Education Advocates Call For Expanded Classroom Learning Time

In an op-ed in the New York Times (8/23, Subscription Publication) Ford Foundation president Luis A. Ubiñas and Chris Gabrieli, chairman of the National Center on Time and Learning, write about the impact that state and Federal budget cuts are likely to have on education in the coming school year, noting that many districts across the country are cutting the amount of time students spend in the classroom. "For all the talk about balancing the budget for the sake of our children, keeping classrooms closed is a perverse way of giving them a brighter future." The writers argue that the traditional school year is based on an agrarian culture, adding that underprivileged families are unable to augment schools' curriculum with tutoring or other supplemental education services. They conclude by calling for "a more comprehensive national effort to make expanded learning time the norm in American education, especially for our neediest students."