All-day school schedules

mellowskipper said:I suspect that under current regulations, someone with an SSS degree isn't actually qualified to be a teacher or professor.
I honestly have no idea who is supposed to teach computer science at the Elementary School level—it’s basically the same headache we deal with regarding math teachers.
If I recall correctly, there’s an informatics track over at FF that covers the essentials quite well. It’s mostly practical stuff—Microsoft Office, an intro to Python, hardware basics, networking, and some internet fundamentals.
I mean, you certainly wouldn't head over to MIT just to explain how to use Word to kids.

At most Elementary Schools, computer science is increasingly being taught by general classroom teachers with specialized training in tech. Or rather, people with Master's degrees in primary education.

I've seen this play out in the US; when people—often those who tend to take a lot of family leave—are politely encouraged to look into public sector jobs like teaching, they jump at the chance. You see plenty of folks with degrees from places like MIT or major state universities taking those roles, and more private colleges are popping up too. It’s an open secret that some people go into schools first to settle into their lives, take their maternity leave, and then eventually transition into the private sector... leaving behind only the true enthusiasts or those who really value the current work-life balance. I imagine things are shifting in other countries too.

Take that lady from the travel blog, for example (she's an IT teacher)... what kind of high-paced corporate job could she possibly jump into every weekend, especially with all the holidays? She teaches at a school, and sometimes I see her social media stories showing school spirit weeks; I suspect she might even have a special arrangement with the administration regarding attendance... regardless, she's always active on social media.

In the standard curriculum, digital literacy—which is essentially what falls under computer science now—can easily be integrated into regular lessons for every subject students take. That means learning how to use a computer (something we all had to master overnight when everything went digital), internet safety (which teachers usually cover once a year during a dedicated safety week), using Word, PowerPoint, and writing emails (haha, I really hope the teachers are instructing the kids on proper email etiquette!).
For advanced students who show real talent and interest, let an actual specialist handle them—maybe someone from a company like ExxonMobil who could teach programming, logic puzzles, problem-solving, or prep them for national competitions.

Those two extra hours added to the standard curriculum are a total waste of resources, both financially and in terms of staffing. And now she's acting offended because kids in Elementary School will be busy with crafts while others are coding... simply because the number of dedicated computer science hours is being reduced (even though the people currently teaching it a r e n ' t actually specialists).

Susan James said:At most Elementary Schools, computer science is increasingly being taught by general classroom teachers with specialized training in tech. Or rather, people with Master's degrees in primary education.

I've seen this play out in the US; when people—often those who tend to take a lot of family leave—are politely encouraged to look into public sector jobs like teaching, they jump at the chance. You see plenty of folks with degrees from places like MIT or major state universities taking those roles, and more private colleges are popping up too. It’s an open secret that some people go into schools first to settle into their lives, take their maternity leave, and then eventually transition into the private sector... leaving behind only the true enthusiasts or those who really value the current work-life balance. I imagine things are shifting in other countries too.

Take that lady from the travel blog, for example (she's an IT teacher)... what kind of high-paced corporate job could she possibly jump into every weekend, especially with all the holidays? She teaches at a school, and sometimes I see her social media stories showing school spirit weeks; I suspect she might even have a special arrangement with the administration regarding attendance... regardless, she's always active on social media.

In the standard curriculum, digital literacy—which is essentially what falls under computer science now—can easily be integrated into regular lessons for every subject students take. That means learning how to use a computer (something we all had to master overnight when everything went digital), internet safety (which teachers usually cover once a year during a dedicated safety week), using Word, PowerPoint, and writing emails (haha, I really hope the teachers are instructing the kids on proper email etiquette!).
For advanced students who show real talent and interest, let an actual specialist handle them—maybe someone from a company like ExxonMobil who could teach programming, logic puzzles, problem-solving, or prep them for national competitions.

Those two extra hours added to the standard curriculum are a total waste of resources, both financially and in terms of staffing. And now she's acting offended because kids in Elementary School will be busy with crafts while others are coding... simply because the number of dedicated computer science hours is being reduced (even though the people currently teaching it a r e n ' t actually specialists).

I can't speak for everyone else, but I suppose there are plenty of private sector jobs where she'd fit right in. If she were working retail, probably not, but in a corporate office setting? Most likely, I guess.

Personally, I find myself wondering more about how she manages to afford those weekend trips on a teacher's salary. That's the real mystery to me.

She probably keeps posting those stories even after she gets back home.

They're probably working part-time.

So, Fuchs just knocked it all out...The mandatory part of the CN should be wrapped up in about an hour.

Even now, CN doesn't sound quite as terrifying to me. Honestly, if I had any say in the matter, I’d just steer clear of them entirely.

So, I suppose it'll run until about 2:00 PM, including lunch.
I’d sign off on that immediately, honestly.

mellowskipper said:So, I suppose it'll run until about 2:00 PM, including lunch.
I’d sign off on that immediately, honestly.

That basically means they're going to cut hours since kids are already getting out of school by 1:00 or 2:00 every day anyway.

mellowskipper said:So, I suppose it'll run until about 2:00 PM, including lunch.
I’d sign off on that immediately, honestly.

Yeah... just heard it on the news. They said everyone should be done with the mandatory stuff by 2:00.

rowdypanther12 said:That basically means they're going to cut hours since kids are already getting out of school by 1:00 or 2:00 every day anyway.

