Time For Longer School Days? - Arne Duncan

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/05/22/Education_Secretary_Arne_Duncan_on_Afterschool_Prog...

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says that schools should offer more after-school activities to students, and that there should be more opportunities for students to engage in the community and visit colleges. He proposes using the 10 billion dollars of Title I money to fund these projects.

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U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, After School Matters Chair Maggie Daley and Judge Glenda Hatchett join parents, children, educators and policy makers from around the country to discuss the benefits of afterschool programs and ways to ensure that all children and families have access to these programs. - San Francisco School Alliance

Arne Duncan was nominated to be secretary of education by President-elect Barack Obama and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2009.

In his confirmation hearings, Duncan called education "the most pressing issue facing America," adding that "preparing young people for success in life is not just a moral obligation of society" but also an "economic imperative." "Education is also the civil rights issue of our generation," he said, "the only sure path out of poverty and the only way to achieve a more equal and just society." Duncan expressed his commitment to work under the leadership of President Obama and with all those involved in education "to enhance education in America, to lift our children and families out of poverty, to help our students learn to contribute to the civility of our great American democracy, and to strengthen our economy by producing a workforce that can make us as competitive as possible."

Prior to his appointment as secretary of education, Duncan served as the chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools, a position to which he was appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley, from June 2001 through December 2008, becoming the longest-serving big-city education superintendent in the country.

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[thunderpants10]

So if McDonalds food is lacking in nutrients then we should make kids eat larger amounts of it to compensate?

Maybe try making classtime more meaningful instead of longer.

There are good schools out there. Find them and copy them.

[Szkeptik]

When I was in high school I had 7-8 classes a day and I was there from 8 AM to 3 PM on most days. I can tell you it's impossible to keep paying attention the whole time. Making school days even longer would only make kids life more miserable and the extra classes wouldn't count much as they couldn't pay attention.

[MisterHeizenberg]

@777skn

Srry but I don't think institutionalization everything will solve the problem. I recommend that you look up the Finnish education system.

[MisterHeizenberg]

So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause.

[MisterHeizenberg]

In Finland the school year is on the order of hundreds of hours less then in the US yet their education system is recognized internationally as one of the most successful in the world. In comparison, the US ranks poorly among other developed countries in almost every subject. The problem is not the lack of time spent in school, the system itself is just fundamentally flawed.

[sweetsweatyfeet]

@mlzachary33 This is a youtube comments section, not a formal venue for speaking. Profanity (whatever that means) doesn't negate the point and it can (when used in moderation) add emphasis and passion to an idea. You are socially conditioned to find certain words profane--they are not intrinsically so.

I agree with George Carlin; there are no bad words, just bad thoughts and bad intentions.

[mlzachary33]

@sweetsweatyfeet.  I agree with your comment, but you almost discredited the entire statement with the profanity you used at the end. Word of advice, don't use profanity to speak formally, it makes you sound ignorant.

[AlaskaKisses]

@Szkeptik Imagine if you didn't have to rush from class to class, but the teacher was able to teach you then help you with your homework all in the same period and end up with out homework. That is more of the idea of using time more wisely. The schools wouldn't be using the time to give you more classes in high school, but be bale to effectively learn during the time provided.

[itsjustme2919]

KEY WORDS: PARENTS! DISENGAGED PARENTS BREED DISENGAGED STUDENTS! FORCE PARENTS TO TEACHER CONFERENCES! FORCE ATTENDANCE BY PUNISHMENT FOR PARENTS THAT WILLINGLY ALLOW THEIR STUDENTS TO SKIP SCHOOL! FINE THEM MONEY! HIT THEM IN THE POCKETBOOT! THEY WILL THEN PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR KIDS AND MAKE SURE THEY DO THEIR HOMEWORK!

[lavedon]

Yes the answer is to throw my massive beuracy more money to keep my crappy schools opened longer so I can force workaholic bs on innocent kids.

[sweetsweatyfeet]

His assertions on length of school day are purely arbitrary.--isn't the several hours a day kids now attend, plus additional hours of homework enough? These are kids for Christ sake--they have limited attention spans and face enough enough stress as it is. Who the hell is this guy to dictate how long everyones kids should be in school?

I don't know about you but as a kid---after six and a half hours I wanted to get the fuck outta there.