Push For More Class Time Runs Into Financial, Political Obstacles

The Washington Post (1/20, Anderson) reports, "Many educators in the Washington area and across the nation are pushing for a seemingly simple solution to lagging student performance: Keep students in school longer. Some officials want a longer school day; others, a shorter summer break" and the main "argument is that more time in class would probably result in more teaching, more learning and, eventually, more-skilled graduates better able to cope in an increasingly competitive world." However, "these initiatives - favored by President Obama and floated in recent months by officials in the District, Prince George's County [MD] and Alexandria [VA] - have run into more immediate political realities. Budgets are tight. Rules are restrictive. And some parents have balked at locking more of their children's lives into structured activities."