Mount Greenwood parents object to longer school day
By Steve Metsch smetsch@southtownstar.com January 27, 2012 9:26PM
Becky Malone (left) and Christine McGovern pictured outside Mount Greenwood Elementary School, 10841 S. Homan Ave., in Chicago Thursday, January 26, 2012. Both have children enrolled in the school and they are among many parents who oppose Mayor Rahm Emanuel's idea of a 7 1/2-hour school day. | Brett Roseman~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 1, 2012 8:09AM
Most parents with children in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood Elementary School, 10841 S. Homan Ave., like their school day the way it is.
They do not want their children in school 7.5 hours a day, as proposed by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to improve test scores and offer some students a safe haven.
Children start at 8 a.m. and the school day ends at 1:45 p.m. That gives them plenty of time in school, parents Becky Malone and Christine McGovern said.
They are not alone in their opposition.
More than 500 Mount Greenwood parents have signed a petition opposing Emanuel’s plan, while only 13 support it, Malone said.
And they are not the only opponents.
On a website called “6.5 to Thrive,” 1,115 parents from around the city have signed an online petition opposing longer days starting with the 2012-13 school year.
“Our issue is we want to get our voice out there that every community in Chicago is not the same. Everyone has different needs. We do not want our kids in school for seven and one-half hours,” McGovern said.
Students at Mount Greenwood Elementary have other interests after school such as community sports, park district events, classes at the Beverly Arts Center or simply time at home, McGovern said.
“Family time is important to us,” said McGovern, who has one child in the school.
Two representatives of the Chicago Public Schools discussed the plan at a community meeting Tuesday night, Malone said.
“They didn’t really tell us a whole lot. We got the standard answers,” she said.
It’s not that Mount Greenwood parents are entirely opposed to more time spent learning.
“We all want a better school day. We’re not opposed to a little longer day. That won’t hurt (the students),” Malone said.
Adding 45 minutes to the day, she said, would be more tolerable. That would get students out of school at 2:30 p.m. instead 3:30 p.m.
“What they’re mandating is an extended lunch and recess, and also having teachers take a 45-minute, duty-free lunch, so we’ll have to hire people to watch the kids at lunch. There’s not enough staff to cover the kids during the down times. We’re going to have to hire people. Where’s that money coming from?” said Malone, who has two children enrolled at the school.
More information will be available at a community meeting set for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Mount Greenwood branch of the Chicago Public Library, 11010 S. Kedzie Ave. A representative of the Chicago Teachers Union will be there to answer questions.
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