* Besides the different times posted by each man, do you notice anything odd about these two public schedule announcements? First up, the governor…
CHICAGO - Governor Pat Quinn will join U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and other leaders for a panel discussion about Illinois’ recent historic education reforms.
WHEN: 12:30 p.m.
Now, hizzoner…
Mayor Emanuel will join U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan during his national “Back to School” bus tour to discuss the importance of giving students across Chicago more time in the classroom and a longer school day.
WHEN: 12:15 PM
The guv and the mayor are appearing together, yet neither mentions the other in their announcement. There’ll be a press conference afterward, which will be the first time these two gentlemen have appeared together in public since their falling out over the gaming bill. Hopefully, we’ll have audio.
* And speaking of the gaming bill…
The City Council [yesterday] backed Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s push to get Gov. Pat Quinn to sign off on a major gambling expansion that would bring a casino to Chicago.
One after another stood up to say a casino would bring new jobs and generate $20 million a month or so that Emanuel has pledged to use to rebuild the city.
“Governor, sign this bill, it’s a no brainer,” said Ald. Richard Mell, 33rd, who has long advocated a casino for the city.
* Legislators are also growing weary of the governor’s inaction on the gaming bill and refusal to say exactly what he wants. So, there could be some movement soon…
Unless Quinn outlines his concerns “in short order,” legislative leaders will present him with their own version of a clean-up gaming bill, known as a trailer bill, that will tighten control over the proposed Chicago-owned casino, according to State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), House sponsor of the bill. Other revisions may be coming as well, Lang said.
The options will be limited: Any change risks losing a vote on a bill that was a delicate balance of interests among Chicago, struggling cities such as Danville and Rockford that want new casinos, the horse racing industry and places like Joliet and Aurora where existing casinos fought the increased competition.
An amendatory veto, which would allow Quinn to change the bill and send it back to lawmakers for a re-vote, would be an unwise choice, Lang said.
“Substantial changes would put the speaker in a position of weighing compliance with the (Illinois) constitution on the amendatory veto,” said Lang, who is House Speaker Michael Madigan’s floor leader. “That’s not a good way to go. If the governor thinks we’re going to have substantial changes by way of amendatory veto, I think he’s mistaken.”
* Let’s go back to education for a moment, shall we?…
The Chicago Teachers Union on Thursday filed its first major legal salvo in the battle over a longer school day, charging that Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his education team are waging an illegal campaign to circumvent the union.
CTU President Karen Lewis said Emanuel’s actions amount to a declaration of war.
The union’s complaint with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board came as teachers at a fourth school — Benjamin Mays Elementary in Englewood — voted to waive the existing CTU contract and add 90 more minutes to the school day in exchange for 2 percent raises and other perks.
While the union has a point about Emanuel not having any real plans for how to use a longer school day, if members do end up striking (or trying to strike) they’ll need the backing of parents. And since the longer school day is quite popular in the city, they’d better come up with a much better reason for walking.
* This week, for instance, Ald. Ed Burke, a huge union backer, said “I’m starting to get embarrassed at the attitude of some leaders of organized labor,” over the longer school day topic…
On WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight, Chicago Teachers Union head Karen Lewis replied: “I don’t know what he is embarrassed about. I mean, it’s sort of like Michele Bachmann calling somebody stupid.”
Way to play a game of addition, Ms. Lewis.
*** UPDATE *** I think Gov. Quinn knows exactly how President Lewis feels…
The president of the Chicago Teachers Union says Mayor Rahm Emanuel “exploded” at her during a debate over a longer school day, pointing his finger in her face and cursing.
CTU President made the allegations in a Friday morning press release detailing a complaint filed by the union to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board over the ongoing battle between the union and City Hall.
“A couple of weeks ago I sat down with the mayor in his office to talk about how to roll out a longer school year and what components would go into making it a better school year for our students but he did not want to have that conversation,” said Lewis. “When I explained to him that a longer school day should not be used for warehousing or babysitting our youth he exploded, used profanity, pointed his finger in my face and yelled. At that point the conversation was over — soon thereafter we found ourselves subject to a full-scale propaganda war over a moot point.”
Emanuel was expected to be asked about Lewis’ claims at a school event this morning.
The old Rahm is back.
