Trib to New Chicago Public Schools Boss: Don’t Slack

by Collin Hitt Some big efforts were begun by Ron Huberman during his time as CEO of Chicago Public Schools.  The Trib editors encouraged his replacement Terry Mazany to keep shouldering those boulders uphill.  I would agree, especially with this one: “There’s a boulder labeled Extending The School Day. Huberman started pilot programs to give...

by Collin Hitt

Some big efforts were begun by Ron Huberman during his time as CEO of Chicago Public Schools.  The Trib editors encouraged his replacement Terry Mazany to keep shouldering those boulders uphill.  I would agree, especially with this one:

“There’s a boulder labeled Extending The School Day. Huberman started pilot programs to give Chicago public school kids an extra 90 minutes of online reading and math instruction in 15 elementary schools by January. Those programs help kids learn at their own pace and should be expanded.”

Using online learning to tackle the intractable challenge of a too-short school day is just one example of how technology is finding answers to old problems. It’s also another example of how special interests like the Chicago Teachers Unions have objected to common sense changes for reasons having nothing to do with improving education.