By North America bureau chief Jade Macmillan and Cameron Schwarz in Missouri
abc.net.au
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More than 1,600 schools in 24 states are estimated to have switched to four-day school weeks amid teacher shortages.(ABC News: Cameron Schwarz)
It's rare to hear anyone express enthusiasm for Mondays, let alone teenagers.
But things are done differently in the small community of Lathrop, Missouri, where school doesn't start until Tuesday each week.
For students, it means every weekend is a long one.
For teachers, it can be a chance to take a day off or prepare for the week ahead.
Four-day weeks are becoming more popular in Missouri, and across the United States, as schools grapple with widespread teacher shortages.
More than 1,600 schools in 24 states are estimated to have made the switch so far.
But as the idea spreads, concerns — particularly from parents — are also growing louder.
Fewer but longer days: How four-day school weeks work
Lathrop was motivated by budget pressures when it decided to introduce a four-day school week 13 years ago.
Scrapping Mondays from the schedule allowed the district to save money in areas like support-staff wages and transportation costs.
But superintendent Chris Fine said officials soon noticed that it also helped to attract teachers to the rural area.
Lathrop superintendent Chris Fine says the shorter school week is a 'bonus' for some teachers.(ABC News: Cameron Schwarz)
"We didn't really talk about that much going in," he said.
"But really those next couple of years, we had more applicants and more quality applicants than we'd had in prior years.
"So we started attributing it to that fact, that [it] was kind of a good bonus for people to want to come to Lathrop."
Classes run for about an hour extra on Tuesdays through Fridays to make up for the missing Monday, meaning overall instructional time has increased slightly compared to when the district had a five-day week in place.
Teachers are required to attend on some Mondays for professional development, but otherwise they can choose how to spend their time.
"Those Mondays I sleep in, definitely sleep in," said high school history teacher Joe Dutcher.
"But I make sure that I have everything ready for this coming week.
"If there's any grading that I know that I need to get done, I can do that on Mondays."
"We didn't really talk about that much going in," he said.
"But really those next couple of years, we had more applicants and more quality applicants than we'd had in prior years.
"So we started attributing it to that fact, that [it] was kind of a good bonus for people to want to come to Lathrop."
Classes run for about an hour extra on Tuesdays through Fridays to make up for the missing Monday, meaning overall instructional time has increased slightly compared to when the district had a five-day week in place.
Teachers are required to attend on some Mondays for professional development, but otherwise they can choose how to spend their time.
"Those Mondays I sleep in, definitely sleep in," said high school history teacher Joe Dutcher.
"But I make sure that I have everything ready for this coming week.
"If there's any grading that I know that I need to get done, I can do that on Mondays."
High school history teacher Joe Dutcher says he uses Mondays to rest and prepare for the week ahead.(ABC News: Cameron Schwarz)
The length of time that the four-day week has been in place in Lathrop means many of the district's students have never known any other system.
"I came here from a school that went five days a week and so when I moved here, it was a little hard to get used to," said 16-year-old Jesse Moore.
"But as I got older, I started to appreciate the extra day we got.
"It gives you an extra day to work on projects you get on Friday, it allowed us to get bigger assignments that were more informative that we could learn from.
"I really enjoy Mondays."
Geneva Clark, also 16, said she used Mondays to focus on school work or extra-curricular activities, as well as to spend time with her friends, and did not mind the longer days for the rest of the week.
"Honestly, I mean I'm a little bit tired but I don't really notice it because I feel like we go fast enough," she said.
The length of time that the four-day week has been in place in Lathrop means many of the district's students have never known any other system.
"I came here from a school that went five days a week and so when I moved here, it was a little hard to get used to," said 16-year-old Jesse Moore.
"But as I got older, I started to appreciate the extra day we got.
"It gives you an extra day to work on projects you get on Friday, it allowed us to get bigger assignments that were more informative that we could learn from.
"I really enjoy Mondays."
