Educators discuss school and district schedules and the possibilities of a 4-day school week

As nearly 1000 school districts in the United States are on four-day school weeks, educators compare issues such as student attendance and teacher workloads.Teachers were particularly interested in four-day weeks as an option for making their workload more manageable.

  • “If your school/district is on a 4-day week, could you please share your calendar with me?” —Educator in Washington
    • “Have you checked in our Social Studies Network fb group? A lot of rural schools went to this and loved it.” —Social Studies Teacher in Texas
      • “Are y’all thinking of making the switch? Some of the local rural districts made the switch but I’ve heard several made the switch back.” —Social Studies Teacher in Texas
      • “I’m in charge of calendar committee and I want to push for it.” —Educator in Washington
    • “Not my district but the first Houston-area district to incorporate a mostly 4-day calendar.” —High School Science Teacher in Texas
    • “[At my] previous district students were off every Friday. Teachers had one work or PD day a month. Classes ran from 8:15 – 4:00. The school I taught at was so rough that I needed 3 days to recuperate.” —English Teacher in Colorado 
    • “I don’t work at this district anymore but they still do 4 day weeks. (I did work for them the first year they went to a 4 day week.)” —Teacher in Wyoming
      • “What were your start and end times each day?” —Educator in Washington
      • “I don’t remember exactly because it has been a few years, but it was early like 7am and then we got done at maybe 3:30. (I remember the early part because I struggled to get there at 6:30a.m. ) It looks like now they do 8:30-4:00.” —Educator in Washington 
    • “I would love to see the attendance data comparing 4 day vs. 5 day school weeks. What is the attendance data of 4 day (year round vs. 10 mo.)? Anyone else noticing the amount of absences?” —Teacher in Michigan 
    • “My K-8 online school has Zoom classes for 3 hours per day, Mon-Thurs with intervention/enrichment and small groups in the afternoon. Fridays are for collaboration and PD.” —Teacher in Utah
    • “Contract time is from 7:45am-4pm, Student hours  8:05am- 3:50pm.” —Middle School Science Teacher in Missouri
    • “A lot of these seem like even more work for teachers and wondering when the actual benefit for teachers hits especially if the teacher has a kid in another district. PD every Friday? Meetings every Friday? When is grade time and prep time etc?” —Social Studies Teacher in Texas
  • “Yes! More breaks gives teachers and students more flexibility!! Headline: school adds 4 day weekENDS https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4351851-florida-school-district-adding-4-day-weekends-to-combat-chronic-absences/  I was pondering this week if the school added 10 days to the calendar but gave me 10 flex days if I would want that. (Leaning yes for me).” —Math Teacher in Kansas
    • “YES!  My district in Texas did this for 23-24 and the success is soooo great they are continuing it in our 24-25 schedule! We also have a dedicated 30 minutes per day between 6th and 7th period for TUTORING!! It’s a Game Changer for high school!!” —High School Math Teacher in Texas
    • “Some schools in my School Board (like a district in Canada) have less time off during the summer, but more time off at different time (one week in the fall, 2 in March, one in May).” —Educator in Canada
    • “School districts turn to 4-day week to cope with staffing and budget shortfalls https://youtu.be/SLoTprP8Dj0?si=cEJPAaEDTbJN18Nx via @YouTube” —Educator in San Francisco
  • “When schools adopt a 4-day week, what are kids doing on day 5 when schools are closed? Staying at home? Going to school-based ‘camps’?  (Do parents pay $?) Private ‘camps’? How do communities adapt to this huge change? Please share!” —Former High School Humanities Teacher/Associate Professor of Education in Rhode Island
    • “My  colleague has done lots of work on this. He also recently hosted a conference on 4-day school weeks.” —Education Economist in Oregon
    • “In 2021, show that about 1/3 of schools had some type of remedial/enrichment activities on the non-school weekday for students, while majority remains fully closed. Practitioners discussion of 4-day week implementation strategies: https://media.oregonstate.edu/media/t/1_8vp0gqoh” —Education Researcher in Washington, DC
    • “Very curious about this as well. My sister’s family moved to France for a few years ago, and schools there do only 4.5 days and also close for 3 week breaks throughout the year. But they have public infrastructure there – low or no-cost camps available for those closures…” —Educator and Author in New York
    • “On the list to study in Arkansas. From my interviews with supers, it varies. In most schools it’s a straight “off day.” Some schools provide childcare, others use it for targeted intervention time for students. Before our statewide minimum teacher salary increase this districts would use this as a recruiting tool for teachers. They could teach 4 days and earn a stipend on the 5th if there was something in place. Not sure if the interest in this has changed with higher salaries.” —Former Educator/Researcher in Arkansas 
  • “Some schools are moving from a 5 day week to a 4 day week. I thought this would negatively affect the success rate of the students. However, it increased their overall performance; both student body and staff. Should other schools follow suit?” —Middle School Educator, N/A
    • “I think it’s worth it for MS and HS students but would be a logistical nightmare for elementary parents who’d have to figure out childcare.” —High School Social Studies Teacher, N/A
      • “I agree with the logistics of it being taxing on elementary school parents. If the workday was also moved to a 4 day week for the parents (as some companies are doing) it would work beautifully. Maybe offering enrichment activities on Fridays for the parents that need childcare?” —Middle School Educator, N/A
  • “As testimony to how completely lost I let myself get in regards to work/life imbalance- my 4th grade neighbor asked if I was at school working today since per usual I was the only adult not in the cul de sac. 2024 new year new me. No more teacher guilt. No more overworking.” —Elementary Teacher in Colorado