The Tennessee House is considering a new education voucher scholarship bill that could potentially allow for a four-day school week. Rep. Scott Cepicky mentioned the possibility of a four-day week during a House Government Operations Committee hearing, suggesting that the fifth day could be used for job training or dual-enrollment classes. Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton also mentioned the possibility of certain counties starting school after Labor Day but going into the summer for workforce reasons. The idea behind the four-day week is not to simply reduce school to four days but to make the fifth day available for career or technical education. House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons expressed concerns about potential consequences such as cutting into extracurriculars or extending the school year. Democrats, while in favor of local control, are against the voucher scholarship bill and criticized Republicans for using the four-day school week as a means to pass the bill. The bill still has a long way to go as the House and Senate work to reconcile the differences in their respective proposals. In conclusion, while the prospect of a four-day school week is interesting, there are concerns about its implementation and potential impacts on students and schools.
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