Governor Christie proposed lengthening the school day and school year in his State of the State address. We asked these Shore-area residents what that they thought about that idea. Click on any image to see their replies…
Krystyna Toles, Asbury Park – I’m in favor of lengthening the school days.
It will help keep the kids off the streets, so they won’t get in trouble and it will promote education which we desperately need.
Jennifer & Alan Brennan w/Mackenzie, Spring Lake Heights – Alan: I think it’s a great idea. I’m Mr. Mom, a stay at home dad.
Jennifer: No. If anything they should shorten the school year.
We enjoy the summer too much.
Mackenzie: No, I want to go to the beach.
Tony Tarantino, Neptune & Joe Dreifuss, Ocean Joe: I think they ought to go for the longer school year.
I think they should spend more money on administration.
Tony: I’ll agree with that.
lengthen the year, not necessarily the days.
The kids need time to do their homework and so do the teachers.
We need to do something because our ranking in the world has dropped drastically.
Sherry Healey, Carmela’s – I’m in agreement that they go 12 months out of the year, if the kids get a 3 week break 4 times a year.
I think that would be more beneficial to the students.
I’m a teacher and if we were to make changes, I think that would be the way to go.
Fran Kennedy, Asbury Park – I’m an ex school teacher and I don’t like the idea, personally.
It’s very hard on the teachers to keep the kids attention.
With the lesson plans and the homework, units of study – it’s a lot of work.
It’s hard.
Maya McClure, Neptune – I’m in Neptune high school.
I don’t think school should be lengthened in anyway.
I think there is already too much pressure on kids from the parents and the teachers.
It’s fine the way it is.
Jennifer Mitchell w/Caleb & Noah, Neptune – Not unless they raise the salaries of the teachers as well.
I understand the need to improve our overall education in this country, and the extra time would help – but the teachers need to be compensated as well.
I’m an english teacher at Monmouth Regional high school and my day does not end at 3 o’clock.
Nicole Nalepa & Matthew Ryan, Red Bank -It’s a matter of keeping kids attention span.
Would it be more work? Can a kid sit for that long?
You may need longer recesses, so they can release some energy.
Are they going to learn? Is it in one ear and out the other?
Too many kids are already on ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) medication. This would probably add to that.
Ralph Parkman, Neptune – I’m a single parent of 4 kids.
I’m doing everything to see that each one has a better education than mine.
I think a longer school day and a longer school year will be helpful.
Maybe it’ll stop some of this violence and gang activity that happens when kids have nothing to do.
Ian Penny, Salvation Army – Two things. One, I do think it will help America in keeping up with the rest of the world in education.
But, two, I would hope that teachers compensation would increase to meet the new demands put upon them.
If both of those can happen, I’m all for it.
Amy Perry, Brielle & Amy Sharples, Keyport – We think no. Kids come home with too much homework now. If they do lengthen the days, there should be less homework for them to do.
They can complete more of their work at school.
Jacob Reinhardt, Ocean Grove – My sister is a teacher and I know she feels it would be better for the students, but, personally, think it’s fine the way it is.
Ocean Grove is a very summer town and I have a lot of fine memories of my time off from school.
Plus, I learned a lot during the summer.
Especially when I was 15.
Elizabeth Scott, Ocean Grove -I have a 15-year-old son, so I’d love to see that happen.
Honestly, I like the idea.
I think we’d do away with some of the brain dead syndrome, but I do think you’re going to have to pay the teachers more to extend the day.
It would seem unfair to do otherwise.
