DeeDee - I agree.
With the incredible wealth of subjects available to students - thanks to the internet - it is easy for me to see why a 1-hour class 5 days/week isn't enough to cover everything necessary for a rigorous curriculum. For example, consider a middle school social studies World Geography course. The class could simply learn about physical features of the landscape in different countries, the capitals, lakes, mountains, etc. But what if the curriculum went in-depth into political systems, culture, history, economic development.... The possibilities are practically endless. This is why I don't argue about the several hours of homework/day my middle-schooler has. There is no way to fit all of this into a regular school day. Maybe the school year should be lengthened, although that would encroach on the talent search summer programs my kids enjoy, too.
