Del Rio’s five- day school week system has been working effectively, but let's just imagine how much more effective it could be if we transitioned to a four day school week. 

For a lot of teachers, Fridays are usually make up or test days. For students, Fridays are often absent days. While unintentional, this causes a lot of conflict: teachers are tired and students are drained. So, if we just get rid of coming to school on Friday, both students and teachers could see improvement. 

The Students Benefit

With one less day of school, students are more likely to be more focused on the days they do go. Since the weekends would be extra long, students would be able to get more, good rest. Oftentimes, students have homework to complete during the weekends. Students with weekend homework become stressed and tired since the days they are supposed to use to rest are occupied by school-day business like homework. It is not uncommon for teachers to give students homework, so adding one more day to students’ weekends will give students more time to complete their homework in addition to providing more time to rest and come back to school the next week ready to learn.

The Teachers Benefit

A teacher's job is like no other. During their conference time, teachers must plan lessons, call parents, and grade–and they are expected to manage all of this in just one period. This is just not enough time! For instance, most of my teachers end up putting in grades past the end of the school day. Teachers spend all day teaching, and, as a result, most do not have time to sit and grade assignments during the day. Due to this, teachers end up spending more time at work and working later than they would if we had a four day week. An extra day off of school is not just for the students’ well being but also for teachers. On the day students don’t come to school, teachers will get more time to plan effective lessons and grade papers without taking away their time to rest either. 

So, why not say yes to a four day school week? There are many more reasons to support transitioning to  a four-day week–I could go on all day. Ultimately though, both students and teachers are tired. By cutting the week just a day short, we will begin to feel and see the results  an extra day of rest can bring.