School Hours
Contents:
- School Hours has become a Racial Issue
- Federal Action is Needed
According to IBIS World, the market size in 2022 for After-School Program Providers will be $23.5 bn.
Enhanced School Hours:
An entire section of society is being strangled by the miss match of hours. The poor and middle class families with single parent households and those where both parents are working are suffering because they cannot afford these expensive (educational and childcare) programs and their children are left unsupervised. When left by themselves is a problem for society and a worry for their parents because most youth crime is committed during this time of day.
We are creating a new industry that is not needed if we utilize our existing schools – – they are public assets, they belong to the American people. While some schools are do have after-school activities, too many schools do not, especially in our poorest communities. We have a voice, now we need to use it. We will organize an effort with our Local Branches to find solutions and let our politicians know what they need to do.
This is has become a Racial Issue
The cost of afterschool programs is unaffordable for more than 50% of our poorest households. A year of extended care can cost $5,000 or more! The emotional cost to child and parent can become unbearable, tearing families apart. The child feels deserted and looks for alternative families like gangs, and the parents feels deserted by America (because they have been). Years ago, we called children who came home from school to an empty house “Latchkey Kids”. This problem has existed for decades, our politicians have FAILED. We need to unite to bring school equity to all families.
Federal Action
On the federal level, afterschool is funded by initiatives in the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The primary funding mechanisms are the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) and the Child Care Development Block Grant program (CCDBG).
Title I of ESSA provides more than $15 billion to districts and schools serving a high percentage of children from low-income families. We must inform communities around the country that funds are available, and to stop wasting our empty classrooms
School Hours Should Equal Work Hours
Why do school hours end two hours before the work hour? Without considering the affect on the poor, we are destroying the future of their children, especially single parent households and those where both parents work.
America wastes millions of dollars by leaving schools empty while transporting students to other locations for after-school programs, creating a new industry that can only be accessed by wealthy families (these programs can cost as much as $1,500 per month.
We need to Stop the Madness!
We don’t want teachers to spend more time, they already have too much to accomplish. We need to find solutions, unique to each community, that can be implemented with the least disruption to the current curriculum and at an affordable price. We will need to involve the State and Federal Governments to succeed. This will also give students the opportunity to do their homework in a study hall and the school can offer work-life classes, such as carpentry and accounting, to help with future employment for the students.