Newark Public Schools have introduced a new schedule with longer school days for students, addingꦦ 20-25 minutes each day.
While that migh𒉰t mean a slightly longer day, the district hopes it will translate to more time for learning and ac🍷ademic growth.
On the other hand, teachers will finally get a꧂ guaranteed 45-minu༒te lunch break, addressing concerns about insufficient break times.
Although some parents are worried about potential traffic issues, the district believes the benefits of increased instructional time and improveওd teacher well-being outweigh any drawbacks.
Let’s examine how Newark’s new schedule affects students, teachers, and families and what these changes mean for the district’s future.
- Newark Public Schools now have longer school days, extending by 20-25 minutes, depending on the grade level.
- Teachers will receive a guaranteed 45-minute lunch break, although their workday extends to seven hours.
- The new schedule aims to give students more learning time and support teachers.
Newark NJ Schools Start New Schedule with Longer Days
This year, students in Newark Public Schools will have longe🦋r school days. The district has introduced a new schedule to give students more time to learn and to make sure teachers have a proper lunch break.
With the n𝄹ew schedule, all Newark City Schools students will 🌸start at 8:15 a.m. and finish at 3:05 p.m.
This means that elementary students will get ﷽an extra 20 minutes each day, while high school students will get an extra 25 minutes.
Now, students will spend 6 hours and 50 minutes in s🦹chool each day. Overall, this adds up to an extra 30 hours of tutoring for elementary students over the school year.
But the change also affects teachers. Now, they must be at school fr🌃om 8:10 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.,ꦕ just before and after the students’ day.
However, many teachers couldn’t be happier––they will have a guaranteed 45-minute lunch break, which many had ꩲrequested during recent contract talks. Before this, some teachers often had to skip lunch or take very short b💛reaks.
The district introduced the new schedule on its website and through pop-up messages on ind𒁃ividua🍰l school home pages.
How Teachers and Parents Feel About the Changes
The new schedule came about after the district and the teachers’ union reached an agreement during contract negotiations.
Understandably, many te🉐achers were concerned about their previous work hours, often leaving them with little or no time for lu🎃nch.
The new contract, which took almost five months to finalize, received strong support from t🐽he union, with many members voting in favor of the changes.
While teachers mostly welcome the new schedule, some parents are concerned about how it wilꦫl affect their daily𒁃 routines.
For example,♏ Gregory Good, the Parent Teacher Organization president at🌟 Sir Isaac Newton Elementary School, said they didn’t know about the changes until the news spread.
And Good, who has children in both public and charter schools, worried that the new hourꦏs could lead to more traffic and make it harder for families with kids in different schools to manage their schedules.
The district, howeve♌r, does not expect more๊ traffic or delays because of the new hours.
How Newark’s Schedule Compares to Other Schools
The extended school hours in Newa💧rk are similar to what many other schools nationwide are doing.
A 2017 American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggested that 🐽schools should start🗹 later—no earlier than 8:30 a.m.—to help students’ mental health.
While Newark’s new schedule doesn’t start that late, it is part of a broader effort to improve the school experience for sꦺtudents and staff.
In 2017, New Jersey’s Department of Education investigated starting school later. They found that doing so♚ wou⛦ld come with challenges, like adjusting bus schedules and after-school activities.
The New Jersey School Board Associܫation says that each community should decide school start times based on its own needs.
For now, Newark’s new schedule aims to give students more learning time and ensure teachers get theꦆ breaks they need. The district’s changes aim to enhance the overall quality of education and better meet the needs of its community.
