We were eager to see what would happen when, on short notice — over Thanksgiving, no less — we invited students who were struggling in math to come to Saturday School here at Hilton Elementary School in West Baltimore. That first Saturday, more than half the first 43 invited families showed up with their kids, ready to learn.
We were encouraged by the turnout but not surprised. Hilton Elementary already has a longer school day than most, thanks to a partnership with the Child First Authority that helps us expand learning to 5:30 p.m. for many students. Parents not only want the longer school day, they're part of the team here that plans for how to use those extra hours.
We believe that not just Baltimore but cities across the nation could get better student outcomes and see higher achievement from the investments they make in education and youth development if we pooled our resources into longer, more-balanced school days. We're talking about the kind of school days that offer not just more time for academic rigor and reinforcement but also a wide range of opportunities in music, art, sports and inquiry-driven projects that inspire a lifelong love of learning.
It takes multiple partners to expand the school day and give kids an education that prepares them to innovate, create and think for a living. We're making it work at our school with help from Baltimore City Public Schools, the city's Out of School Time initiative, the Family League of Baltimore City and ExpandED Schools, a national effort supported by TASC (The After-School Corporation), the Wallace Foundation and the Open Society Foundations. (Many Hilton Elementary teachers choose to work the expanded hours and are compensated through a combination of school funds, Out of School Time funding and private grants.)
It's hard to argue that the school calendar developed a century ago for an age of factory and farm work — six or seven hours of learning a day, 180 days a year — is sufficient to give our students the kind of education they need to thrive in a knowledge economy.
There's just not enough time in the regular school day for our teachers to cover core knowledge in math, English, science and social studies while also giving extra attention to struggling students and stimulating challenges to advanced students — not to mention dealing with the enormous social and developmental issues we see every day. But teachers have time to personalize education in that way here at Hilton Elementary.
Before 3 p.m., they follow the curriculum of the Baltimore City Public Schools. After 3 p.m., they get an extra hour to reinforce the day's lessons through hands-on, engaging activities like math games, using Child First's STEMulated Minds enrichment curriculum. One of our third-grade teachers, Cynthia Conaway, uses part of that enrichment hour to give her advanced math learners a preview of tomorrow's lesson. The next day, those students are ready to assist their classmates who need extra help. They feel the pride and responsibility of being classroom leaders.
Around 4 p.m., students have eaten a nutritious supper and are getting homework help. Then it's time for engaging activities that parents and students helped choose. We know if we give students a voice — especially the older ones heading into pre-adolescence — they'll be more invested in their schooling.
By popular demand, we're offering basketball, step dance, debate, art, violin, invention projects in our computer lab, Rokkball (that's baseball combined with music) and a chess team, among other activities. Those are the kinds of learning experiences that all families want for their kids but that many can't afford to provide on their own.
Do they build our students' confidence and give them a feeling that school is relevant to success in life? Ask Sylvil Blake, a third-grade chess player who just brought home a trophy from a state tournament. We asked Sylvil what it felt like to walk into school that Monday with his trophy.
"I felt like a king walking down the hallway," he said, "and all around me were the bishops and the rooks and the pawns and the knights."
It's time we gave all kids in Baltimore the chance to feel their greatness, and expanding the school day to offer high-quality learning opportunities is a great way to start.
Khaleel Desaque is principal of Hilton Elementary School. His email is kdesaque@bcps.k12.md.us. Carol Reckling is director of the Child First Authority, a nonprofit that organizes parents and partners with Baltimore schools on in-school and after-school programs. Her email is creckling@childfirstauthority.org.