Athens ISD, about three hours northeast of Austin, implemented the four-day school week and it received the best test scores the district has seen. | via keranews
Athens ISD launched a three-year pilot program in 2019 as it transitioned to a four-day school week. That schedule is now permanent, and the district isn’t looking back.But on Thursdays in the Athens Independent School District, the weekend starts"For me right now I’m ok with four days, because that way I can get more time with my kids,” said Romero. “I understand some people work on Fridays, and they want their kids to be in school. But for me, to tell you the truth, I like it better.
The public was wary but willing. After three years, every group polled, including teachers, overwhelmingly liked it. And one of the city's biggest employers, the medical device maker Biomerics, even added a Monday through Thursday option to make things easier for working parents and caregivers.Superintendent Sims said polling revealed more than three quarters of school parents agreed the four-day week had a positive or mostly positive effect on students and families.
“The teachers we hired, to our surprise, were the teachers in that middle range of experience level, which we weren't even expecting that at all. That was a huge bonus. The average tenure of the teachers we hired was 10 to 11 years, which is outstanding,” said Sims. Seventh grade teacher Adrion Smith was one of those experienced hires. The Athens native had worked for seven years in other districts. She had her first child just before COVID-19 started spreading, and because of the shut-down, was able to spend untold amounts of time with her new baby, while she taught virtually from home. Then, she got pregnant with her second child.
“I kind of panicked because I didn't know what I was going to do without that time with her,” said Smith. “And there's really no other way to explain it except for, if you're a parent, you want time with your kid. That first year is so important for you to be with them."Now, Athens has ended its pilot and made its four-day week official for the “foreseeable future.
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