Obama's School Plans

What can I say?  I am an Obama supporter, for now!  However this school idea isn't getting much support with me!

I am all for the kids learning more, but not adding hours or days to the school year.  Well, maybe the days added on.  For example take away these "teacher inservice" days.  Our district gives those every month.  I don't remember getting off school that much.  I have a friend who works in daycare and their continueing learning happens in the evenings or the weekends.

Is the answer really longer school days or school years?  Maybe it is the quality of teaching that needs to improve.  I am not really sure what the answer is, but not this.

According to the article on Yahoo, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090927/ap_on_re_us/us_more_school children in the United States spend more time in school than other countries that are more educated than us.  The United State kids  spend 1,146 hours a school year in school, where Japan is 1,005 and Singapore is only 903.  These countries also have longer school years, 190-201 days where the United States has 180 days.  The students from these countries are better educated than the students in the United States.

These longer school days and years will hit the taxpayers in the pocket as well.  More days and hours means more money to pay the teachers and other bills.  Some Charter schools in other parts of the country are already trying this approach.  In Massachusetts it is costing $1,300 more per student. Other schools are part of a three year study to add 300 hours to the year.

There is also talk of changing the "no child left behind" act.  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090924/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_obama_no_child This I hope does happen.  Because of this policy, my youngest was advanced to each grade even though he was not ready to.  He is one year behind academically.   He is in the 6th grade, but his learning is in 5th grade.  This started when he was in Kindergarten.  I pushed to have him held back but was told no.  The district doesn't hold any student back, due to the "No Child Left Behind Act".  As sad as it may be, if they haven't learned what they needed to in first grade they shouldn't go to second grade.  Each year they struggle.  I do like that the law has provided my son with extra help, but the help he needed was another year in kindergarten.  This law also pushes to improve test scores and schools are failing.

Do these two items work together?  Does one need to happen for the other to improve?  What do you think, do they need to change the school days, the years and the No Child Left Behind Act?