Chicago Mayor pushes for 6 day school week

CBSChicago ^ | 11/20/05 | CBSChicago

[freedom44]

AP) CHICAGO Mayor Richard Daley says he believes Chicago Public Schools students get too much time off.

He says he will push for a six-day school week, a shorter summer break or a longer school day.

Daley made the remarks yesterday when talking to parents at an education conference.

Daley says students also need earlier exposure to foreign languages if the United States is going to compete in the global marketplace.

The mayor says he was inspired to think about the issues while on a trip to China. Chinese students, he says, learn English early in their school career, don't have a summer break and spend more days in school each week than American children.

[bill1952]

Daley says students also need earlier exposure to foreign languages

Hey, dipstick:

Your kids can barely read and write English let alone giving them more to fail at.

[bill1952]

X2.

I marveled at the outright stupidy of most of the students.

[CindyDawg]

Does he work 6 days a week? They need to be more productive with the time they already have. My grandkids go to private school. They usually start about the same time as public but finish in May. They are learning to read and write and speak a second language (Spanish of course) in kindergarten.

[okie01]

I think its a ridiculous idea. If we want better students why not have a tougher curriculum?

Absolutely correct. 20% more politically correct pap, taught by an even more bored and unqualified union member, is unlikely to improve the level of a child's education.

Before Mayor Daley spends anymore taxpayer dollars on education, he would be advised to take steps that assure the dollars already being spent are accomplishing something.

[R_Kangel]

I wonder if anyone has considered which day to have the extra day on.

The choice would be either on the Jewish "Sabbath," Or on the Christian "Lords Day."

I guess it would have to go to a vote.

[Morgan in Denver]

Right. How is he going to overcome the teachers union? LOL Is he really to oppose one of his special interest groups?

[rintense]

IOW, he wants more federal money to throw away.

[festus]

teachers union wont go for it

And so I find myself fighting shoulder to shoulder WITH the teachers unions.

Whats next I side with PETA ? Shudder.

[golfboy]

Maybe they should quit teaching them how to put condoms on a banana and start teaching them how to read/write/do math.
Morons.

[Right_Wing_Madman]

How long has a Daley been running Chicago? For 120 years?

[LibFreeOrDie]

Daley thinks he's going to get the additional money needed for heating, air conditioning, lights, bus fuel,... from where exactly?

[sweetliberty]

The mayor sounds like an idiot.

[ConservativeGreek]

WHAT they are learning that makes them so *** stupid and dumb.

And in many cases, who is teaching it. Adding 20% of additional time for an unqualified teacher to instruct changes nothing except the cost.

[Cheburashka]

Daley thinks he's going to get the additional money needed for heating, air conditioning, lights, bus fuel,... from where exactly?
---
Why, they will just tax the serfs a little harder.
From the tone of your question you would think that a little extra taxation would be a bad thing. Have no fear - the serfs would only spend the money on things that they wanted, whereas the government will spend it on important things.

[freedom44]

Yeah that's a good start.

[Tanniker Smith]

Not necessarily. It depends upon what they are planning to do with that extra day. Will the teachers be needed for more hours, or will there be more teachers to fill those hours?

Frankly, I wish my school was open seven days a week. My students could use the extra sleep.

[Husker24]

The mayor says he was inspired to think about the issues while on a trip to China. Chinese students, he says, learn English early in their school career, don't have a summer break and spend more days in school each week than American children.

English is an international language, for doing business, we already speak it here, enough said.

[keats5]

And here I thought my kids needed more time away from school to learn something.

[jenny29]

Daley has a set on him. Does he realize it's hard enough to get kids to go now, imagine if the kids would have to go six days also give them less days in the summer. AIN'T gonna happen. also anybody who went to any of the schools around Chicago will know that we need help not longer days. Daley is making my point really clear, HE IS AN IDIOT.................. Thank god my child goes to better schools here in Texas.

[SoftballMominVA]

Sounds like he is pushing for something similiar to Japan's school day. The kids there go longer than ours, attend Saturday school and attend more days.

Good luck on selling it to the teacher's unions. Don't see that happening.