It’s just not increasing the quality of the teaching. It’s also increasing the accountability of the student and the parents for the learning along with the teacher. I am really tired of people (especially high officials who may never have been teachers) saying that I can entice, cajol, and motivate EVERY child to learn if I am the right kind of teacher. If there is no support from the home, and the student decides he/she does not want to learn, then the adage “You can lead a horse to water, but can’t make him drink.” applies. I am not a miracle worker.
Teaching in the public schools is a calling for me, and one that seems to be getting more and more impossible. I will not make it if the school day and year is lengthened. That’s not a lazy teacher talking. That’s one who puts her heart and soul into it with many many extra hours each week.
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I was too quick in my initial post, Ray's Beth.
There are many good and unsung teachers in the public schools and those good ones are in it because it is a calling, an avocation; and you are obviously one of them.
I empathize with your predicament and under no circumstances would I consider teaching in a public school, particularly an inner city school.
Lengthening the school day or year will not help your students when you are in contact with them 5 or 6 hours max and you have no control as to what they get exposed to at home or on the street.
Upstairs I was going to make a facetious reference to the quote of Lester Maddox, so will do so now :)
“when (Lester Maddox) asked what could be done to improve the abysmal conditions in Georgia prisons, Maddox replied that what was really needed was a better class of prisoner.”
Obama also said schools could be opened on weekends so they would offer a safe place. What does that tell you about the conditions that these children face at home? Perhaps in Obama’s fantasy world all children would be enrolled in 24 hour school dormitories.
Best wishes for continued success in your chosen field.