A new superintendent launched the program in response to pressure from the community, which is located near Camp Pendelton Marine Base, says Burgener Principal Linda Goldstein. A lot of families come and go. They felt we needed tougher standards for the 8th-graders. The district enrolls about 21,000. Burgener students get an eight-hour school day, including an hour each of English, writing, math and science.
Students also take a study-skills class and one on building literacy through newspapers.
Second semester, the school carved out an additional hour for reading and another for math. Independent coverage of Chicago school reform since 1989.