In this budget climate the four-day school week is hot. Districts across the country are moving to it, in an attempt to cut costs. Instead of rethinking school, the four-day week represents a simple continuation of the squeezing of the five-day week. It is not strategic, and in fact decreases productivity - the worst possible outcome.
Yet the onset of the four-day week may have an entirely different effect, releasing students from 20 percent of their obligatory time to instead pursue learning in other areas.