MCPS HS Start-times need to be changed

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure its so much the district SIZE but the complicated bus situation. Sure, there's more students that would need to adjust to the new times than in a smaller district, but kids are resilient. But I suspect there would have to be additional buses added to the fleet to compensate for the magnet buses overlapping with ES buses. And as a PP pointed out there would likely have to be some support provided for families whose afternoon childcare plans are upended. None of these things are insurmountable but would require money and a backbone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure its so much the district SIZE but the complicated bus situation. Sure, there's more students that would need to adjust to the new times than in a smaller district, but kids are resilient. But I suspect there would have to be additional buses added to the fleet to compensate for the magnet buses overlapping with ES buses. And as a PP pointed out there would likely have to be some support provided for families whose afternoon childcare plans are upended. None of these things are insurmountable but would require money and a backbone.

It could be phased in to give parents more time to plan. So for example, give parents a year’s notice.
They are talking about buying electric school buses so they could invest in a bigger fleet. Electric school buses cost more up front but cost less to maintain.
MCPS staff needs to figure out how other states or large counties have done it. After-care options could be improved. It cannot be that hard to at least move period 1 to 8 am. Baby steps would be better than nothing

[Anonymous]

It can definitely be done, but people should not underestimate the $$ investment that is necessary by both the school system and community to make it work. Nor should they underestimate the complaints and conversation they will undoubtedly hear from others.

I lived in a medium sized district (~50K kids) that had this schedule and a modified year round calendar. There seemed to be a higher amount of kids in after school care or in camps during the weeks off than I see I my current school. And the cost to attend after school care was like $8-$10/day to parents. That’s versus here where after school care can easily cost parents $500/per week. Also,add as other PP’s have noted, that district had much fewer specialized programs and not all provided transportation.

I’d also note that it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for ES parents getting kids up and out the door to bus stops or to school drop off at the crack of dawn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure its so much the district SIZE but the complicated bus situation. Sure, there's more students that would need to adjust to the new times than in a smaller district, but kids are resilient. But I suspect there would have to be additional buses added to the fleet to compensate for the magnet buses overlapping with ES buses. And as a PP pointed out there would likely have to be some support provided for families whose afternoon childcare plans are upended. None of these things are insurmountable but would require money and a backbone.

It could be phased in to give parents more time to plan. So for example, give parents a year’s notice.
They are talking about buying electric school buses so they could invest in a bigger fleet. Electric school buses cost more up front but cost less to maintain.
MCPS staff needs to figure out how other states or large counties have done it. After-care options could be improved. It cannot be that hard to at least move period 1 to 8 am. Baby steps would be better than nothing

This could be very practical especially if they install solar panels on the roofs.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know someone who can do this and get those who support behind them to present to mcps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is MCPS behind the curve on this important issue. There is so much research on the topic that teenagers need more sleep and that their biological clocks are wired for them to go to bed later and wake up later. CA is requiring all high schools to start no earlier than 8.30 am starting this fall:

https://hhsepitaph.com/12665/news/california-law-requires-new-bell-schedule-with-830-a-m-start-time/

LOL. HS start-times "NEED to be change"? Says who? DCUM warriors?
Man, the arrogance and the entitlement mentality of DCUM karens are incredible.

Read about teen’s circadian clock schedule. You are entitled and arrogant.
The Karen thing is past it’s prime idiot.

Listen Karen, no amount of huffing and puffing on DCUM will make MCPS to change HS start times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know someone who can do this and get those who support behind them to present to mcps?

There will be about 4 of you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is MCPS behind the curve on this important issue. There is so much research on the topic that teenagers need more sleep and that their biological clocks are wired for them to go to bed later and wake up later. CA is requiring all high schools to start no earlier than 8.30 am starting this fall:

https://hhsepitaph.com/12665/news/california-law-requires-new-bell-schedule-with-830-a-m-start-time/

LOL. HS start-times "NEED to be change"? Says who? DCUM warriors?
Man, the arrogance and the entitlement mentality of DCUM karens are incredible.

Read about teen’s circadian clock schedule. You are entitled and arrogant.
The Karen thing is past it’s prime idiot.

Listen Karen, no amount of huffing and puffing on DCUM will make MCPS to change HS start times.

Neither will your comments and your tired “Karen”, loser.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know someone who can do this and get those who support behind them to present to mcps?

There will be about 4 of you

And none of you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know someone who can do this and get those who support behind them to present to mcps?

