News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 7th, 2013
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Bailey Nuckols Director of Media Relations 317-555-6798 (daytime), 317-555-6543 (evening) bnpubrel@gmail.com
Mayor Emanuel Announces Longer School Day Initiative for Chicago Public Schools CHICAGO- Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, will speak at Northside neighborhood, Lincoln Park’s Mayer Middle School this Friday morning to announce the newly formed initiative that will work towards lengthening the entire district’s school day. These efforts are in attempts to reintroduce mandatory physical education and recess periods for all middle and elementary grade level Chicago Public Schools. A heightened pressure to perform academically over the past 20 years has caused most schools within CPS to cut recess and physical education classes entirely, all in order to squeeze in more instructional time, hoping to produce better test performances. “Teachers, principals, parents and students alike currently have no other option than to choose between social studies versus science; math versus music; reading versus recess,” Emanuel says. “Mandating a longer school day will directly eliminate the need to make those tough and unnecessary choices between equally important activities.” The motivation behind reintegrating recess and physical education classes back into schools’ daily routine has been not only warranted by the Mayors support, but also by many other momentums. First off, the nation's childhood obesity epidemic has cast a needed spotlight on childhood health. Secondly, new studies based on brain research have drawn undeniable links between physical activity and learning productivity. Lastly
Emanuel CPS Recess Initiative - 2 -moreeducation equality is a factor, the trend to take away recess has hit urban, lower class school systems most profoundly, and as a result those students are suffering the most severe consequences. These three problems can be remedied by the proposal being made next Friday morning. Currently, Chicago operates one of the shortest school days within the entire country at a mere five hours and 30 minutes a day. The initiative being presented will try and lengthen the day by one and one half hours, totaling out to be more on target with the nation’s average at seven hours a day. Mayer Middle School 3rd grade teacher writes, “Teachers, parents, and students together are fighting for this change. Our collective goal is to foster healthy and intelligent student bodies. In order to achieve those goals the students need the daily opportunity set aside for physical activities, which also has proven to cultivate better engagement within the classroom’s academic subjects.” Action for Healthy Kids, a local organization dedicated to childhood health, says among Chicago only 8% of elementary school students and 6% of middle school students have daily physical activity. This initiative will raise that number to 100%. Unlike previous legislation, which granted school-by-school discretion, recess and or physical education class will be mandatory for every public middle and elementary school throughout the entire city of Chicago. Mayor Emanuel will speak at promptly at 8 a.m. in the Mayer Middle School’s auditorium. Parking will be available on site and a question answer session will ensue immediately following the proposal.
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