Arts Alliance Illinois

On June 13, Governor Pat Quinn signed Senate Bill 7 into law, opening the door for Mayor Rahm Emanuel to change the length of the school day and year in Chicago Public Schools.

Touted as possibly "the most important piece of education legislation ever passed in Illinois," the legislation makes dramatic changes to teacher tenure, hiring and firing practices, and the requirements to strike.

Proponents believe SB7 will benefit students and teachers alike, ensuring every Illinois student is taught by an effective teacher. Critics caution the law curtails teachers' right to negotiate with school districts, especially in Chicago where it will take the support of 75 percent of the Chicago Teachers Union to authorize a strike.

The passage of SB7 also opens the door for Chicago Public Schools to change the length of the school day and year. On the campaign trail, Rahm Emanuel championed a longer school day. Now thanks to SB7, Chicago's new mayor may have the opportunity to pilot in several schools and roll out in all CPS schools by 2012 a longer school day.

Should we have more math, more reading, more history, more arts? That's the kind of healthy debate that we're going to ensure. -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Barbara Radner, director of DePaul University's Center for Urban Education, told the Chicago Tribune that the mayor should use the extra time to restore art and programs that have been removed over the years to focus on improving student test scores in reading and math.

At a time of significant change in Illinois public schools, Governor Pat Quinn made one more change, appointing a new chair to the Illinois State Board of Education: former CPS president and recent Chicago mayoral candidate Gery Chico. During his run for mayor, Chico pledged to "restore the arts to their proper role in every school."

With the emphasis on language arts, math, and science in standardized testing, the fine arts are frequently neglected or -- when budgets are tight -- eliminated. Research demonstrates that the arts are an essential part of a comprehensive education and a rich life; further, students in fine arts perform better on the standardized tests ... Every school [should] have a substantive fine arts program. -- Gery Chico, chair of the Illinois State Board of Education

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Daniel X. O'Neil