Alexandria Schools Consider More Classroom Time

In Virginia, school board members in Alexandria are considering a plan to extend the school year and lengthen the school day. But many parents are opposed to the idea.

Alexandria School Superintendent Morton Sherman says his teachers don't have enough time with students, so he's created a plan to add more time to each school day and extend the school year before Labor Day.

The superintendent says drastic measures are needed to address pressing problems.

"We know as a community that we are the lowest achieving school division in Northern Virginia," Sherman says.

But many parents are opposed to the idea, like MacArthur Elementary School parent Ryan Donmoyer.

"This will come at the expense of family time, extracurricular activities and rest," Donmoyer says.

Sherman plans to spend the next few weeks finalizing a proposal before presenting the plan to PTA organizations throughout the city. If the Alexandria School Board decides to start the school year before Labor Day, they'll need to approve a waiver application by March.