Four-day week won’t fix school’s problems

As a graduate of Franklin County Schools, I’ve always valued my time as a Seahawk. For years, I envisioned moving back home, building my career, starting a family, and sending my kids to the same public schools I attended. But given the direction things are heading, that vision is starting to fade. 

There’s a lot of problems facing Franklin County, but for this letter I’ll focus on the proposed four-day school week. I’ve heard the argument that this will attract and keep better teachers, but I must be honest – I just don’t see that happening. 

If students are already struggling to learn everything they need in five days, how can we expect them to do better with fewer? Adding 30-45 minutes to each day isn’t going to make up for an entire lost day of instruction. 

Only 25% of Franklin County students are proficient in math, compared to the state average of 40%. In reading, just 27% of our students meet proficiency standards, while the state average stands at 50%. Even in science, where we perform slightly better, our 40% proficiency rate still falls behind the state’s 60% average. 

How does cutting classroom time help fix that? 

Teaching is a profession, just like so many others, and professionals work full weeks. I hear all the time about how tough teachers have it – long hours, tough students, stressful situations. I’m not dismissing those struggles, but let’s be real, most jobs come with challenges. 

Most of the jobs that come to mind do not get built-in summer, winter, or spring breaks. Most don’t get raises unless they perform well. Yet, here we are, talking about giving teachers fewer workdays on top of a salary increase. 

I respect the teaching profession deeply. But teachers know what they’re signing up for when they choose this career. Instead of making it easier for them, we should be focusing on what’s best for the students. A four-day school week isn’t the answer. 

Franklin County Schools have a culture problem. It existed when I was in school, and it won’t be fixed overnight. I remember times when, as a child, I was shocked by the behavior of certain teachers. For example, I recall a class election where the student who won wasn’t the expected winner. Instead of following the results, the school decided to have two co-presidents and a vice president. Not surprisingly, the additional “co-president” just happened to be a teacher’s child.

Another example was how some students were allowed to hang out in a certain teacher’s classroom during lunch, while everyone else had to stay in the cafeteria. It was blatantly clear who the teacher’s favorites were. These examples come from six years ago when I was in school but seeing folks push for less work and more pay, while the graduation rate remains atrocious suggests that the culture issue still exists.

I want to emphasize that it is possible to succeed as a Franklin County Schools graduate. After graduation, I earned a bachelor of arts in political science from Troy University. Every semester, I was named to either the Dean’s List or the Chancellor’s List. I was inducted into multiple honor societies, including ODK and The 87, which recognizes Troy University’s most successful students based on academics, campus involvement, and community service. I helped raise $120,000 for wounded veterans, served as an SGA senator, and was a member of the University Supreme Court. I also held the position of social chair in the largest fraternity on campus while working for both the governor of Alabama and the university. 

After undergrad, I went to law school, conducted research for professors, competed on trial and moot teams. At the same time, I have been working at a criminal defense firm specializing in high-profile capital murder and federal cases. At this time next year, I’ll be sitting for the Florida Bar. 

I don’t share this to brag, but to make a simple point: I have been successful despite graduating high school with only a 3.0 GPA, which was higher than it should have been due to COVID-19. My success was largely due to the support of my family, support that many students in our district do not have. 

The problem isn’t the students. As hard as it may be to admit, the issue lies in the culture that has been allowed to persist. Teachers in Franklin County get away with more than would be tolerated elsewhere. Giving them an extra day off won’t fix this. 

Eli Whaley 

Carrabelle