Kamala Harris is introducing a bill to extend the school day till 6 p.m.


Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) is lucky that children can't vote in the Democratic primaries.
The presidential hopeful is introducing a bill that would extend the school day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, Mother Jones reports. That might elicit groans from kids, but upon closer review, the bill isn't really making them sit at their desks and learn long division all the way through the afternoon. Instead, Harris is hoping to better accommodate families who are burdened by working hours that don't line up with the typical school day that ends at 3 p.m.
Harris' bill would introduce a pilot program that gives money to 500 schools serving a high proportion of low-income families, Mother Jones reports. Those schools would adjust to the new hours, only closing for weekends, federal holidays, and emergencies, to make it easier for parents to balance work and childcare. The program structure is reportedly purposefully vague and will allow for parents, teachers, and community members to weigh in on best practices during the first year, with the Education Department publishing a review five years into the experiment.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Students reportedly would not have to spend all that extra time in the classroom, and teachers — many of whom are fed up with their long hours and low pay already — would not be forced to extend their workday. Read more at Mother Jones. Tim O'Donnell
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Christian extremism: Taking 'holy war' literally
Feature A self-proclaimed minister shot two lawmakers and kept a 'kill list' targeting Democratic officials and abortion providers
-
Iran: Is regime change possible?
Feature The U.S.-Israeli attack exposed cracks in Iran's regime
-
What to know about private equity in your 401(k)
the explainer BlackRock is making private investments available in employer-sponsored retirement plans
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage