Fit for Learning Forum - Get Ready for Recess

Thank you for coming out to the Fit for Learning forum at Water's Elementary School.  We had a great turn out with over 150 attendees representing 35 schools.  We encourage you to begin conversations with your school community.  Raise Your Hand firmly believes that moving to a Regular Schedule is a community effort. We believe all stakeholders should have a voice in the decision process.

RYH - A Year in Review

It was about a year ago that parents on the North Side representing many different schools gathered together to form the Raise Your Hand coalition. A multi-page list had gone out to every school from the CEO’s office detailing the devastating cuts that would occur if the state went through with their proposed $1.3 billion in cuts to education. Principals, teachers, and parents alike were in a state of panic at the threat of 37 children to a classroom and the loss of almost every program outside of reading, writing and math. Ron Huberman implored us to act, and act we did. Although, I’m not sure it was in quite the way CPS anticipated.

Every year there had been threats of budget cuts to our schools, but never on the scale of 2010. In prior years, parents had been so busy working to fundraise and improve their schools that either no one seemed to notice or think there was much we could do about it, other than continue to raise more money and make up for the losses. If there was any collective sense of activism about the sorry state of education funding, I wasn’t privy to it.

FAQs about Recess

What is recess?

Recess is a break period in the day for children. Three critical components of recess are: 1. time to be outdoors 2. time for unstructured free play/free socializing 3. it involves physical activity.

Recess is a priority that can be supported by physical education curriculum (teaching games and sports that can go out to the yard). Recess “recharges the battery” so children return to the classroom ready to learn.

Fit for Learning Campaign

RAISE YOUR HAND COALITION LAUNCHES “FIT FOR LEARNING” CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE RECESS, EXTEND LUNCH PERIOD AT CPS

Parent organization sheds light on existing policy that could add 45 minutes to the typical school day

CHICAGO -- The Raise Your Hand Coalition, a growing coalition of parents and organizations collaborating for long-term, sustainable funding for education, has launched its “Fit for Learning” Campaign, which promotes and advocates for CPS to re-instate what is contractually known as an “open campus” scheduling option that would allow any CPS school to have recess and a longer lunch period by adding 45 minutes to the typical school day. While cost implications for implementing this program will vary by school, moving to a modified open campus schedule will be low cost or budget neutral in many cases.

Education Summit at Northside College Prep

When: 
Thu, 03/24/2011 - 6:30pm to 9:00pm
Where: 
Northside College Prep
5501 N. Kedzie
60625 Chicago
United States
See map: Google Maps

The purpose of this Chicago Education Summit is to serve as a catalyst for sustained discussion about education funding reform in our city and state. To accomplish this, the Education Summit will connect the experiences of public school students, grassroots organizations, and the knowledge of education policy makers. Speakers include Julie Smith, Senior Education Advisor to Governor Pat Quinn and Ralph Martire, Executive Director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.  This is not a RYH sponsored event.

Location

Northside College Prep
5501 N. Kedzie
60625 Chicago
United States
See map: Google Maps

Update: The Modified Open Campus topic is generating enthusiasm among parents!

At the request of RYH, CPS will be providing an informational "tool kit" for principals, LSC, teachers and parents that will outline the current process and the voting procedure necessary to move the teacher lunch back to the middle of the day.  This extends the school day 45 minutes and allows for recess and a longer lunch period. 

The toolkit should be available on the RYH website at the end of March and will enable parents to better understand how to discuss this topic at their individual schools.  

FAQS about Fit for Learning Initiative formerly (Modified Open Campus)

Raise Your Hand hopes to provide and facilitate information to parents and others about the Modified Open Campus option available to all CPS schools.  The current process requires individual site-votes at each school and the solutions on implementing a MOC will vary from school-to-school.  There is not a one-size-fits-all solution.  This means each school needs to work with the stakeholders including, teachers, the principal, LSC, parents and students to determine the best way for your individual school to move to a Modified Open Campus. 

Extra Time for Recess and Lunch - Yes We Can!

Did you ever wonder why it is so hard for your school to work recess into the schedule?  Or, Why your child has a ridiculously short lunch period?   Or, Why some CPS school days are 5 hours 45 minutes, while others* are 6 hours 30 minutes in length?  Bottom line: When it comes to the school day and how the time is spent (or not spent), everyone is asking “Why?”

In a quest to find the answers, Raise Your Hand stumbled upon a hidden gem within the behemoth CPS system – a policy that allows any CPS school to have recess and  a longer lunch period by adding 45 minutes to the typical school day.  

The Mayoral Race is nearing the finishline...

As you know, this Tuesday, February 22nd is Election Day in Chicago. This is a very exciting time in Chicago politics; we will have a new mayor for the first time in 22 years and a dramatically different city council. We urge you to get out and vote this Tuesday.

New Chief Education Officer for CPS

A new Chief Education Officer of of Chicago Public Schools was announced on Friday, February 11.  Charles M. Payne, is now in what is called the number two position in CPS, number one being Terry Mazany. Mr. Payne is a professor at the University of Chicago.  He teaches urban education, school reform and race minority relations. He is also the author of "So Much Reform, So Little Change: The Persistence of Failure in Urban Schools".  The Chief Education Officer position was most recently held by Barbara Eason-Watkins, who left last June to become the superintendent of the Michigan City Indiana public schools. The position has remained vacant since her departure.

Ideally the number one person handles the business end of running CPS, the number two person oversees and directs the academic end of things.  While it is good to see this position filled after months of being vacant, the clock is running out on the Daley administration and positions both one and two will be up for grabs with the swearing in of the next mayor. Payne has said he is on loan form the university and in not interested in the CPS job full time.

Pages