Englewood School Extends School Day

By Prescott Carlson in News on Sep 8, 2011 6:00PM

Add Englewood's Benjamin E. Mays Academy to the list of Chicago Public Schools voting to extend their school days by 90 minutes.

Mays joins Genevieve Melody Elementary, Skinner North Elementary and Stem Magnet Academy in stretching the amount of classroom time for its students. Mays principal Patricia McCann-Nicholes told the Chicago Tribune that the three schools that voted last week to extend their days "inspired" her, along with the fact that three quarters of the school's teachers have workdays that already last until 5 p.m. due to involvement with extracurricular activities.

McCann-Nicholes added, "For a long time now, many of us have felt we're not giving children enough time to do our very best to present a quality curriculum. There's not enough time in the day to get it done."

The issue of a longer school day came to the forefront in August, when Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard appeared on WTTW's Chicago Tonight and dropped the bombshell that he would give teachers a 2 percent raise, provided they agreed to stretch school days citywide by 90 minutes. The proposal was met with immediate backlash, and Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis responded, "Teachers are now being asked to work 29 percent longer for only a 2 percent pay increase. To that we say thanks but no thanks."

But Brizard and Mayor Rahm Emanuel aren't going to let a little thing like the teachers union get in their way, so CPS made an end run around the union directly to individual schools, offering a financial incentive for each school to vote for longer days. If a school gets on board this month, it will receive $150,000 and each teacher will get a check for $1,250. If a school procrastinates and waits until January, it will receive $75,000, with teachers getting $800 each. The teachers at each school have the final vote over any extra school time.

Only 4 out of 22 teachers voted no to a longer day at Mays, and McCann-Nicholes indicated their reasons were due to either long commutes or childcare issues.