Better education? More time in school

What is it that you don't want?

That's the question I suspect teachers and principals want to ask as they read articles making the case for more school music and art, more phys ed, more foreign language, more technology training and, most of all, more work on reading and math.

The answer is, we want it all. We think a well-rounded education will foster creativity, competence, independence and mental and physical health in our children.

Unfortunately, we've often been in denial about what it will take to deliver such a comprehensive education: more learning time. It's time to admit we can't keep trying to force teachers to cram more into the current school day or calendar, or bashing them when they can't.

A Washington Post story makes a good case for adding hours, days or even weeks to the academic calendar. The curriculum can broaden and teaching and learning can deepen. But that doesn't mean the additional time has to look exactly like the old school day.

As a former teacher and education reporter, I've seen students benefit greatly from week-long mini terms added between the semesters, or end-of-the-day physical activity and extracurricular periods. Children and teenagers need an opportunity somewhere in their academic career to explore areas of interest, connect with teachers in a different way and simply to get a breather from their normal school routines. Increasing learning time shouldn't mean increasing burnout.

But while we're getting real about things: more time in the classroom is going to require more funding.