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Public School Night Shift

A solution to school over-population
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Many busisnesses run 24 houres a day. This makes for close to twice the production in the same space as an 8 or 12 hour opperation. My idea is to have Public Scools that have classes both night and day. This differs from the evening classes that some students take, as evening classes are not a full scale class. This idea is for two full school sessions a day one in the day and one at night. Some students work better at night and some teachers may rather teach at night. There are also parents who work the night shift, that could be on the same scedule as their kids. The main reason for this however is to get twice the number of students in the same building. This is a cost effective way to prevent school over-crowding.
dlapham, Aug 31 2004

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       This is a great idea, though it's baked in some countries to some extent. My mom went to a school like this in Argentina which had morning sessions and afternoon/evening sessions (it was a private school). I think the night shift you're talking about is through the night, right? There are a couple of problems with this though--if it's a public school, where are they going to get the funds for this? The public school system is having enough financial problems as it is. This would mean that we would be taxed more heavily and who knows if that money will be used for its intended purpose. ***just a paranoid Californian talking*** I'll remain neutral to the idea.
Machiavelli, Aug 31 2004
  

       Correct, this idea if for school to run through the night, just as it does now through the day. As far as funds are concerned, that is a valid concern that I have as well, but this is a less expensive alternative to building another school. As you know school over-crowding is a big issue in several cities. I may not have been clear that this is for grade and high school. This may be baked in some colleges, but to my knowlege it is not in grade or high school
dlapham, Aug 31 2004
  

       I think this system, along with complementary systems in the work world, would be the perfect solution for overcrowded cities. 2x or even 3x the amount of use with the same buildings.   

       As a solution for most cities, however, this makes little sense. The amount you'll need to pay night teachers would be high compared to the one time cost of construction, and I certainly wouldn't want to live near a 24 hour school.
Worldgineer, Aug 31 2004
  

       baked. it was common in the 50's and 60's to double shift schools--too many kids, not enough buildings.   

       however, they shortened the day a bit and skipped lunch, so it was more like 6.30-12 and 1-6.30.
adamosity, Aug 31 2004
  

       //There are a couple of problems with this though--if it's a public school, where are they going to get the funds for this? The public school system is having enough financial problems as it is. This would mean that we would be taxed more heavily and who knows if that money will be used for its intended purpose.//   

       One paranoid Californian to another, I'd imagine that the cost of the additional teachers, and longer time to run the lights, AC, and water would be CHEAPER than the cost of building a new school, furnishing it with new desks, new fire extinguishers, a new library, new computers, new lights, new water, and new teachers... then paying for the additional water, electricity, AC, and teachers for a new school.   

       Heck, some teachers might even be willing to pull a double shift, which would cut down on the costs of hiring additional staff. Currently, there is a lot of money for CA education that is earmarked for construction, rather than paying the teachers... even new ones. Granted, our teachers may make a bit more than is absolutely necessary...
ye_river_xiv, Aug 19 2006
  

       Crowded schools are not so much a problem of space as they are a problem of staff. Land and buildings are cheap compared to teachers and administrators to run them.   

       So far as the suggestion to ask existing teachers to work both shifts, I would guess that you don't actually know any teachers on a personal basis. Teachers often work a twelve or fourteen hour day when school is in session. Only a small portion of that is in the classroom. (What, you thought magic elves created the lessons and graded the papers?)   

       The solution to school overcrowding? Fire the administrators. Fire the athletic staff. Close the sports stadium and covert it to classrooms. Use the money you just saved to triple the number of teachers and to give them all nice reasonable budgets to teach with.
Galbinus_Caeli, Aug 20 2006
  

       I wonder why they dont have professional homework/test graders? It doesn't take a masters to cross check against an answer key. I know all homework / tests questions might not fit into an answer key system, but many could.
I helped someone grade homework in college for math problems I couldn't even do with the help of an answer key.
Zimmy, Aug 21 2006
  

       They do that at many colleges, but for grade school or high school, the problem is finding people to do it. I graded homework from remedial math classes last year, and to be perfectly honest, you're not gonna fund many people willing to do it for less than $7 an hour. I don't mind putting in some effort to make some money, and I don't complain about low wages, but doing that kind of mind-numbing work for hours on end for minimum wage takes a special kind of person, and I'm not one of them.   

       I don't quite agree with all of [Galbinus]'s solution, but I do agree with part. By all means, fire the administrator. Get rid of the useless levels of government within the school systems. But don't start cutting programs. That's the last thing that needs to be done. If football goes, band is next, followed by orchestra and choir, then art, then computer design, and after all, why are we keeping that one teacher when all he teaches is calc I and upper-level physics. Before you know it, your schools are producing students who can pass a standardized test with flying colors, but can't survive in modern society and are completely unprepared for college.   

       My hometown's sports programs are funded mainly by ticket sales, and require very little extra money. My mother also sponsored the cheerleading squad for the last 10 years, and their budget was only $5000 a year, including her pay. The rest was payed for with cookie-dough sales and such. Of course, the whole town is obsessed with high school football and its not uncommon to sell every ticket to a football game held in a 20,000 seat stadium. If you've seen or read "Friday Night Lights," it was written about my hometown.   

       But to get to the actual idea, I think this has definite potential for some districs. Areas with high population density would benefit the most, since often these are the areas with the most overcrowding, have a higher price for undeveloped land, and have more potential students within a reasonable distance from the school. Overall, I say its worth a shot. [+]
Hunter79764, Aug 21 2006
  

       [Hunter79764], Howdy neighbor!, well not really neighbor. Same State, but 500 miles away.
Zimmy, Aug 21 2006
  

       Well, this weekend I'm going to move about 300 miles, so that makes us that much more of a neighbor. But good to know that there's another Texan on here...
Hunter79764, Aug 21 2006
  
      
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