There will be about 4 of you

Yes, which is why later starts are standard in nearly every state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS moved high school times later. They are as big as MCPS or perhaps bigger

Thank you!!!

Fairfax starts at 8:10. That is 25 minutes later than MCPS, which starts at 7:45. In order to accomplish this, Middle Schools start at 7:30.

If they could do HS and MS with the same, slightly later, times that would be ideal. MS kids can also help with younger siblings.

[Anonymous]

My rising Loudoun County high schooler is looking forward to the 9:30 start next year.

This is the way.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:OP, have you stopped to consider later start time would be an issue with activities and homework? If kids don't get home till 4:30, everything would just be shifted later and kids would go to bed later, so that really doesn't fix anything.

That's funny. My younger kids go to private school and go to bed at reasonable times, even with activities. Late start times are so much healthier for teens. It's not like there is any medical expert who disagrees. It's funny how so many people claim to be concerned about kids' mental health but aren't willing to entertain this universally agreed-upon adjustment that would benefit the health of teenagers.

Younger kids are not high school kids. Your kids are probably not having homework and multiple activities, some twice a night do you don’t get it. They are not healthier. Going to bed at a decent hour is. So, if you had later start times, my kids could not start homework till after nine vs coming home, homework and early dinner then activities.

God you are dumb. Teens have a different biological internal clock. “Going to bed at a decent hour” does not work with their internal clock. Dumb as a box of rocks.

They are not going to upend all the middle and elementary kids’ schedules so your precious, precious high school snowflakes can sleep in. “Dumb as a box of rocks” indeed.

My ES student is generally up by 630am yet school doesn’t start until 930. Does yours go to bed too late? I could see how an earlier bedtime might be inconvenient for you.

You prove the point. Sleep needs change depending on age. And yes, ES students are more likely to up earlier. They also go to bed earlier, have fewer activities, have less homework, and aren't employed. What do your kids do in all of that morning time? Most young kids aren't outside playing in the morning. And earlier start time for younger kids would be more natural for younger kids and allow more time for physical activity after school.

I don't disagree at all- I was responding to the PP not wanting to disrupt the routines of ES and MS students. Perhaps too sarcastically, I apologize. My DC goes to before care because I cannot wait until the 9am bus pickup to go to work.

Well the research that I read says the exact opposite but I get that the OP thinks it would be more convenient for them.

Your “research” states opposing crap from science and what the AAP recommends. I know it’s what is more convenient for you.

The AAP is only considered a viable authority when they tell people what they want to hear. When they said schools should be open during the pandemic, people said they were geniuses. When they said kids should continue to mask in schools, the same people shrieked they were OMG MORONS and parents knew better. Puh-lease.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Everyone who is proposing "one simple answer" to this problem really needs to read the bell times study from a few years ago and address the barriers in that document.

If you have "one simple fix" that simultaneously moves HS bell times later AND addresses the logistical/financial challenges laid out in the report, please bring it to the school board.

I remember reading this document, and didn't really think the identified barriers were insurmountable. Rather, a general laziness to tackle anything complex. I remember childcare coming up in such that older siblings were needed in the afternoon to watch their siblings in ES. But many of these same families would also have childcare issues in the AM with the existing schedule with ES starting so late. An early ES start would reduce the number of families needing childcare in the AM, and MCPS could consider expanded subsidized aftercare options for low-income families in the afternoon. YES it would cost some $$ but I am not opposed to investing in something that would overall be beneficial.

All I know is as soon as they change this the same people will start complaining that they need to go back to the previous method. Basically, there's no pleasing most of these people anyway.

Well yeah, there will be people that disagree no matter what. That doesn't mean we should cling to the status quo that flies in the face of what is best for teens. I'll be curious to see how this goes in CA and if it gains traction elsewhere.

It’s not going to change, but feel free to move somewhere it exists or continue wasting your time holding your breath. Shrug.

[Anonymous]

Haven’t read all this but I have heard that one reason has to do with equity. Poor families rely on big siblings to pick up little siblings from the bus and take care of them for the afternoon. Or they work after school.

Everyone knows it’d be better for the big kids to start later than the littles. And the irritating posters who say, just enforce earlier bedtimes, clearly don’t have teens themselves yet. It’s not that simple when their brains seem to “wake up” around 9 pm and they are just getting home from sports/music etc at 7 after a full day.

I hope MCPS considers doing this!