Monday, April 13, 2009

Shorter school week. Shorter workweek

KUOW's April 13 show called "The Conversation" had talk about a 4 day school week. There's a proposal to allow 4 day school week in some districts here in the state of Washington.

Many of the callers seemed in favor. Is being done in parts of Colorado. Could even enhance education.

Main problem being what to do with kids on the day off when both parents are working.

Answer: 4 day workweek, in my opinion.

Here are some other tidbits I have found recently related to slowing down. Yes, I'm in favor of slowing down. Slowing at least moderately for a healthier life.

Recession can be bad news for some people, but good news for others.

City of Bellingham has been planning a repaving project on Forest Street for this summer. According to a recent Bellingham Herald, bids are coming in lower than expected for many road projects including the Forest Street repave. When contractors and materials are in less in demand, prices can come down.

Like the State Street repave of several years ago, they are also planning to go from 3 car lanes to 2 car lanes.

2 wider car lanes with a bike lane.

It's healthier.

No need to have 3 car lanes (6 lanes total with Forest going north and State coming south) It all ends up in 2 car lanes on the Boulevard anyway; within just a few blocks.

Then I remember recently chatting with a real estate agent in my favorite sauna.

He mentioned that property prices are still too high and should come down more so people can afford houses again. Lower prices might mean more real estate transactions as people will be able to afford to buy again.

In my opinion, property values have been way ahead of average wages. Declining values can hurt some people, but it wouldn't necessarily devastate the real estate industry. Realtors can still get a percent of sale.

The smaller sale that happens can be better than the bigger sale that doesn't happen.

America is still being bogged down from too much overhead, prices, land values, health care costs, interest on deficits, overpaid executives.

I don't mean to bog you down with too long of a list.

5 comments:

Gadget Jim said...

I don't agree with the four-day school week. I work as a substitute teacher and have done many long-term assignments. There already isn't even enough time in the existing school day to get everything done.

All-day kindergarten is an absolute nightmare! And first grade isn't much better, because many of those first graders are really still kindergartners.

I think we need to lengthen the school year to 200 days or more. The U.S. is falling way behind when it comes to education. Our educational is failing everyone ... !!!

- Riding 4 Life
http://vj4him.blogspot.com/

Theslowlane Robert Ashworth said...

Thanks for the comment.

Maybe there isn't enough time for all that has to be covered. There is a lot to learn for sure. I'm still learning at age 54.

Gadget Jim said...

With all the testing, and having to teach to the tests, and politics, government intrusion, red tape, social problems, gangs, drug babies, irresponsible parents/care takers, irresponsible kids, etc. ....

Yeah, some days there just isn't enough time to really do much teaching, and for some kids not much time to do much learning either ...

I tip my hat to all the teachers who put up with so much crap everyday at school.

- Riding 4 Life
http://vj4him.blogspot.com/

Theslowlane Robert Ashworth said...

That's too bad. It would be nice if society could be more educational not just inside the classroom, but outside the classroom as well. The environment that kids and adults live in for the rest of their lives makes a big difference as well.

Gadget Jim said...

I agree ... I think it would be a good idea to have more practical programs in schools, and I have seen a few of these programs, but we need many more. Where the kids actually learn real-life, practical, skills that they can actually use in real life.

We have a program here where the kids can go to the college (several differents schools participate in these programs). They learn all kinds of hands-on, mechanical, techical, and vocational skills.

The transition from books and tests, then suddenly into the real world, where they have to do something for real is quite a shocker, and for some kids, much more than they can handle ... !!!

- Riding 4 Life
http://vj4him.blogspot.com/