On Monday 100,000 students started school as Chicago Public Schools moves toward a year-round schedule for all its schools.
On Monday 100,000 students started school as Chicago Public Schools moves toward a year-round schedule for all its schools. “Ultimately, we want all our schools to become year-round and we welcome more schools to do so,” Ron Huberman, chief executive officer for CPS, told the Defender. “We do not mandate that schools operate year round. It is voluntary and up to the principals, parents and community.” Year-round public schools are classified as Track E schools and students who attend these schools generally have better attendance and perform better on standardize tests, Huberman added. “We will continue to push for more Track E schools,” explained Huberman. “Track E schools offer a safer environment and reduces the amount of time teachers have to spend reviewing work with students to get them caught up after the summer break.” Track E schools do not cost the district more money to operate and the students attend school the same amount of days as those who are enrolled in schools on the traditional school year calendar, according to the spokesperson for CPS. Monique Bond, spokesperson for the school district, said each year the Track E calendar starts the second week of August and includes a two-week break in the fall, three weeks for Christmas break and two weeks for Spring break. Non-Track E schools start Sept. 7, the beginning of the traditional school year. All schools end in June on the same day and observe the same holidays. In 2007 when CPS began a Track E calendar, there were 18 schools that participated; the following year there were 41. Last year there were 132; this year 195, according to Bond. Ten high schools joined the calendar this year, including Corliss, Robeson, Tilden, Morgan Park, Team Englewood, and Chicago Agricultural. Several charter schools, including Urban Prep Academy for Young Men, also started on Monday. The South Side, all-boys high school gained national attention earlier this year when its entire senior class was accepted into a four-year college or university, a first for the public school system. To kick off the first day Huberman rang the ceremony bell at John Altgeld Elementary School, 1340 W. 71st St. Joining him were several Black ministers, community activists, Ald. Latasha Thomas (17th), chair of the City Council’s Education Committee, whose ward includes the school, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Miami Heat basketball star Dwyane Wade, a Chicago native. After greeting students eating breakfast in the cafeteria Wade spoke to students and parents. “You guys have a jump on life by starting school early,” said Wade. “And you have the power to do anything so stay in school, study hard and you should do well in life.” Jackson presented a pledge to students and parents. It included a promise from students to attend school each day, strive for excellence, respect the authority of parents and teachers, and read daily. He also charged parents with a pledge to take their child to school, meet the teacher, allow at least three hours of study time at home, pick up their children’s report card every nine weeks, and to take their child to church at least once a week. Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender Photo Caption: Miami Heat basketball star Dwyane Wade stopped by John Altgeld Elementary School on the South Side on Monday to greet students on the first day of school. Altgeld is a Track E school. (Defender/Worsom Robinson)
About Post Author