Geneva Clark, also 16, said she used Mondays to focus on school work or extra-curricular activities, as well as to spend time with her friends, and did not mind the longer days for the rest of the week.
"Honestly, I mean I'm a little bit tired but I don't really notice it because I feel like we go fast enough," she said.
Geneva Clark and Jesse Moore say the four-day week helps them balance school work with extra-curricular activities.(ABC News: Jade Macmillan)
Childcare costs and learning impacts concern many parents
Four-day school weeks have been adopted by around a quarter of Missouri's school districts, mostly in rural areas.
Lathrop cafe owner and mother-of-three Jennie Gentry is a bit nervous about how her kids will adjust if they end up in jobs that require them to work five days a week.
But overall, she believes the Lathrop schedule works for her children.
Lathrop cafe owner Jennie Gentry says the four-day school week works well for her three kids overall.(ABC News: Jade Macmillan)
"I feel like they're happier because they have that extra day to catch up," she said.
"Kids are busier now, I mean they play so many sports and things like that now on the weekends, sometimes they don't really get a break."
While Ms Gentry's business is closed on Mondays, she said a lack of childcare options in the small town would make it more difficult for other families, especially those with young kids.
Childcare is also a major concern for many other parents as the four-day week becomes more common in urban parts of the state.
The Independence district, east of Kansas City, is set to become Missouri's largest to cut Mondays from the school week later this year.
Wendy Baird is worried about the impact on her children's learning, particularly in the wake of pandemic-related disruptions.
She is also concerned about how it will affect families already facing significant cost-of-living pressures.
"I feel like they're happier because they have that extra day to catch up," she said.
"Kids are busier now, I mean they play so many sports and things like that now on the weekends, sometimes they don't really get a break."
While Ms Gentry's business is closed on Mondays, she said a lack of childcare options in the small town would make it more difficult for other families, especially those with young kids.
Childcare is also a major concern for many other parents as the four-day week becomes more common in urban parts of the state.
The Independence district, east of Kansas City, is set to become Missouri's largest to cut Mondays from the school week later this year.
Wendy Baird is worried about the impact on her children's learning, particularly in the wake of pandemic-related disruptions.
She is also concerned about how it will affect families already facing significant cost-of-living pressures.
Wendy Baird, who lives in Missouri's Independence district, is worried a four-day school week could hold some children back.(ABC News: Cameron Schwarz)
"'[The district] decided that it's beneficial for the teachers, but I hope that we're still thinking about those kids," she said.
"Because it's a struggle, and it's a struggle for all families.
"Just the cost of childcare, it's 20 per cent less days per week that our kids will be in school. So it's a big jump."
The Independence district says overall contact hours won't fall because, like in Lathrop, school will run for longer for the rest of the week.
Discounted childcare will be offered on Mondays, along with tutoring and student excursions.
Teachers will be required to take part in professional development on some Mondays, and they can also teach college classes for extra pay.
"'[The district] decided that it's beneficial for the teachers, but I hope that we're still thinking about those kids," she said.
"Because it's a struggle, and it's a struggle for all families.
"Just the cost of childcare, it's 20 per cent less days per week that our kids will be in school. So it's a big jump."
The Independence district says overall contact hours won't fall because, like in Lathrop, school will run for longer for the rest of the week.
Discounted childcare will be offered on Mondays, along with tutoring and student excursions.
Teachers will be required to take part in professional development on some Mondays, and they can also teach college classes for extra pay.
Independence superintendent Dale Herl says the district is attracting and retaining more teachers since announcing plans for a four-day school week.
(ABC News: Cameron Schwarz)
"Our goal was to attract and retain teachers, really not just teachers, but all staff," said Independence superintendent Dale Herl.
"Our teacher applications are up approximately 500 per cent and it's something we've never seen before.
"But also probably more exciting to me, the number of staff or teachers that are either retiring or resigning, is down two-thirds from what it was at the same time last year."