* Related…
* Chart: How long is your kid’s school day? - Instructional minutes in Illinois’ schools
* Debate over longer day rages at N. Side magnet school - Disney principal ‘hopeful teachers will see this as the right thing to do’
* Arne Duncan: CPS deserves ‘a badge of shame’ for short school day: “Chicago has had the shortest day and year among [large] urban districts for far too long,’’ Duncan told the Chicago Sun-Times in advance of a Friday visit to Schurz High School. “That’s not a badge of honor. That’s a badge of shame.’’
* Warren: Longer School Days Are Just a Start: The staged rollout again left the impression that Emanuel was playing 3-D chess while his union opponent was playing checkers. It even included a title for a new program cum campaign of persuasion: The Longer School Day Pioneers Program.
* Charter Schools Eye Longer Day Incentives
- 47th Ward - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 11:43 am:
===Hopefully, we’ll have audio.===
Warning: not safe for work.
- Fed up - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 11:49 am:
I actually back emanuel on the longer school day. After watching several interviews of Karen Lewis I don’t know why she would imply anyone else is stupid.
- Anonymous - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 12:01 pm:
The best I can say about Quinn’s governance record so far is that he makes Emanuel’s leadership look even better.
“Stupid is as stupid does.” –Forrest Gump
- Jim - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 12:01 pm:
Taking shots at Karen Lewis don’t matter, it’s two things: 1) that the teachers have a bargaining unit and the mayor is going around the unit, 2) CPS was too broke to give a contractual raise (unless CPS can’t afford it) but now they are finding money for the longer school day. It’s a little disingenuous.
- D.P. Gumby - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 12:08 pm:
If CPS got rid of some of the too many high paid administrators as a sign of the good faith and eliminated BS like the Do Not ReHire crap, etc., then CTU might be more willing to consider this as more than just another screwing of the teachers. M-Rahm needs to look at both sides.
- Not capable - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 12:09 pm:
I don’t think Burke is capable of feeling embarrassed.
- so... - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 12:13 pm:
I don’t know if the CTU could find a worse public face for the union than Karen Lewis if they tried.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 12:13 pm:
===If CPS got rid of some of the too many high paid administrators as a sign of the good faith and eliminated BS like the Do Not ReHire crap, etc., then CTU might be more willing to consider this as more than just another screwing of the teachers.===
I don’t necessarily disagree, but focus on that, not on a popular initiative.
- Cook County Commoner - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 12:16 pm:
CTU President Lewis sounds like she could fit right in with the longshoremen presently causing some trouble in Washington state. She and her union should remember that they are entrusted with our nation’s most valuable asset: the education of our future. It’s unfair to place the blame exclusively at the feet of Chicago teachers for public educations system’s failures, but I can’t recall the CTU presenting any meaningful suggestions that wouldn’t cause taxpayers to leave the area. Add now that Ald. Burke and many Chicago aldermen and the mayor are squaring off against the union, Ms. Lewis and her followers should be advised to tread lightly. It’s so unfortunate that a teachers’ union, which enjoys probably the most educated membership of all unions, cannot present plans to improve public education in a method affordable by those who rely on their important services.
- Frost - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 12:20 pm:
Ha! The first think I noticed about the two press notices was that the event was at different times! It’s like Quinn’s already committed on paper to being late!
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 12:22 pm:
I’m of two minds on the lengthening of the school day. A longer day is one method of increasing instructional time for students. However, this is not a panacea by any means. Our students have declining test scores. Outside of the external influences, like family structure and support that teachers can do very little to affect, the curriculum has, IMO, been diluted by several factors.
First among them is “mainstreaming” or whatever the term is now called. Students of varying ability, and various handicaps, are being taught in one classroom at one time. It is difficult, I say, almost impossible to structure a lesson that includes all abilities and handicaps without either losing the higher performing student, the lower performing student, and even the average student.
The second fact is an “integrated curriculum.” Reading teachers are teaching math, science teachers social studies, and all possible permutations of the above. Here again, the efforts to create a holistic approach has diluted the ability to concentrate on a single area of study, and teachers are not well equipped to teach across specialties. This further harms student learning.
Thirdly, the 3 R’s are diluted by what can only be described as political correctness. The plethora of topics that need to be addressed within the curriculum are robbing valuable minutes of instruction in the core competencies that business leaders need, and rob higher learning institutions of the first year of college instruction while they remediate entering students.
