Count hours, not days

By The Gazette Editorial Board

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Iowa law requires K-12 students to be in school at least 180 days each year.

But, as far as the law is concerned, a day is a day is a day - even those that are significantly shortened because of weather or other events.

The State Department of Education wants to change that - to instead require schools to provide a minimum of 1,170 hours of instruction between July 1 and June 30 each year. That makes more sense to us than counting the days.

Changing the count from days to hours is only one change, but it's an effort that complements current discussions about educational reform and accountability.

“Kids may not like this bill,” Carol Greta, the department's legal counsel, recently told a Gazette reporter. “We fully recognize that, but you know what, five to 10 years from now they can look back and say, ‘Yeah, I got all the education that was due to me.'”

State leaders say they want to do everything in their power to make sure our children receive a world-class education, to reclaim Iowa's position as a national leader in that field. Classroom time is a critical component in our children's academic success.

Changing the requirement to a minimum number of hours will help ensure students aren't shortchanged by shortened days.

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