Product Description

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The current school day—6 hours and 180 days per year—is obsolete.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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #259896 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 304 pages

Review
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)

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

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)

From the Inside Flap

Time to Learn

"Last year we would hurry to get something done, and this year we can take our time anddo it right. We have a lot more time for reading, math, and science, and you get more time at recess and gym."
—Andrew Gibson, 6th grader

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The current school day—6 hours and 180 days per year—is obsolete.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.

Time to Learn offers a compelling look at the expanded schedule of the new school day. This proven, practical, achievable reform is already transforming American public schools for the better. More than a thousand public schools are reaping its benefits—reinvigorating their classrooms and dramatically improving students' academic success while narrowing the achievement gap.

We all want what's best for our kids—and we want their time in school to be enriching, engaging, and productive. Time to Learn offers a blueprint for what works and what it will take to transform the old school day into the new.

From the Back Cover

Praise for Time to Learn

"How can children learn what they need to succeed in the global information age when schools still operate on schedules designed for the industrial age? Gabrieli and Goldstein examine the use of expanded learning time for students and teachers in Massachusetts and across the nation, and they provide compelling evidence that such a strategy can help all students master the skills they need for the future."
—Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts

"Gabrieli and Goldstein show us how more learning time can improve math and science skills, literacy, and overall achievement, while permitting students the opportunity for sports, arts, and fun. This book should be required reading for practitioners and policymakers who want to plan for the education system we will need to succeed in the twenty-first century."
—Kathleen McCartney, dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education

"Time to Learn comes at a perfect moment when we need new ideas about how to move ahead. By showing that the new school day already works in hundreds of schools, Gabrieli and Goldstein move beyond theory to practice. Read the book and get to work!"
—Roy Romer, chairman of Strong American Schools Campaign and formersuperintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District and governor of Colorado

"While there are no silver bullets to fix public education, Gabrieli and Goldstein show us that giving our children more quality learning time is one solution that conclusively leads to higher student achievement and will help keep them and our country competitive."
—Eli Broad, entrepreneur and founder of KB Home, SunAmerica, and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation

"The expansion of learning time and the introduction of a new school day is a vital school improvement policy that must spread far and wide. In Time to Learn, Gabrieli and Goldstein demonstrate the benefits of this strategy and what it can look like in action."
—John Podesta, president and chief executive officer of the Center for American Progress, and former chief-of-staff to President Clinton

Customer Reviews

Practical book for improving education in America and solving the achievement gap
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.