Senator Kamala Harris has proposed a Family Friendly Schools Act that will increase the duration of the school day to 10 hours.
The extended school day proposed by the presidential hopeful will see children spending more time in their classrooms than with their parents.
The act would create a “pilot program to give schools funds to stay open during the entire workday throughout the school year, as well as to invest over $1 billion to boost summer learning programs,” reported The Hill.
According to Harris, the act would help those parents who find it hard to take care of their kids while working long hours.
“My mother raised my sister and me while working demanding, long hours,” the Democrat said.
“So, I know firsthand that, for many working parents, juggling between school schedules and work schedules is a common cause of stress and financial hardship.
“But, this does not have to be the case. My bill provides an innovative solution that will help reduce the burden of childcare on working families.
“It is time we modernize the school schedule to better meet the needs of our students and their families.”
According to Mother Jones, Harris’ plan is to launch a pilot program to give funds to 500 schools that primarily accommodate the children of low-income families.
The money would be used to develop a school schedule that suits better the work schedule of such parents.
“Each recipient school would receive up to $5 million dollars over five years to keep their doors open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with no closures except for weekends, federal holidays, and emergencies,” the website reads.
“Professional development, parent-teacher conferences, and the like would have to happen, at minimum, alongside a full day of enrichment activities.
“At the end of the five years, the Education Department would publish a report documenting the best practices, as well as changes in parental employment, student performance, and teacher retention rates to be used to inform a future broader program.”
Schools would use the funding to work together with community partners in order to form “high-quality, culturally relevant, linguistically accessible, developmentally appropriate academic, athletic, or enrichment opportunities for students.”
Schools will determine what type of extended school day would be suitable for their particular school population by spending the first year in surveying parents, teachers, and community members.
Co-sponsors of the bill include Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
Harris’ bill was praised for addressing a real problem for working parents by Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers.
“By investing in before, and after school programming, summer enrichment and 21st Century Community Learning Centers, this legislation addresses a chronic and long-neglected problem: too many working parents can’t access affordable care for their kids during the workday,” Weingarten said.
“Roughly one million mothers of elementary school children cut their hours at work because of a lack of affordable child care.
“This bill would enable school districts and communities to find solutions that work for them, and would make sure teachers and paraprofessionals aren’t filling in the gaps without respect and fair compensation.”
Replaced!