School days will get more than two hours longer for 2,000 New York City sixth-graders next fall. The nation's largest city is joining a roster of school systems experimenting with having students spend more time in class.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott announced the plan Monday.
It will involve about 2,000 students in 20 schools, not yet chosen.
Pupils will get 2½ extra hours a day of reading tutoring and other educational activities, run by a nonprofit group.
The City Council and private foundations are paying for the extra instruction. It's part of a $4.6 million effort to improve middle school reading.
Notice what they're going to spend the time on - reading, tutoring, and other educational activities.
In other words, test prep-related activities.
Drills and skills.
How about saving the regular school day for the drills and skills and putting in some fun activities after school?
How about some games or physical activities?
How about art or music?
How about some social-emotional learning?
How about anything other than test prep?
If you want the kids to read, forcing them to read complex text and do other Common Core and test prep-related activities for 10 hours a day isn't going to do it.
But I didn't fall off a turnip truck.
Quinn and Walcott don't care if the kids like reading.
They want the kids to learn how to obey rules and deal with drudgery, so they can be ready to be good Americans when they grow up.
Shut up and do your test!
Shut up and do your work!
Work longer and harder for less and less every year!
That's the agenda here.
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