And many of the 2,000 charter schools that have sprouted across the country since 1990 are luring families in part by offering longer hours. Meanwhile, Sandra Feldman, president of the American Federation of Teachers, has called for a fifth year of high school for those who are struggling, and Richard W. Riley, the secretary of education, has suggested making teaching a 12-month job, largely to make more time for professional development. Teachers' unions generally support this idea. Support for the more-time movement is broad and bipartisan, but considerable obstacles include the enormous price tag and the gaping teacher shortage. Educators and politicians also caution that more of the same is not necessarily better, and that expanded calendars must be filled with creative curriculum overseen by qualified personnel.
Excellence requires sacrifice.
That's a value that's essential to be successful in any endeavor. When you put in all this extra time with kids, they don't get the sense that you're just punching the clock. Since then, the pressure has only mounted, as virtually every state has adopted more rigorous curriculums, and many have introduced tough exit exams. With teachers and principals being held accountable for results on standardized tests, many have complained that they cannot cram more into already crowded days. Educators tell me that for all the new investments we've made, the main thing they need is more time to teach.