Parents: How Do You Deal With the Chasm Between School and Work?
When presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris introduced a bill yesterday that would extend the school day by three hours – to better match the traditional work day – a more serious question arose: should the school day be longer or the work day should be longer. shorter?
It seems that Harris is not advocating more study time, but rather supervised extracurricular activities that will close the gap between the end of the school day (usually around 3:00 pm) and the end of the day (usually around 3:00 pm). 17:00). CNBC reports :
The bill proposes that the grant money go to extracurricular activities such as electives in “music, arts, athletics, writing and engineering,” Harris’s Senate office told CNBC. Extra time can also be spent on dance and theater programs, as well as other side activities, the office said. But this leaves the daily routine at the discretion of the school administration.
The pilot program will provide 500 schools serving the majority of low-income families with up to $ 5 million over five years to extend their hours. Schools will be open every day from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, and only close on weekends, federal holidays, or in emergencies.
This is one way to deal with the timing discrepancies of most school schedules and work schedules. Or, as journalist Brendan O’Connor writes for Vice , we could instead shorten the work week:
When it comes to the gap between school and work time, even if we accept the claim that it is the “loss of productivity” and not the people alienated from their families by their work that is to blame, the solution is clear enough to reduce the amount of time. that parents (and everyone else) have to spend on work.
Whichever solution you prefer, the problem of shortening those hours remains a reality for many parents. Not all schools offer preschool or after-school care. Or, if they do, the spots may be limited. And even if you get a seat, it may be closed on training days, parent-teacher meetings, or other vacations and holidays not recognized by the federal government.
Sometimes a family member or neighbor can serve as a permanent caregiver, and sometimes parents can adjust their work schedule for better coverage. Sometimes children can be taken from school to the nearest kindergarten. But for many families, especially in elementary school, caring for children before and after school may not seem like a solid plan, but like plugging a hole that day and fixing the leak the next day.
So tell us: how do you manage the time when the kids are out of school and you are still working? How do you think our school and work schedules could be better aligned?