kamala harris
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) participates in an interview and question-and-answer session with leaders from historically black colleges and universities during a Thurgood Marshall College Fund event at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, 2019. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

California Sen. Kamala Harris introduced legislation Wednesday that would extend school days in to 6 p.m. in order to better accommodate the schedules of working parents and reduce burdens on low-income families. The legislation is called the "Family Friendly Schools Act" and would push for schools throughout the country to be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The legislation would fill the extended hours at school with activities. Around 70% of parents get off work at 5 p.m., which is two hours after the majority of children get off school. The legislation would offer schools five-year grants of up to $5 million in order to develop new after-school programs.

"I was raised by a single mother – I know firsthand how stressful and costly it is to juggle work and school schedules," Harris, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, tweeted Wednesday. "Justice for students and working families is on the ballot. My Family Friendly Schools Act will give parents more after-school opportunities for their children."

“By investing in before, and after school programming, summer enrichment and 21st Century Community Learning Centers, this legislation addresses a chronic and long-neglected problem: too many working parents can’t access affordable care for their kids during the workday," Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers, said about the legislation.

Conservatives were quick to criticize the proposal. "It won't get much attention, but Kamala Harris' plan to enact a 10-hour school day, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, is both disturbing and revealing," Matt Walsh, a reporter for the right-leaning Daily Wire tweeted. "Democrats are trying to replace the family with the state. That's why they keep extending the amount of time kids spend in school."

Harris has offered other alternative proposals on public education. As San Francisco District Attorney, she supported a program that would prosecute parents whose children were chronically truant from school.

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