Schools in a Neighboring County Will Start Five Minutes Earlier Next Year

Schools in a neighboring county will be starting five minutes earlier next year. The superintendent stated, "Starting five minutes earlier will create seven, two-hour early dismissal days. The shorter days will help the district by allowing teachers to improve their lesson plans and teaching methods."

So ... that means working parents need to find someone to watch their kids in the afternoon during those seven half-days. As a single, working mother of three kids, those kind of days were a real hassle ... and an added expense I didn't need.

Most school districts are adding time to their school calendar to give the children more instructional time in the classroom ... not to give teachers more planning time. Making children go to school five minutes longer all year so that their teachers can have extra time to prepare lessons doesn't make much sense to me. Good teachers are always looking for ways to improve their lesson plans and teaching methods. They do not need corporation-mandated time to look for new and/or better ways to teach their students. And, giving  mediocre/bad teachers two hours, seven times a year isn't going to motivate to do a better job.