- Under pressure from parents groups opposed to a 7½-hour school day, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said today he is scaling back his proposal to a 7-hour day for public elementary schools next fall.
The school day would still be more than an hour longer than the current 5-hour, 45-minute day for most elementary schools. But it's a departure from Emanuel's stated goal of making the Chicago Public Schools day among the longest in the U.S.
Most city high schools would still be extended to 7½ hours under the mayor’s new plan; although one day during the week would be shortened by 75 minutes.
Needless to say, the teachers union is gloating a bit:
- Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said this about Emanuel's proposal:
"Once again, the Chicago Teachers Union has been proven correct. The longer school day is a political slogan and not an education plan. Parents, teachers and community leaders across Chicago have been unanimous in saying we want a better school day for our parents, not just a longer one. Now that the mayor is starting to listen to parents, teachers and research regarding the pitfalls of the longer school day pushed in school districts across this country, it is now time that he use both ears to hear everything we're saying about the types of schools our children deserve. It is not the length of time, but the quality of time that truly matters here."
The union has been calling for smaller class sizes and for non-core subjects like art and foreign language for all students. Lewis complained there is still no plan on what a longer day will look like, just numbers.
The biggest number Rahm is striving to bring down is the number of CPS students shot, hence the extended babysitting provided to the parent(s). Unfortunately, most shootings occur during the 2100-0300 window when school wouldn't be in session anyway.
And also as stumbling block, Rahm is having a hard time selling the "longer hours for no extra pay" angle. We can't think of a court in the land that would uphold keeping teachers around without paying them for their time. It just doesn't seem likely. Indentured servitude went out before the Civil War. Slavery shortly afterward.