All-day school schedules

So I did some digging into the after-school program at Lincoln Elementary School here in San Francisco, and honestly... not getting great vibes at all.🤷 If anyone on here has a kid actually going there, please, tell me the truth about what it's really like.

I think I’m just gonna go with a sitter instead... assuming I can actually find someone who isn't a total flake.

Called the school yesterday and ended up talking to the principal. Asked about the kindergarten shifts for next year and he says he won't know anything for another nine months 😕
Like, how do they think parents with full-time jobs are supposed to plan their lives?

Just a few more days until enrollment starts. I've been digging online and asking around, but honestly, I still can't make a call on whether to go with full-day school or just the standard classes plus an after-school sitter... leaning towards the second option right now, but still second-guessing everything (mostly because of the money, since who knows how the economy will look in a few months...)

Basically, for us working parents—you know, those of us without Grandma on standby—full-day programs are a huge relief, but there are serious issues. Here’s what I found from some research:

- lack of space and decent equipment for after-school programs;

Kids end up stuck in one single room most of the time, especially when the weather sucks... I mean, sitting at a tiny school desk for 8 hours straight? No way...

– dealing with a super diverse group of kids which is tough work;

I think homework becomes a mess. Some kids finish their work way faster than others and then start driving everyone else crazy... I can't even imagine 20 first-graders all trying to do homework in the same room. Though, I guess that really depends on how good the teacher is...

– no actual structured curriculum for after-school care;

In most schools, once regular classes end, there isn't much of a real program to actually engage the kids, like sports or anything... when it's raining outside, they basically just sit there watching TV🤷 (at least that's what I heard about our local elementary school)

– class sizes in these programs are often way too big;

And this part is a disaster because in my kid's class this year, there are over 25 first-graders...

– after-school coordinators aren't properly trained for this kind of environment;

– not enough professional resources or guides for after-school programming;

After talking to a few other parents, here's my takeaway:

The perks of full-day school:
- kids bond more with their classmates;
- they get a hot meal, which is huge for parents working long shifts;
- if the teacher is actually competent, they get homework done at school, leaving more free time in the evening;
- and through 3rd grade, they're usually out by 4 PM, whereas in regular afternoon shifts, they might not get home until 6 PM...

As for the downsides on top of everything mentioned above, I'd add:
- it's exhausting for some kids to spend 8 hours practically glued to a school desk, so they end up wiped out by the time they get home;
- if they get assigned to a teacher with zero experience in full-day settings, they might not actually finish their homework properly at school, meaning they have to lug books home every day and fall behind their peers in regular classes;
- also, I worry they might develop a weird relationship with school itself, making the transition back to regular classes later on pretty difficult...
- and I bet these kids get sick more often (based on what I saw in preschool), because being packed in together for 8 hours is different than just being there for 2 or 3 hours

What do you guys think?

I’m still struggling to wrap my head around this specific point regarding the qualifications required for after-school program directors. 😕
Does there really need to be someone even MORE specialized than the elementary school teachers who are already managing the first through fourth grades?

Regarding the actual daily schedule—it isn’t quite accurate to say they just sit there staring at a TV all day. Their itinerary is actually quite structured: they have blocks for studying, followed by physical activities (which might be held in the gym if the weather is poor, or perhaps a walk outside, some playtime, or even a short field trip), then back to more study sessions, lunch, downtime, more learning, and then various activities...

At least, that is how it works in the instances I am personally familiar with. 🤷

I am aware that in certain classrooms, they might have a PlayStation or similar gaming consoles available, but those are really only brought out if the weather turns sour and the kids are stuck indoors.

Kate Cox2 said:I’m still struggling to wrap my head around this specific point regarding the qualifications required for after-school program directors. 😕
Does there really need to be someone even MORE specialized than the elementary school teachers who are already managing the first through fourth grades?

Regarding the actual daily schedule—it isn’t quite accurate to say they just sit there staring at a TV all day. Their itinerary is actually quite structured: they have blocks for studying, followed by physical activities (which might be held in the gym if the weather is poor, or perhaps a walk outside, some playtime, or even a short field trip), then back to more study sessions, lunch, downtime, more learning, and then various activities...

At least, that is how it works in the instances I am personally familiar with. 🤷

I am aware that in certain classrooms, they might have a PlayStation or similar gaming consoles available, but those are really only brought out if the weather turns sour and the kids are stuck indoors.