Yeah... my kid's schedule is already a mess, like being out early one day every other week.

rowdypanther12 said:That basically means they're going to cut hours since kids are already getting out of school by 1:00 or 2:00 every day anyway.

Honestly, I don't see any issue with that. In fact—and I might be wrong here—but some things really ought to be reset to the basics, specifically tailored for the Elementary School level. High school curricula... well, they can be a bit of a mess sometimes.

driftingranger2 said:Yeah... my kid's schedule is already a mess, like being out early one day every other week.

They’re probably working on election stuff—I mean, my computer science class is scheduled during an off-shift block, so who knows.

rowdypanther12 said:That basically means they're going to cut hours since kids are already getting out of school by 1:00 or 2:00 every day anyway.

How do they actually plan to pull that off?

jadetinker85 said:How do they actually plan to pull that off?

I'm honestly not sure. 😂
Students who don't have electives are looking at about 27 hours a week—that's basically two days ending at 1 PM and three days ending at 12 PM.
Those taking things like foreign languages, computer science, or religious studies end up with 33 hours a week, which means at least three days until 2 PM and two days until 1 PM.
And that’s all assuming they don't try to pack extra credit or supplemental classes into that mandatory block, 😁
leaving absolutely no gaps in the schedule. 😁

mellowskipper said:They’re probably working on election stuff—I mean, my computer science class is scheduled during an off-shift block, so who knows.

Yeah.

rowdypanther12 said:I'm honestly not sure. 😂
Students who don't have electives are looking at about 27 hours a week—that's basically two days ending at 1 PM and three days ending at 12 PM.
Those taking things like foreign languages, computer science, or religious studies end up with 33 hours a week, which means at least three days until 2 PM and two days until 1 PM.
And that’s all assuming they don't try to pack extra credit or supplemental classes into that mandatory block, 😁
leaving absolutely no gaps in the schedule. 😁

Then there's the issue of squeezing lunch in there somewhere.

I’m out hiking or traveling almost every single weekend. I don't bother with trips during the work week—that's for people who live in the real world and can just jump on a cheap flight whenever they feel like it.

Betty Wood54 said:I can't speak for everyone else, but I suppose there are plenty of private sector jobs where she'd fit right in. If she were working retail, probably not, but in a corporate office setting? Most likely, I guess.

Personally, I find myself wondering more about how she manages to afford those weekend trips on a teacher's salary. That's the real mystery to me.

The travel influencers are basically full-time tourism professionals.
For her, school is clearly just a backup plan—something that provides a guaranteed paycheck every month.
She builds up her funds through social media posts and sponsorships from airlines, hotels, rental car agencies, restaurants, and so on. She's essentially accumulating wealth that way...
We're seeing more and more travelers like this; they usually end up asking people to buy them a beer or a coffee on their blogs after a trip.

There are plenty of tour guides who also teach (and they don't work, say, on Fridays because they just schedule their hours that way 🙂).
But with a full day of classes, that won't be possible. She’ll have to choose.
And what do you think she's going to choose? 🤔
The real question is how many quality teachers we're going to lose because of this...

Jason Morgan said:She probably keeps posting those stories even after she gets back home.

She posts stories every single day while she's traveling, and she's quite active responding to questions on social media.

This is a bit of a tangent, but honestly, most teachers who have side hustles or extra jobs will eventually have to make a choice if teaching stays like this... It's questionable, really. Take the ones currently writing all those grant proposals; who is going to find the time to write those if they're spending the entire day at school and then coming home to write lab reports?

rowdypanther12 said:That basically means they're going to cut hours since kids are already getting out of school by 1:00 or 2:00 every day anyway.

rowdypanther12 said:I'm honestly not sure. 😂
Students who don't have electives are looking at about 27 hours a week—that's basically two days ending at 1 PM and three days ending at 12 PM.
Those taking things like foreign languages, computer science, or religious studies end up with 33 hours a week, which means at least three days until 2 PM and two days until 1 PM.
And that’s all assuming they don't try to pack extra credit or supplemental classes into that mandatory block, 😁
leaving absolutely no gaps in the schedule. 😁

Honestly, he’s just rambling again, focusing entirely on the elementary level.
He clearly doesn't grasp how the subject-specific curriculum actually works. He’s been around long enough to have grown children, maybe even grandkids, yet he seems totally disconnected from reality. It feels like this whole project was just handed to him, with funding earmarked for principals who fit a certain political mold...

Personally, I'm wondering about the two schools that signed up (Green Valley and one in a major city like Chicago). What happens to the current 4th or 5th graders who join this full-day program? Specifically, what about the kids who didn't pick a second language? If they enter this new system, will they be expected to jump straight into Spanish or French classes that other students have already been taking for a year or two?
If they don't join those classes, where do they fit in if a second language is now part of the required curriculum?

And what about the middle schoolers who didn't take computer science back in 7th grade? Will they be able to catch up, or will the kids who did take it just end up repeating material?

They’re calling this an "experiment," though it lacks the actual rigor of a scientific study and raises some serious ethical questions. They're essentially throwing new requirements at kids mid-stream... and these are the same kids who were already treated like guinea pigs during the shift to online learning.

The other side is being phased in little by little—and honestly, that’s the only thing they're actually doing gradually.