School is at the center of almost every young person’s life. Because of this, it is also the center of all the troubles and difficulties experienced in a teenager’s life. For a large number of students, the act of going to school every day has a negative impact on their lives. There is a way, however, that the Springfield Public Schools Administration can change this. Switching to a four day school week while increasing the length of the days would greatly improve student life, employee morale, and even cut some costs along the way.

In August of 2019, prior to the pandemic, Microsoft of Japan introduced a new, experimental schedule to their workers. For the entire month of August, all Fridays were off. The results of this study prove that less can definitely be more. Microsoft reported a 23% decrease in electricity costs and a 40% increase in productivity. 40%! By simply giving the people working for them more time off to be themselves, they were more productive at work and happier with their jobs. Since students are people too, it stands to reason that a similar boost in productivity and student learning would occur in Springfield Public Schools.

In the same vein as Microsoft of Japan, a study was posted in the Journal of Education and Training Studies by Jon Scott Turner, Kim Finch, and Uribe-Zarian Ximena, claiming many positive effects of the adjusted schedule. In 2018, multiple Missouri schools tested out the 4 day week. Every week, a survey was given to all the staff asking about their experience with the new changes. The researchers found about the staff that, “87% agreed the model had had a positive impact on what is being taught in class and 76% agreed the four-day school week has improved the academic quality of their school district.” It was also found that most staff agreed that it kept “at risk” students from dropping out. Clearly, in schools from the same state as Springfield, there was a very positive experience from switching to a four day school week.

Students are the future of the world and what they experience is going to change the future of society. Four day weeks are already becoming commonplace around the world, so why not embrace the change? From a school district facing claims of racism, homophobia, and cultural appropriation in the past few years, wouldn’t it be nice to do a good thing in a student’s life for once?

Sources
https://www.npr.org/2019/11/04/776163853/microsoft-japan-says-4-day-workweek-boosted-workers-productivity-by-40
Turner, Jon Scott; Finch, Finch; Ximena, Uribe-Zarian. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 2018. DOI: 10.11114/jets.v6i1.2769.