Emanuel Concedes 7-Hour School Day Instead of 7.5
By Chris Bentley in News on Apr 11, 2012 2:00PM
Stepping back from his full-court press for a 7.5-hour school day, Mayor Rahm Emanuel instead proposed a 7-hour day for public elementary schools in the fall.
High schools would still be extended to 7.5 hours for four days per week under the mayor’s new plan, but one day would be shortened by 75 minutes.
Emanuel’s announcement still called for an extension of the school day — Chicago Public Schools students currently have 5 hours and 45 minutes of class time each day, which ranks among the shortest school days in the country. Acknowledging resistance to his plan to lengthen the school day, Emanuel gave up his 7.5-hour benchmark for the first time Tuesday.
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis welcomed the news in a statement. “There has been no meaningful discussion with educators, parents or the community on how to implement the longer school day,” she said. “The ‘Longer School Day’ political slogan cannot substitute for a coherent education plan.”
CTU won state labor relations board support in their campaign against tactics to “coerce and intimidate” teachers into agreeing to longer school days without an adequate increase in pay.
Extending the school day has been central to Emanuel’s school reform agenda, much of which have been beset by protests. Tuesday’s compromise was not a retreat, according to Emanuel. “There was nothing magical about … 7 hours or 7.5,” he said.