Flexibility. Autonomy. These are two words we use often here at Mass Insight Education. We want school leaders to be empowered to make decisions to change conditions and build capacity at their schools. One example of this that we advocate for is extended learning time (ELT)—maybe lengthening the school day, or tacking days on to the school year. ELT can help bridge the summer learning gap, provide in-school time for extracurricular activities, and allow for more opportunities for professional development for school staff.
This weekend, The New York Times caught on to the importance of extended learning time in traditional public schools, writing about how some states, districts, and schools have looked into adding time to the school day or school year. Mass2020 provides hundreds of resources on ELT for those interested in learning more.