“Esmeralda Martinez, [POWER-PAC IL parent leader and Recess Campaign Co-Chair and] a Little Village resident with three kids, said mandating the 30 minutes was a good decision because sometimes teachers have taken recess away as a punishment. The law will ensure kids get the time they need to relax, she said.

‘They have to have recess because the kids need time to help concentrate for the next class, to be free,’ she said.

[…]

Cassie Creswell, director of Illinois Families for Public Schools, said the law came on the heels of a 15-year push from parents and Communities Organizing for Family Issues (COFI). The group had recess bills in the General Assembly multiple times since 2006 to mandate recess in CPS and all schools throughout the state.

That led to a 2011 state task force that recommended students in kindergarten through 8th grade have 30 minutes of recess each day.”

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