By Rebeca Nieves Huffman, DFER Illinois State Director
Education reform has always been a blood sport in Chicago with the usual suspects engaged in combat. But now with the “full” (aka: longer) school day debate, we’ve see a new group enter into the ring: middle class parents.
Allow me to explain.
The 2011-12 school year not only brought Chicago a new mayor and new leaders of the school district and school board but it also brought new policies. With the start of the new school year came a push by the district to give all of its students more time in school via a longer school day and school year.
Chicago has one of the shortest school days in the nation (5.75 hours). In January, Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and school district CEO Jean Claude Brizard began an earnest push to add an additional 90 minutes to the City’s school day.
Given the contentious relationship between the City’s teachers union, the district, and the Mayor’s office it was not surprising this proposal hit like a lead balloon. In particular, the Chicago’s Teachers Union was not on board — especially since the mayor would not commit to increase salaries for the additional time, canceled an expected 4% salary increase in 2012, and opened the district’s contract negotiations earlier than expected. What was surprising, however, was the loud and vocal opposition supporters encountered against lengthening the school day by parents and advocates in a number of the City’s middle class neighborhoods.
While supporters of the longer day touted the positive effects for students in low performing schools, longer day opponents lambasted the administration for an over reach into their children’s after school time. I heard parents saying at school board meetings that their kids “didn’t need the extra instruction, since their schools are already so good.” Several parents stated, “our kids need music and art and time to pursue extra curricular activities.”