Time to Learn: How a New School Schedule is Making Smarter Kids, Happier Parents, and Safer Neighborhoods [Hardcover]

Christopher Gabrieli (Author), Warren Goldstein (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 047025808X | ISBN-13: 978-0470258088 | Publication Date: April 25, 2008 | Edition: 1

Across the country, an educational revolution is taking root. Kids are learning more. Teachers are free to teach beyond the test. And parents aren’t worried about what their kids are up to after school. What accounts for this change? The simple answer is, “More time to learn.”

The current school day—6 hours and 180 days per year—is obsolete. It fails to provide students with the academic foundations and well-rounded education they need to succeed and thrive in the twenty-first century. The old school day is also out of step with the reality of working families without a stay-at-home parent to manage their children’s after-school time. Using an additional one to two hours, the new school day reworks the schedule so that children can master core academic subjects, receive individualized instruction and tutoring, and be exposed to a broad array of topics such as the arts, music, drama, and sports.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

With eight children between them, entrepreneur Gabrieli and nonprofit executive Goldstein were deeply engaged in debating the quality of education and juggling extracurricular schedules. Drawing on their experiences as consultants to projects experimenting with changes in school schedules, they advocate for a “large-scale transformation in American public education.” A longer school day would give teachers and students more time for academic lessons, more time for the kinds of extracurricular activities in music and sports that have been eliminated from schools, less time for children to get into trouble—and better accommodate the schedule of working parents. They begin by detailing how an extended school day has led to higher academic achievement and more enrichment activities with vignettes from innovative schools that have adopted longer hours. They move on to examine how the extended schedule has affected adults—namely, teachers and parents. Finally, they lay out the costs and other challenges that school systems face in considering the change. Gabrieli and Goldstein make a well-considered and compelling argument for changing school schedules. --Vanessa Bush

Review

"Gabrieli explains how school administrators are reorganizing school schedules in Time to Learn, a book he coauthored." (Education Daily, October 2008)

"Extended feature about the book and arguments for why adding 2 hours to the school day would benefit the nation." (Education.com, 07/02/08)

"Touts the benefits of extending the school day by one to two hours, with strategies for enacting such a change." (Education Week, 05/21/08)

"Gabrieli and Goldstein make a well-considered and compelling argument for changing school schedules." (BookList, 05/01/08)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (April 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047025808X
• ISBN-13: 978-0470258088
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #422,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical book for improving education in America and solving the achievement gap, April 26, 2008

By 

Douglas C. Martinson "Doug Martinson" (Huntsville, Alabama) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Time to Learn: How a New School Schedule is Making Smarter Kids, Happier Parents, and Safer Neighborhoods (Hardcover)

As an elected School Board member in Alabama, I was privileged to receive an advanced copy of the book. What I like about the book is that it lays out the case for improving education by changing the way we teach and changing long held beliefs inherent in the American education system.

The book combines the business and political acumen of Chris Gabrieli with the educational expertise of Warren Goldstein to lay out a blueprint for success in enacting their program. Since they have implemented the program in Massachusetts, they know where all the objections and pitfalls are and they candidly explain not only where these objections are but how to overcome them.

It only makes sense to better utilize the school buildings. The fixed costs are there--buildings that are heated and cooled--so by marginally increasing the variable costs--teachers or other instructors--there is better utilization of those facilities. For a little more money, our children can improve their math, science and reading skills. In addition with more PE and extracurricular activities, the kids will have more fun.

I think the authors are really onto something. I think their ideas will revolutionize and revitalize the American educational system. I hope their road map for these ideas will implemented across the country.