Brandi Pruente is a teacher in another district, as well as a parent of children in Independence, and does not think the strategy will work long-term.
"Our goal was to attract and retain teachers, really not just teachers, but all staff," said Independence superintendent Dale Herl.
"Our teacher applications are up approximately 500 per cent and it's something we've never seen before.
"But also probably more exciting to me, the number of staff or teachers that are either retiring or resigning, is down two-thirds from what it was at the same time last year."
Brandi Pruente is a teacher in another district, as well as a parent of children in Independence, and does not think the strategy will work long-term.
Teacher Brandi Pruente, who has three children of her own, fears shorter school weeks won't work long-term.(ABC News: Cameron Schwarz)
"I think some teachers do see the benefit and think, 'Well, I'll get some time on Mondays to plan and grade when I would work anyway,'" she said.
"But I think that in that aspect you're still getting the same burnout and a longer day for four days a week isn't going to improve that situation either."
Parents have also raised concerns about the ability of younger students to stay focused during the extended, remaining school days, as well as the impact on children with special needs.
"I think some teachers do see the benefit and think, 'Well, I'll get some time on Mondays to plan and grade when I would work anyway,'" she said.
"But I think that in that aspect you're still getting the same burnout and a longer day for four days a week isn't going to improve that situation either."
Parents have also raised concerns about the ability of younger students to stay focused during the extended, remaining school days, as well as the impact on children with special needs.
Jennifer Clark's six-year-old son Wally has a learning disability, high anxiety, ADHD and a speech delay.
She says routine is crucial to his development, and while he will be offered tutoring under the new system, she fears the change will further disrupt his learning.
"It's so intermittent that I don't know if he'll be able to adapt," she said.
"I don't think they've considered kids with special needs. I do not think that was part of their decision when making the choice to go to a four-day week.
"I think they just assume we need to figure it out."
Impact on student performance mixed, studies find
Four-day school weeks are managed differently across the US, meaning results are mixed when it comes to trying to measure students' academic performance.
A 2021 report by the RAND Corporation found that while test scores improved across schools with four-day weeks, they did so at a slower rate than those with five days.
While a 2022 study suggested academic achievement was tied to the overall amount of time students spent in school, rather than how the week was organised.
"I think the research is a pretty narrow band, that the gain or the problem that it might cause academically is relatively small either way," said Jon Turner, a former school administrator who now studies four-day school weeks at Missouri State University.
Academic John Turner says the key to measuring success in a four-day school week lies with how students and teachers use their days off.(ABC News: Cameron Schwarz)
"I think the key finding on the impact on academics is what happens on that fifth day?
"If that fifth day is being used to do rigorous teacher training, collaboration, looking at data, planning for the following week of instruction, then you can see an academic benefit."
Dr Turner said teacher shortages were driving a recent surge in the uptake of four-day weeks in Missouri, where high turnover was causing significant challenges.
"Our beginning teachers that come into teaching, half of them leave the profession in year six," he said.
"And it may be because of the issues that they're facing in school, but it may also be because they have more lucrative opportunities out in the business world than they do in the school."
Missouri is ranked as having some of the lowest teaching salaries in the US, with teachers paid an average of just over $US51,000 (around $75,000).
"Teacher pay is a huge issue, especially in the small rural school districts," Dr Turner said.
"The way we do school funding in the state of Missouri is it allows the local school district to pretty much set the salary.
"Small rural communities cannot generate the tax revenue to keep high competitive salaries."
While Australian schools are funded by the states and the Commonwealth, the US system relies heavily on local government revenue through property taxes, which can increase cost pressures on particular districts and exacerbate inequalities.
Could four-day school weeks be an option in Australia?
Teacher shortages have become a major issue in many Australian schools, with the federal government describing the situation as "unprecedented" and many arguing the situation has reached a crisis point.
However, experts do not expect four-day weeks to be widely taken up as a possible solution.
