A correction has been made to this story

Mayoral candidate Gery Chico has vowed to slash Chicago Public Schools central office by a third if he’s elected. Chico made his announcement while he unveiled his education platform. He said bureaucracy has gone unchecked since he left a post as president of Chicago Public Schools in 2001.

“It’s clear to me that the Chicago Public Schools central administration has become bloated and overgrown again. We need to dismantle it and reconstruct it,” Chico said.

Chico also announced his plan to extend the school day by two hours and the school year by 25 days. His plan includes the introduction of parent academies, as well as the creation of a new post: Parent Advocate General. Chico said such an advocate could help educate parents about their children’s educational options.

Chico also threw his support behind Mayor Richard Daley’s recent appointment of Terry Mazany as interim schools chief for CPS. Chico said he hopes Mazany will move quickly to appoint a Chief Education Officer, a position that CPS has been without since last year when Barbara Eason-Watkins left the position.

An earlier version of this story misstated the end date for Gery Chico’s tenure as CPS school board president 1993. It was 2001.