Plans for longer school day in Chicago scaled back

From The Chicago Tribune: Under pressure from parents groups opposed to a 7½-hour school day, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says he is scaling back his proposal to a 7-hour day for public elementary schools. The school day next fall would still be more than an hour longer than the current 5-hour, 45-minute day for most elementary schools. But it's a departure from Emanuel's stated goal of making the school day in Chicago public schools among the longest in the United States.

JANUARY 2012...from The Chicago Sun-Times: The Chicago Public School system for the first time is saying exactly what it wants the next school year's longer day to look like. According to guidelines that are being presented to principals, a school day for elementary students will have 54 minutes of additional face time with teachers, and specific minimum times spent on subjects such as literacy, math, science and social studies. The guidelines also ensure recess for all elementary students,