education in bisbee

The Bisbee School Board has voted to reduce to a 4-day school week next year. This decision was made as a result of budget cuts- the justification is that this will save in the cost of utilities, transportation, etc. While I was not able to attend the board meeting where this was decided, I have heard from parents who did attend that the "idea" of the 4-day week was not open for discussion from parents and the community- so they had absolutely no voice. As a parent of a kindergartener who loves going to school and is fortunate to have a teacher who treats kindergarten like school and not daycare, I am very concerned about the 36 days that will be cut out of the next school year! The superintendent has justified this decision by saying that an extra hour will be tagged to the end of the remaining days. I don't see that extra hour being utilized as quality educational time, as the younger children especially are just going to be burned out by the end of the day!

I have been following the online comments following the newspaper article about this subject. I am shocked by the number of people who seem to think education has become a luxury that our children don't really deserve. And it's not even the children they are bashing- it's the parents (specifically, the mothers)! The comments cleverly "expose" those working mothers who don't actually care about their child's educational needs, but are instead concerned about having their schedule inconvenienced and having to pay for child care on Fridays. The other extreme is that those mothers who stay at home watching talk shows all day will now have to share the TV with their child on Fridays. Give me a break! I think these people are under the impression that all families in a small community such as ours are comprised of single moms and bratty, out-of-control kids (see my earlier blog regarding my scion). I know plenty of children who still live in a two-parent home. And what does the family composition have to do with a child's educational rights? Is a child less deserving if his or her father decided he didn't want the reponsibility of parenthood? Is a child less deserving if his father was killed in combat in Iraq and the child is now the child of one of those "single moms"? Again, what does that even have to do with the issue of the 4-day school week?

I understand that the economy is going to place more and more limits on our government-funded programs. I think that our community will need to work together to provide opportunities for our children that will enhance their intellectual, social, and physical growth. Between the City's Parks and Rec Dept, the Boys & Girls Club, the local churches and service organizations, I am hopeful that we will be able to find some way to supplement the 4-day week with additional learning opportunities for our children.

I'd love to hear any ideas you might have on this subject... or if you'd like to join me in bashing the single-mom bashers, I'd welcome that as well! :-)