A White Paper on CPS’ Extended Day Proposal: The Best Education, or Just the Longest? | 4.9.12
Today RYH joined with parents from 15 other community groups at a press conference at city hall to announce our coalition, "Chicago Parents for Quality Education" and to present a white paper to the mayor on what we see as a quality school day for our children.
Here is our press release:
A new city-wide coalition of parents is urging the Mayor to revise plans for an unfunded 7.5 hour day and instead to focus on providing a quality day to all children in all Chicago Public Schools.
Dubbed Chicago Parents for Quality Education, the coalition released a report that challenges the claim that a 7.5-hour day is needed to put CPS on par with other school districts across the nation.
Download here: Best Not Longest FINAL
The coalition asks the Mayor instead to focus on providing a quality day for all children that includes:
A richer curriculum, including art, music, PE, recess, second language language acquisition, social studies and civics and integrated technology.
Expanded support from social workers, psychologists, nurses and other services to meet the social and emotional needs of students.
Smaller class size, especially in early education classes, so children get the attention they need to learn and grow.
Facilities upgrades to repair and improve the crumbling infrastructure in many schools.
An end to high-stakes, standardized testing that penalizes students and schools and cuts into valuable instruction time.
Chicago Parents for Quality Education Member Groups: 19th Ward Parents, Albany Park Neighborhood Council, Black Star Project, Concerned Pioneer Parents for a Better School Day, Communities United for Quality Education/Comunidades Unidas para una Mejor Educacion (CUQE), Gamaliel Metro Chicago, Grimes Fleming Child Advocates, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO,) Lawndale Alliance, Logan Square Neighborhood Association (LSNA), Parent PAC, Parents4Teachers, Progressive Action Coalition for Education, Parents United for Responsible Education (PURE), Raise Your Hand Coalition, Six Point Five to Thrive