The Growing Trend of 4-Day School Weeks Poses Challenges for Parents

A growing number of school districts in the US are adopting four-day school weeks, citing cost savings and advantages for teacher recruitment. However, this change poses challenges for parents, who must arrange additional child care and activities for the extra weekday. While surveys show overall parental approval, support wanes among those with younger children. Some experts question the impact on students who already missed out on significant learning during the pandemic. The academic effects of the shortened schedule are unclear, with some studies showing no harm to test scores if the other four school days are lengthened. However, concerns remain about students' ability to catch up academically.