CPS chief again pushes longer school day

Chicago Public Schools chief Jean-Claude Brizard continues to push for a longer school day as he talks about ways to reform the district.

Brizard took his push to a civic club on Tuesday when he addressed the City Club of Chicago. Working to get a longer school day was a campaign promise by new Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

The school system wants to increase the school day by 90 minutes. It has been talking to the teachers union to try to resolve the issue but teachers have turned down a 2 percent raise in exchange for the extra work. The district already voted to rescind raises promised to teachers in their last contract.

Brizard says the system has had great pockets of success but it’s not system-wide.