We know, we know: With talk of furloughs, again, it seems Florida can't even afford 180 days. But that didn't stop Lee County superintendent James Browder from putting the idea (wish?) front and center in a recent speech.

"In more than 50 years, we’ve added all these requirements to public education, all of these, and we haven’t added one minute or one day to the calendar,” Browder said Friday during his annual State of Our Schools address, according to this report in the Fort Myers News Press.

Browder's comments echo persistent critiques about instructional time (or lack thereof) in the United States, whether it's a too-short school day or a too-short school year. A couple of years ago, one Florida lawmaker, frustrated with the length of the school day, said, "We are, in fact, trying to shove 25 pounds of sugar into a 5-pound sack."

So, what do you think: If the money's there, should Florida go to a longer school year?

(Image from mije.org)

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