Merryn Dawborn-Gundlach, a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education, doubted it would do much to alleviate teacher workload.
She also raised concerns about the impact on younger and more vulnerable students.
"I did work at a school myself, an independent school, where they did have the four-day week, and that worked really well," she said.
"But it was only for the senior students.
"And I believe that if you were going to bring this in, that it would have to be justified by saying, well look, this is developing independence and skills that will hold the students in good stead for tertiary courses or for TAFE or for whatever they want to do.
"But personally, I do not think it's going to be the panacea for solving teacher shortages."
"I think the key finding on the impact on academics is what happens on that fifth day?
"If that fifth day is being used to do rigorous teacher training, collaboration, looking at data, planning for the following week of instruction, then you can see an academic benefit."
Dr Turner said teacher shortages were driving a recent surge in the uptake of four-day weeks in Missouri, where high turnover was causing significant challenges.
"Our beginning teachers that come into teaching, half of them leave the profession in year six," he said.
"And it may be because of the issues that they're facing in school, but it may also be because they have more lucrative opportunities out in the business world than they do in the school."
Missouri is ranked as having some of the lowest teaching salaries in the US, with teachers paid an average of just over $US51,000 (around $75,000).
"Teacher pay is a huge issue, especially in the small rural school districts," Dr Turner said.
"The way we do school funding in the state of Missouri is it allows the local school district to pretty much set the salary.
"Small rural communities cannot generate the tax revenue to keep high competitive salaries."
While Australian schools are funded by the states and the Commonwealth, the US system relies heavily on local government revenue through property taxes, which can increase cost pressures on particular districts and exacerbate inequalities.
Could four-day school weeks be an option in Australia?
Teacher shortages have become a major issue in many Australian schools, with the federal government describing the situation as "unprecedented" and many arguing the situation has reached a crisis point.
However, experts do not expect four-day weeks to be widely taken up as a possible solution.
Merryn Dawborn-Gundlach, a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education, doubted it would do much to alleviate teacher workload.
She also raised concerns about the impact on younger and more vulnerable students.
"I did work at a school myself, an independent school, where they did have the four-day week, and that worked really well," she said.
"But it was only for the senior students.
"And I believe that if you were going to bring this in, that it would have to be justified by saying, well look, this is developing independence and skills that will hold the students in good stead for tertiary courses or for TAFE or for whatever they want to do.
"But personally, I do not think it's going to be the panacea for solving teacher shortages."
Just like in the US, Australian parents will likely have a range of views on what works best for their kids.
(ABC News: Cameron Schwarz)
Fiona Longmuir, a lecturer in educational leadership at Monash University, said the reasons behind Australia's teacher shortage were complex and the issue required urgent attention.
She said the four-day week was an interesting idea in terms of trying to find ways to support and empower teachers, but argued the impact on students and staff would need to be carefully thought through.
"I think one thing that would be really important to have as part of the conversation is, it won't be a solution if the same expectations of teachers are there," she said.
"So if they're still expected to do the same amount of teaching hours, the same amount of preparation hours, the same amount of administration work that they do here in Australia, which is huge, the same amount of communicating constantly with parents and families, all of those kinds of expectations.
"If they don't change, it won't matter how the time is organised."
Fiona Longmuir, a lecturer in educational leadership at Monash University, said the reasons behind Australia's teacher shortage were complex and the issue required urgent attention.
She said the four-day week was an interesting idea in terms of trying to find ways to support and empower teachers, but argued the impact on students and staff would need to be carefully thought through.
"I think one thing that would be really important to have as part of the conversation is, it won't be a solution if the same expectations of teachers are there," she said.
"So if they're still expected to do the same amount of teaching hours, the same amount of preparation hours, the same amount of administration work that they do here in Australia, which is huge, the same amount of communicating constantly with parents and families, all of those kinds of expectations.
"If they don't change, it won't matter how the time is organised."
IT WILL ONLY WORK IF SOCIETY CHANGES
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