Education

Chicago School Parents Fundraise to Lengthen School Day

by Mike Smith

categories: Funding And Cuts, Parent Voices

Published November 27, 2009 @ 10:54AM PT

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Earlier this year, Hawaii announced plans to close schools on Fridays. The furlough days were said to be essential to balance the budget, to ensure that teachers could be retained, and to guarantee that resource funding would not be significantly hit. Chicago is going in the opposite direction.

In the Windy City, the winds of change echo the Obama Administration's desire to expand schooling in terms of quality and also in terms of lengthening the school day and school year. With schools cutting staff, and Hawaii already forced to cut schools days, how can the Chicago school system be in a position to expand time spent in school? Parent power is the mysterious force at work here.

Parents at Disney II Magnet School in Chicago raised more than $35,000 for "gym mats, musical instruments and other extras last year" reports the New York Times, but now they're seeking to raise $100,000 in order to lengthen the school day by one hour. The city's school day are already very short, and expanding the school year across the district would cost $280 million. With the school already facing a $900 million deficit, it's unlikely to be expanded. But some parents want to make it happen, and are trying to raise the necessary $385 per student. It's not realistic in most city schools for parents to be able to raise the necessary money but these parents are working hard to improve the quantity of the education their children are receiving. Might focusing on quality be a better investment?

Photo: Jose Kevo