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DID YOU KNOW THAT KANSAS HAS ONE OF THE LONGEST SCHOOL YEARS IN
THE NATION? AND THAT MISSOURI HAS ONE OF THE SHORTEST SCHOOL YEARS IN THE
COUNTRY? THAT DOESN'T SIT WELL WITH MISSOURI GOVERNOR JAY NIXON
WHO'S PUSHING A GRAND PLAN TO EXTEND THE SCHOOL YEAR. KCPT SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT SAM
ZEFF HAS A CLOSER LOOK. IT'S LUNCHTIME AT CARNEY ELEMENTARY IN THE CARNEY SCHOOL
DISTRICT AND THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF LUNCH ROOM WHERE THESE STUDENT ARE BEING QUIET EATING.
THEY ARE HAVING A GOOD TIME. BUT IF THEY KNEW WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAD IN MIND FOR THEM
THEY MIGHT NOT BE SO HAPPY. RIGHT NOW MISSOURI HAS THE FOURTH SHORTEST SCHOOL YEAR IN
THE NATION. ADDING SIX MORE DAYS WILL GIVE TEACHERS MORE TIME TO WORK WITH
THEIR STUDENTS AND GIVE KIDS MORE TIME TO LEARN. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF HIS
STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS WAS INCREASING THE SCHOOL YEAR IN MISSOURI FROM 174 DAYS TO 180.
BY COMPARISON KANSAS HAS ONE OF THE LONGEST SCHOOL YEARS, 186 DAYS.
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON INCREASING THE SCHOOL YEAR BY SIX DAYS?
I LIKE THE IDEA. I THINK ANYTIME WE CAN HAVE STUDENT IN THE CLASSROOM FOR A
LONGER PERIOD OF TIME IT'S GOOD FOR LEARNING. DR. BILL NICELY IS
SUPERINTENDENT WITH SEVEN SCHOOLS, AND $36 MILLION BUDGET. IT'S HARD TO FIND ANYONE OPPOSED
TO EXTENDING THE SCHOOL YEAR SO THE QUESTION IS IF THESE ADDITIONAL SIX DAYS COME TO PASS
HOW SHOULD SCHOOLS USE THEM? WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE TEACHERS THE MOST IS WHAT YOU
NEED IS TIME. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NEEDING TIME, WHAT DO YOU NEED TIME TO
DO? THE TIME THAT WILL MAKE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON THE STUDENTS
IS THAT REAL ENGAGING, INSTRUCTIONAL TIME WITH THE KID. AND SHE SAYS THIS MIGHT GIVE
DISTRICTS A CHANCE TO ADD BACK GYM, MUSIC AND ARTS. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT
OF LITERATURE THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW YOU CAN BETTER ENHANCE YOUR READING ABILITY THROUGH ART
CLASSES, BETTER ENHANCE IF YOU ARE PHYSICALLY FIT AND HAVE HAD TIME TO DO SOME EXERCISE IN
BETWEEN YOUR COURSES, THAT YOU WILL BE MORE FOCUSED ON THE WORK YOU ARE DOING.
IT'S NOT A SHOT IN THE ARM THAT IS THE SOLUTION THAT WILL CHANGE THE ACHIEVEMENT LEVEL OF
STUDENTS IN THE STATE OF MISSOURI. BUT MORE TIME IN THE
CLASSROOM -- DOES NOT NECESSARILY EQUATE TO INCREASED ACHIEVEMENT.
NO SAYS DR. LEE AND TAYLOR KNIGHT HEAD OF THE RESEARCH CONSORTIUM, IT'S ALL ABOUT HOW
YOU USE THE DAYS AND THE SKILLS OF TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS. AND SINCE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
CHANGING THE SCHOOL CALENDAR, WHY NOT THINK REALLY BIG. IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT
LOOKING AT A YEAR-LONG CALENDAR AND ACTUALLY HAVING STUDENTS SPREAD OUT THE DAYS THAT ARE A
LOT AND REQUIRED TO GO TO SCHOOL OVER A 12 MONTH PERIOD RATHER THAN A 8.5 OR 9 MONTH PERIOD.
MOVING AWAY FROM AN AGRA AGRN CALENDAR TO AN INTERNET CALENDAR.
YES, IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED I KNOW IN SOME OF OUR MISSOURI DISTRICTS.
WHILE IT NICE TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE EDUCATION
ISSUES AT THE $50,000 LEVEL IT'S TIME TO COME
BACK TO EARTH. WOULD IT PHILOSOPHICALLY BE GOOD FOR THOSE AND HOW DO WE PAY
FOR IT? GOVERNOR NIXON HAS PROPOSED MORE MONEY TO PAY FOR THE SIX
EXTRA DAYS BUT MISSOURI IS ALREADY UNDER FUNDING THE EDUCATION BY $200 MILLION AND
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS IN A TAX CUTTING MOOD. I WOULD HATE TO SEE THIS
STATE MAKE SOME OF THE DECISIONS THAT KANSAS DID
BECAUSE THAT IS AN EXPERIMENT THAT WE DO NOT
KNOW THE OUTCOME, AND I THINK KANSANS ARE VERY WORRIED ABOUT IT.
MISSOURI LAW SAYS THE STATE CANNOT MANDATE
SOMETHING WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT, BUT NICELY SAYS
WHAT HE GETS FROM THE STATE WON'T ENTIRELY COVER THE LONGER YEAR.
SO IF WE INCLUDE, IF WE ADD SIX MORE DAYS TO
YOUR CALENDAR THERE IS NO WAY THAT YOU CANNOT
DIP IN TO YOUR LOCAL TAX FUNDING TO PAY FOR THIS? THAT'S CORRECT.
THAT IS CORRECT. SAM, WHAT'S THE REACTION OF THE MISSOURI GENERAL ASSEMBLY
PROPOSAL TO EXPAND THE SCHOOL YEAR? THERE IS NOBODY IN THERE WHO
IS AGAINST THE CONCEPT. REPUBLICANS, DEMOCRATS, THEY ALL THINK EXPANDING THE SCHOOL YEAR
WOULD BE A GOOD THING. THE PROBLEM IS, ONE, GOVERNOR NIXON DOESN'T HAVE A GOOD
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. HE HASN'T FOUND A DEMOCRAT TO
EVEN OFFER THE LEGISLATION BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.
THE REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE EDUCATION COCHLEAR IMPLANT SAYS GREAT IDEA, BUT HOW
ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR IT. $200 MILLION ON THE FUNDING FORMULA.
AS WE HAVE TALKED HERE AND ON OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS, THE MOST IMPORTANT THINK THEY WORRY ABOUT
IN JEFFERSON CITY IS WHAT IS GOING ON IN TOPEKA AS FAR AS CUTTING TAXES.
I THINK IT'S JUST A SAM BROWNBACK COVER BAND AND THAT'S HOW THEY ARE MOVING THROUGH THE
SESSION.