I get it, but seriously?!

I was covering a work session by the school board recently for work. They were brainstorming about different things and started talking about lengthening the school day. Some seemed to feel adding more opportunity for students to take classes would be of benefit, and allow teachers job security because the kids would be able to take what everyone is offering.

I do not kid when I tell you the suggestion was to make the day eight hours and fifteen minutes long. I tried to remain calm and professional, and for the most part did, but my insides were screaming, "Are you people kidding me?"

I can't spend eight hours a day at my desk, and I assure you my kids can't. They talked about other districts who had long days and how they took out time to serve breakfast and other nice little things. Well. That sounds like they are trying to make it very homey. I, however, would like to serve my kids meals at home.

I understand that the brainstorming is in no way indicative that the board would take action to make this happen, and that ideas need to be voiced to be properly considered. But I am a firm believer that the school gets my kids too often as it is, and the assumption that they can have them longer simply because they decide they want them longer pushes my crazy button.

In addition, I think kids should be expected to make some decisions at the high school level. Life simply doesn't give you the opportunity to do everything you want to do. Teaching kids how to really make priorities, how to consider realistically what coursework would be suit them, would be a valuable life tool.

I wanted to be an astronaut and a paleontologist when I was a kid. I had to make a choice. Obviously, the choice I made wasn't either of those things. But that is another story in itself.

My point here is that while it is true that some kids rely on the school for meals and guidance and, let's face it, love, I want my kids to have a chance to get those things from me. And if the school has them all the time, when am I going to get that chance?