Fourthly, students need time to breathe. The kids need time off from school, and should not be burdened with too many minutes in school, nor exorbitant amounts of homework. Similarly, year round instruction does not allow students time to recreate, and plays havoc on family schedules.
Bottom line is that we are nibbling around the edges with the small increments in classroom instruction time. We need to go at the root causes of the declining student performance.
- Responsa - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 12:53 pm:
==First among them is “mainstreaming” or whatever the term is now called. Students of varying ability, and various handicaps, are being taught in one classroom at one time. It is difficult, I say, almost impossible to structure a lesson that includes all abilities and handicaps without either losing the higher performing student, the lower performing student, and even the average student.==
This is a huge issue for many conscientious primary teachers and they will tell you that when they are free to speak privately and candidly. They know that mainstreaming has not well served the broad range of younger students in classrooms. Nobody questions the need for high school “college prep” curriculum, or International Baccalaureate, or “Honors” classes to separate and challenge students at the high end of the achievement scale, but differences in ability and the stress on both students and teachers that creates in the classroom, are ignored in the lower grades.
There are so many places the teachers unions could perform a service, to offer suggestions and platforms for improving student outcomes using the knowledge and expertise of actual teachers. But the unions’ public approach usually seems skewed toward griping about benefits and salaries, and class size, etc. Also, I agree with others who have said that Karen Lewis’ TV appearances and statements hinder, rather than help, the union’s cause at a time when unions are receiving more scrutiny.
- OneMan - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 12:59 pm:
Did the math using the WBEZ number on my school district and CPS, my kids spend 62 more minutes a day in instructional time also 5 more days a year. Doing the math that works out to 12,390 minutes a year more or 33 370 minute school days a year, over 12 years of school that works out to almost two additional years.
Look at the numbers, there does not appear to be any SD lower than CPS in the state, there is one that has the same length of day (in Dolton my home town) but has more attendance days.
- wordslinger - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:10 pm:
Seriously, is it that big of a brain teaser to figure out what to do with 90 extra minutes until some big “plan” is drawn up?
How about a half hour of reading, a half hour of math and a half hour of current events?
It’s a crazy plan, but it just might work.
The longer day is coming to CPS by statute, anyway. The CTU is missing a chance to win one in the court of public opinion by getting on the train before it runs them over.
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:15 pm:
Wordslinger,
Your proposal certainly has more merit than any that would just add minutes across the board to all classes. Student attention runs in 7-20 minute blocks, and diminishes as a time of instruction increases. Longer periods reach a point of diminishing returns.
- OneMan - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:16 pm:
Do not taunt Happy Fun Rahm…
- OneMan - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:22 pm:
But seriously I have to say if Rahm got all up in her face after she said that a longer school day should not be used for warehousing or babysitting our youth I don’t blame him.
It was patronizing to the n degree. Funny most school districts figure how to use the time, I would like to think CPS could to, if not that is just sorry…
- Anonymous - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:28 pm:
“The old Rahm is back.”
Thank God, especially when it comes to dealing with the CTU.
- wordslinger - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:29 pm:
–Student attention runs in 7-20 minute blocks, and diminishes as a time of instruction increases. Longer periods reach a point of diminishing returns. –
Yeah, I’ve noticed kids turning off the TVs, computers and X-Boxes after 7 to 20 minutes. Don’t buy all the studies, dude. I didn’t say a longer school day had to be deadly boring. It shouldn’t be. Challenge them. Kids are crazy competitive.
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:44 pm:
word,
Watch what the kids are watching and doing. Well crafted (hard to use the phrase) shows and games are built around this premise.
- Robert - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:45 pm:
Who sent out the schedule announcement first, Quinn or Rahm? My guess is Quinn, with Rahm reading it, noting his name left off, and firing off his own.
- JW - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:48 pm:
Nobody cares that Rahm and Quinn don’t mention each other, or like each other. It’s an inside baseball story. Last thing on resident’s mind.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:48 pm:
Robert, you’re correct about the timeline.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:49 pm:
JW, you care so little you actually read it and took the time to comment? Huh. Imagine that.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:50 pm:
Also, inside stuff is what I do. If you’re looking for outside stuff, you’re free to move about the blogosphere.
Just sayin…
- dupage dan - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 1:51 pm:
It’s my understanding that the length of the school day in CPS is a chunk less than other districts or the nation in general. I wonder what ALL those other districts are doing? Film strips? The CTU is cutting off their collective faces to spite their faces. Calling Burke stupid only proves the union pres is, well, stupid.
