That may sound like a dream to some working parents. School runs for 12 hours a day, starting bright and early at 7am and ending after dinner at 7pm, all completely free of charge.
An elementary school called Brooklyn Charter School is experimenting with the idea as a way to tackle two problems at once. The first is a sharp decline in the number of students in urban schools. Families are leaving public schools across the country, including New York City, and some school districts are considering merging or even closing schools.
The second is the logistical nightmare many parents face when trying to balance work and childcare.
Millions of families are scrambling to fill the gap between school dismissal around 3 p.m., and school closing hours later. Many people cannot escape long waiting lists for after-school programs. Some people simply can't afford to sign up. Low-income parents often have the hardest time finding quality care.
These obstacles, along with high rents and living costs, keep families away from cities. Brooklyn Charter School is located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a rapidly changing neighborhood where black families are leaving the nest in droves. The school, where black students make up three-quarters of its enrollment, lost nearly 30% of its students during the coronavirus pandemic, shrinking its student population from more than 230 to fewer than 165.
“We thought, 'We have to do something drastic,'” principal Joanne Hunt said. “School hours are not designed for working people.”
So far, the idea of staying open 12 hours a day seems to be working. Approximately 80 students have enrolled in longer classes, and the school's enrollment is now close to 200. This suggests that in expensive cities, the school amenities that matter most to some parents may not be state-of-the-art. Affordable child care is also available in science labs and media studios.
“I love it,” Ayanna Souza said on a recent night as she picked up her 10-year-old daughter Jada Lee. “The other day I was having a hard time,” she said.
Although many of the students in this program do not stay at school for the full 12 hours, staff are aware that the children will be away from home for an extended period of time, which can be challenging for the children and their families. I admit that there is. But long days are a common experience in cities where many parents work long hours to make a living and commutes can be hours long into the workday.
Research shows that after-school programs, especially high-quality ones, can help improve children's attendance, academics, and other well-being outcomes, including mental health.
But hopes that it will be able to expand after-school seating have waned as the city faces budget constraints, and some programs may even be cut.
Brooklyn Charter used to open at 7:30 a.m., but now dozens of students are arriving 30 minutes early. They read books and tell stories in an auditorium under the supervision of a social worker.
School will be held as usual from 8:30 to 16:00. A recent Tuesday included math practice, English mock exams, and a book fair. Once the formal school day ended, the fun began for his 70 students who stayed late under the care of counselors.
First, let's eat. Angela Alegria, who works in her school's kitchen, takes fries out of the oven to accompany her fish sandwich. But the 6-year-old's group of friends, Aaron, Ashton and Mia, say chicken tenders and mozzarella sticks are her favorite.
After dinner that night, a lively comedy session began. While their friends took to the stage (a large box in the center of the cafeteria) and cracked jokes, students sat on tables doing drum rolls. One girl stole the show and asked, “Why did the cow go to the theater?”
She stopped before destroying the house and said, “Because he wanted to see a movie.”
The students then divided into a series of activities.
Room 320 was filled with thuds while the upperclassmen practiced their drums. The instructor quizzed us on quarter notes and helped us identify bass and treble notes.
“Hands everywhere!'' The instructor then asked one of the boys, who was tilting the instrument back and forth, “How should I hold the drum?''
Across the hallway, kindergarteners were completing their math homework by counting on their fingers. “We did it!” exclaimed one student after solving a particularly difficult problem.
And in another room, first graders grabbed cardstock and markers and designed robots like Sonic the Hedgehog and Disney princesses. When it was time for each group to take turns in the session, one girl shouted something unexpected.
“It's homework time,” she said. “yay!”
In New York, fewer than half of public schools offer free, city-funded after-school services. In addition to improving academic performance, these also help keep students out of trouble. Most juvenile crimes occur during the time before and after school dismissal. But most of those programs end at 6pm, if not earlier.
The lack of choice is gaining political attention. The state Senate recently said it wants to consider the option of a universal after-school program. Zellner Miley, a Democratic lawmaker and potential mayoral candidate, argued that such efforts could be a “game changer” for families.
At Brooklyn Charter, many families want better child care. “There was a great need in our community,” said Roger Redhead, who runs the program.
In the evening, parents came one after another after work. Princess Williams often stays with her son Adonis for about two hours after being fired, and she said the program has made life much easier for her family. “It's just beautiful,” she said.
By 6:30 p.m., only about five students remained.
They had fun playing an intense game of tic-tac-toe at the cafeteria table. Some wanted to stay late and continue playing when their families arrived.
Parents reminded their children, “You'll see your friends again in 12 hours!”