Unfortunately, I know a few parents who had a rougher time, mostly because
the classes are way too crowded, the kids are struggling to keep up with the curriculum (which really depends on the teacher, obviously), and they're stuck in the same room all day watching way too much TV (which definitely makes you question the supervisor's credentials).

Anthony White8 said:Unfortunately, I know a few parents who had a rougher time, mostly because
the classes are way too crowded, the kids are struggling to keep up with the curriculum (which really depends on the teacher, obviously), and they're stuck in the same room all day watching way too much TV (which definitely makes you question the supervisor's credentials).

Regarding the class sizes—look, the Department of Education sets the maximum and minimum student counts, and there isn't a single teacher in the world who can change those mandates. I truly don't understand why parents expect local schools to stage some sort of revolution when the federal government won't even authorize it.

As for using the same room—well, it’s a classroom. They try their best to make sure it's large enough to fit a play rug or something similar, but let's be realistic: you can't demand multiple classrooms per grade or massive 500-square-foot suites when our American public schools simply DON'T HAVE them. We are already struggling just to cram every grade level in and somehow manage a single shift (if we're lucky!) because of the sheer lack of space. Expecting more is just unrealistic.

Now, about the TV watching. Every teacher in the school district is required to submit a formal lesson plan that clearly outlines exactly what they are doing with the children and when.
If they are lying and claiming they took the kids out to the playground when they were actually just sitting there watching television, then that is a completely different issue entirely, and it absolutely needs to be investigated and reported to the principal.

For almost any other issue, unfortunately, the school usually has its hands tied.

Afterschool care is definitely a necessary evil, and honestly, anyone should avoid it if they have any other option. It really should be reserved for parents who truly have nowhere else to leave their kids.

I know plenty of parents who enroll their children in afterschool programs—even when grandparents are perfectly available to babysit—just so someone else can handle the homework and spare them the stress at home. If a kid is already learning all day at school, they should finish their homework at home with their parents. Afterschool time should be for watching TV, playing games, or hanging out at the park.

Ideally, schools would just provide showers too, so parents wouldn't have to worry about anything at all. Being in school all day is exhausting enough—and trust me, even as an adult, being at the office all day is a grind. Personally, I’d ban homework during afterschool hours and make it 100% playtime instead.

Honestly, I would be so incredibly happy if they offered any kind of after-school program. 😢 It doesn’t even have to be anything fancy—no high-level supervision or helping with homework required... I just don't want my little muscle being stuck home all alone...

As it stands, though, it’s not happening. My heart just aches for her. Luckily, I have a job (for now 🙄) where they can always call me if things go sideways, and thank goodness the school is right across the street, but until I get back, she’s just going to be by herself. 👎

I’ve got the same thing coming up next year, and I’ve actually thought about inviting another kid over to hang out while parents are at work, but then I start worrying about what two little girls might get up to without an adult watching them. Or maybe I should just get her a pet... Ugh, I'm already stressed out just thinking about it... 😢

Jason Ortiz5 said:Honestly, I would be so incredibly happy if they offered any kind of after-school program. 😢 It doesn’t even have to be anything fancy—no high-level supervision or helping with homework required... I just don't want my little muscle being stuck home all alone...

As it stands, though, it’s not happening. My heart just aches for her. Luckily, I have a job (for now 🙄) where they can always call me if things go sideways, and thank goodness the school is right across the street, but until I get back, she’s just going to be by herself. 👎

I’ve got the same thing coming up next year, and I’ve actually thought about inviting another kid over to hang out while parents are at work, but then I start worrying about what two little girls might get up to without an adult watching them. Or maybe I should just get her a pet... Ugh, I'm already stressed out just thinking about it... 😢

Is your preschool the same as mine? Not sure what your hours are, but I'm out the door at 6:30 AM and don't get back until around 4:00 PM.
Basically, if my kid is home alone, it means she's gotta heat up her own lunch, grab a snack, get ready for school... sounds like a total nightmare to me.

And even with full-day care, it's still like $267 a month, so it makes more sense to me to just pay a bit extra (while I still can) and then find an auntie or a sitter for a few hours later on.🤷

Anthony White8 said:Is your preschool the same as mine? Not sure what your hours are, but I'm out the door at 6:30 AM and don't get back until around 4:00 PM.
Basically, if my kid is home alone, it means she's gotta heat up her own lunch, grab a snack, get ready for school... sounds like a total nightmare to me.