- OneMan - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 2:02 pm:
Using the WBEZ numbers CPS is the second worse in terms of instructional hours per year.
CPS 52,360 minutes, Average for the state 61,890 minutes, or 30 CPS school days a year.
Using the Median isn’t much better it is 61,776 it is still about 30 .
- OneMan - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 2:02 pm:
It would be interesting if someone asks Quinn about the ‘reward’ approach Rahm is using.
- OneMan - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 2:06 pm:
While I have excel and the data handy, the standard dev on the total time in minutes is 3,948 With a average of 61,890 and CPS at 52,360 CPS is two standard deviations off the norm.
- soccermom - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 2:11 pm:
Isn’t school supposed to be where kids learn to stay focused on something longer than 7 minutes?
- Southern Peggy - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 2:13 pm:
I’ll grant that the academic and social concerns in Chicago are obviously different from those outside that area. Generally speaking, however, a longer school day is not good for the children. Kids are put in over-structured environments and pressured to achieve in monkey-training activities at too early an age. (I call it monkey-training b/c our district doesn’t teach math. They train the kids from 1st grade to be fast so they score high on the standardized tests. So, the district gets its money to do the same crap to the next bunch of vict-er, kids.) Teachers will get diminishing returns from the kids if the day is extended. You might be able to keep kids off the streets, but I doubt that scores will improve by much. No reflection on the children or teachers. It’s the nature of youth. The kids in the city need safe and wholesome activities and influences–I know not a new idea, but it’s really what the problem is, isn’t it?
There’s some filler in my kids’ schedules. I think they could get the academics done and be home by 1pm instead of 3.
- Michelle Flaherty - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 2:23 pm:
JW is goofy.
- reformer - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 2:59 pm:
Arne says the short CPS school day is a disgrace. How come it wasn’t a disgrace on his watch? What did he do to change it when he was supt?
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 3:08 pm:
reformer, click the link and see it for yourself. Don’t be so intellectually lazy.
- so... - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 3:12 pm:
==Arne says the short CPS school day is a disgrace. How come it wasn’t a disgrace on his watch? What did he do to change it when he was supt? ==
It kills me to defend Arne, but he was superintendent under Mayor Daley, who placed a high priority on labor peace.
- bored now - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 3:18 pm:
strange, i saw rahm this morning and was struck at how mellow he’d become. i wondered if he’d been getting valium here or something. he looked *very* comfortable, not at all frenetic like he was in washington, d.c…
- Wensicia - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 4:26 pm:
==Student attention runs in 7-20 minute blocks, and diminishes as a time of instruction increases. Longer periods reach a point of diminishing returns.==
Cincinnatus is right, though older students do well with 45 minute periods. Our district has been experimenting with 90 minute block classes in communications and math for middle and high school. The students lose focus before the first hour is up.
“When I explained to him that a longer school day should not be used for warehousing or babysitting our youth he exploded..”
I can’t believe that came out of a teacher’s mouth. The extra time asked for will include instruction, not babysitting. Any teacher saying she’s just babysitting isn’t worthy of the position.
- Esquire - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 4:36 pm:
In a perfect world, I would be one hundred percent in favor of a longer school day, but, as someone who taught in the CPS decades ago, some of the teachers working in those schools deserve combat pay. I am positive that this is what the complaints from the CTU are all about, but code words are being used.
Adding an additional ninety minutes to the school day is not going to turn every underachieving student into a future scholar. The absence of discipline in the CPS makes its classrooms into the “Blackboard Jungle.”
It is not a simple environment for most teachers to survive in, let alone thrive in. Stress levels are high and occasionally violence occurs. I remember having the windows smashed on my car simply because I was the substitute teacher one day.
Rahm Emanuel’s family fled for the suburbs when he was a child, so he knows nothing about the CPS firsthand. This is the one area where Gery Chico was better qualified than Rahm. Chico attended the Chicago Public Schools and headed the Board of Education.
Bashing the teachers is easy to do, but the CPS is unlike most of the other school districts in Illinois.
- Esquire - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 4:37 pm:
Sorry for the sloppy grammar in the preceding post.
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Sep 9, 11 @ 4:44 pm:
Even with a 45 minute time for older students, the teacher is smart if they break the instruction into chunks with some change in activity between.
This discussion almost makes me miss teaching. Almost.