr. Haynes says. "It really makes a difference if a child is in the classroom for fewer hours, they will not be learning as much."

To add to it, studies done on four-day school weeks in Oregon and Colorado showed an increase in turnover, before leveling off. So, in short, it does nothing to retain educators in the long-term.

There is also the predicament for parents. Many families have two parents who work five days a week. That creates a situation of finding someone to take care of your child for that one day. Now in rural areas, where school districts make up a large chunk of local employment, that is not a huge issue. Because the staff are also off work. But in urban areas, that can become a problem.

She adds that it is up to the districts to decide what is right for themselves and students.