And even with full-day care, it's still like $267 a month, so it makes more sense to me to just pay a bit extra (while I still can) and then find an auntie or a sitter for a few hours later on.🤷

Luckily, I’ve still got another year before that happens. Not that much is actually going to change... 😢 My schedule usually has me heading out at 6 AM and getting back around 4 PM. My husband leaves a little after I do, which is great, but he also gets home later than me, so that doesn't exactly help the chaos.

And honestly, we don't really have that whole "nanny" culture here. People around here think it's totally overkill if you don't let a 5 or 6-year-old run around the neighborhood alone. They think kids should just stay inside or only go to the corner store. That kind of mindset really rubs me the wrong way... 👎

Jason Ortiz5 said:Luckily, I’ve still got another year before that happens. Not that much is actually going to change... 😢 My schedule usually has me heading out at 6 AM and getting back around 4 PM. My husband leaves a little after I do, which is great, but he also gets home later than me, so that doesn't exactly help the chaos.

And honestly, we don't really have that whole "nanny" culture here. People around here think it's totally overkill if you don't let a 5 or 6-year-old run around the neighborhood alone. They think kids should just stay inside or only go to the corner store. That kind of mindset really rubs me the wrong way... 👎

😲 man, where do you even live?

The real upside of after-school programs compared to standard classrooms is how much more independent kids become. They actually learn how to sit down, finish their homework, and then show what they've done once they're through. You don't have to hover over them constantly, nor do they come running back to you after every single line they write. We happen to be lucky enough that our instructor at the program is incredibly professional and takes the role seriously rather than just acting like a glorified babysitter. With the kind of guidance she provides, even an average student could probably end up on the honor roll.

boldrider13 said:The real upside of after-school programs compared to standard classrooms is how much more independent kids become. They actually learn how to sit down, finish their homework, and then show what they've done once they're through. You don't have to hover over them constantly, nor do they come running back to you after every single line they write. We happen to be lucky enough that our instructor at the program is incredibly professional and takes the role seriously rather than just acting like a glorified babysitter. With the kind of guidance she provides, even an average student could probably end up on the honor roll.

Honestly, I can barely wrap my head around the idea of 25 kids crammed into one room trying to learn stuff all at once🤷...you need actual focus to learn anything...

Anthony White8 said:Honestly, I can barely wrap my head around the idea of 25 kids crammed into one room trying to learn stuff all at once🤷...you need actual focus to learn anything...

Well, the after-school program isn't really about traditional instruction; they just finish their homework and then head outside to play or engage in other activities..

There is certainly such a thing as traditional rote learning. If you only saw our school notebooks and binders, you might understand what I mean. It isn't as if these kids are expected to memorize massive historical texts requiring intense concentration. We are talking about first graders here. Their science lessons, for instance, are typically just five or six sentences long. I suppose the only thing they really need to practice at home is reading. Of course, religious studies and foreign languages are also factors. But we have a TEACHER to handle that.

fadedtrucker8 said:Well, the after-school program isn't really about traditional instruction; they just finish their homework and then head outside to play or engage in other activities..

Alright, fine... one more for the kindergarteners. But honestly? I'm wondering what happens when they hit second or third grade. What does that even look like? I’m worried kids won't actually learn *how* to study this way. Might end up being a massive headache for them once they hit the higher grades...🤷

fadedtrucker8 said:Well, the after-school program isn't really about traditional instruction; they just finish their homework and then head outside to play or engage in other activities..

and I actually had an elementary school teacher confirm this to me yesterday

Anthony White8 said:Alright, fine... one more for the kindergarteners. But honestly? I'm wondering what happens when they hit second or third grade. What does that even look like? I’m worried kids won't actually learn *how* to study this way. Might end up being a massive headache for them once they hit the higher grades...🤷

I suppose around here, after-school care is strictly limited to the first grade. 🙄

Anthony White8 said:😲 man, where do you even live?

Right here in the States. ☕

It’s just that classic small-town mindset. I hear it all the time from friends living out in rural areas—it's even wilder out there. 😢

fadedtrucker8 said:I suppose around here, after-school care is strictly limited to the first grade. 🙄

Honestly, that sounds like a huge help to me. During that first year, it gives kids a chance to actually get used to the school schedule. They start gaining a little independence and feeling more secure... I mean, anything is better than nothing at all. 😢

fadedtrucker8 said:I suppose around here, after-school care is strictly limited to the first grade. 🙄

in the States, they have it through third grade (full day, not just extended hours)