Chicago Reporter (https://www.chicagoreporter.com/tag/extended-day/)
Chicago teacher Michelle Gunderson used to look forward to her weekly training sessions about how to work with struggling readers. But since a mandatory seven-hour school day was put in place, she and other teachers are under pressure to spend more time in front of students — and have had to abandon training sessions.
Without robust arts education, the city’s cultural future will be drained of promise. Without the skills acquired through artistic habits of mind, our children will be ill-equipped to compete in a global economy.
Fiske Elementary in Woodlawn is one of 13 schools that opted to introduce a longer school day beginning in September 2011. As a “pioneer,” Fiske Principal Cynthia Miller and her staff were able to design their own schedule without any constraints.
Fiske Elementary in Woodlawn is one of 13 schools that opted to introduce a longer school day beginning in September 2011. As a “pioneer,” Fiske Principal Cynthia Miller and her staff were able to design their own schedule without any constraints.
A year-round calendar for all schools, more art and music, and staggered shifts for teachers are among the suggestions from nearly 600 CPS teachers that are outlined in a new report on how the district should use the longer school day it plans to implement next fall.
Unlike other major cities, Chicago is trying to educate students with fewer than 1,000 instructional hours each year, and schoolchildren score lower on national tests than children in other large cities.
The Chicago Teachers Union announced Friday that CPS leaders agreed to stop asking teachers to vote for waivers to add 90 minutes to the school day.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Thursday that most charter schools eligible for the financial incentives to lengthen the day by 90 minutes have quickly signaled that they are ready to jump on board. But the location of his announcement–a school with a longer school day and a poor academic track record–shows the complexity of the issue.
Despite small turnout, a West Garfield Park community meeting on next year’s longer school day turned contentious Tuesday night, with audience members and panelists charging that the district’s plans will only exacerbate inequality.