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Teachers, mental-health staff urge board to study four-day school week
Summary
Two district staff members and teachers told the Dufur SD 29 board they support a pilot four-day school week, saying it would create planning time, reduce burnout and allow targeted mental-health and enrichment work; the board agreed to discuss the idea further at an upcoming retreat and consider forming a study committee.
Tiffany Kinslow, who identified herself as a director of mental health, told the Dufur School District 29 board she supports implementing a four-day school week pilot to give staff time for collaboration, planning and student mental-health interventions. "I'm here to express my support for the implementation of a 4 day work week," Kinslow said, arguing the change could "positively impact the mental and emotional well-being of our entire school community."
Teacher Marcy Bales described classroom pressures and rising behavioral needs, and said a four-day schedule could provide staff recovery and planning time. "As someone who genuinely loves my job and the students I teach, I can confidently say that this change could have a profound positive effect," Bales told the board, adding that elementary students at the district already spend more hours in school than peers elsewhere.
Board members did not adopt any calendar change or policy on the spot but agreed to reserve 15—2 minutes at a planned April 22 retreat to list questions and information the board would need to evaluate a four-day week. Several members and staff emphasized the idea would require a multi-stakeholder planning process covering seat-time, budget implications and impacts on non-salaried employees before any change could be implemented.
