Longer School Days: Why We Shouldn't Make School Days Longer We've all seen the debate in the news, no matter what part of Illinois you live in, regardless of whether the Chicago public Schools should lengthen the school day. An online forum states that Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard promised during a meeting to add 90 minutes to each school day and two weeks to the school year by the fall of 2012. (Erbentraut J. 2011) The Chicago Public School Board of Education, the CPS teachers union, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel must consider the effects that extending the school day by an additional 90 minutes will have on students, parents, teachers, and the school community. Extending the school day will have several negative outcomes, including: student time management, attendance, teacher workload relative to pay received, and an increase in the already high taxes Chicagoans pay. As an alternative to lengthening the school day, there should be stricter laws and sanctions against unjustified absences and sanctions for parents who do not take responsibility for their children. “Research has shown that the amount of learning is a function of ability, effort, time and the quality of resources. Engagement is a student-determined variable, and motivations for students, whether extrinsic or intrinsic, are found in all aspects of a child's life, both in and out of school. (Levin,1984). Students these days already struggle to find the right balance between school, extracurricular activities, athletics, homework, relationships and family. Adding another 90 minutes a day throws off this balance. Students should have a say in how they manage their time and the stress and pressures that time constraints place on them. In an online forum called “Teen Ink” written by a...... medium of paper......w.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/23/chicago-board-of-educatio_n_934333.htmlGuzzardi , W (2010, August 25). Ten Chicago Neighborhoods With the Highest Property Taxes [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/25/ten-chicago-neighborhoods_n_694851.htmlKarp, S. (2011, October 27). Charters line up for cash for extended days. Chicago Catalyst. Retrieved from http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/notebook/2011/10/27/charters-line-extended-day-cashLevin, H. M., & Stanford Univ., C. e. (1984). Timing instructions: a reform whose time has come? IFG Policy Perspectives. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Spielman, F. (2011, August 30). Emanuel: I look forward to the 'high class debate' during the longest school day. Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved from http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/7367519-418/emanuel-i-cant-wait-for-high-class-debate-on-longer-school-day.html