Minneapolis schools shift to longer days to make up for teachers strike
Minneapolis Public Schools (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - As students in Minneapolis prepare for longer instructional days, one high school is asking for an exception.
Starting Monday, 42 minutes will be added to the school day across the district. In addition, two weeks will be added to the school year.
Minneapolis schools shift to longer days to make up for time missed during strike
Starting Monday, Minneapolis students will now be in class for an additional 42 minutes as the district works to make up for missed class time during the strike. But students and teachers at North High say the plan for longer school days doesn't make sense for them.
The plan is part of a return to work agreement reached by Minneapolis Public Schools and representatives for the teacher’s union.
In a letter posted last week, members of North High School’s student council asked the district to reconsider the plan.
"It's not fair and equitable that North High students would have to stay longer and leave later than any other school in the district," the letter said.
Dismissal is 3:30 at North High while at most other schools it is 3 p.m. The school added 30 minutes of instruction a decade ago as part of a plan to raise instructional standards. Now, they say they shouldn’t have to add 42 minutes on top of that.
"If we do the math, we already hit the minutes that are required by the Department of Education," said North High teacher Sarah Spleiss. "Our students are meeting all the requirements, why are we asking to do more."
The district has said the extended days are necessary in order to avoid penalties for not meeting state requirements. Spleiss believes officials made a unilateral rule when individual school schedules should have been considered.
"There’s just a lot that doesn’t make sense and there’s a lot that was looked over," said Spleiss.
A representative with the teacher’s union said they "want to meet the needs of students and families, but the current plan does not do that…. Unfortunately, MPS leaders are digging in their heels on the current language."
A spokesperson did not respond to Fox 9’s request for comment Sunday.