FCPS appears to be considering adding changing start time to 2026 Rezoning per Board Docs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's rarely really dark at 7 a.m.

7 am sunrises start here in late September, last through DST ending in early November, then start again in late November through mid February. That’s a significant chunk of the school year.

There's significant light before sunrise.

[Anonymous]

A lot could be helped if we could get rid of a lot of the bus rides that go long distances.

Big difference when you have buses driving miles and miles to deliver kids.

They should put AAP in all the middle schools that have the space. If there are some where that is not practical, then make those adjustments.

But, schools like Franklin and Carson should both have AAP centers as there are more than enough kids to justify it.
Seems to me that if the base elementary school has an AAP center, then those kids should be served at the base middle school. Franklin serves Oak Hill, Lees Corner, and Navy and Waples Mill. Navy has a center and Oak Hill has a center that includes Lees Corner. Why did they ever send them to Carson?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They pooh-poohed the idea that the new times would be unpopular with the teachers. Big mistake.

Robin Lady said it would all be fine if teachers had enough advance notice because as needed middle school teachers would switch to teaching high school and vice versa.

Seemed weird to me, to the extent that you'd like to have (1) teacher continuity at a school; and (2) teachers who are prepared and want to teach certain subjects, as opposed to just making decisions around their own commutes and child care situations.

There are different certifications between middle school and high school teachers.

Middle school is only 6th-8th certification.
Secondary is 9th-12th and requires specific subject matter certifications. FCPS can't just move teachers around between levels without paying to train and recertification them.

It is set up in Virginia code.

How on earth does a school board representative not know this???


And whoaaa, is the school board moving high school to the early time slot?!?

Watching the meeting, she did not know this. But when she announced to the board that it was easy during the trial schools to move teachers around, at least one other board member (can't remember which one), said, essentially, that it's good to know teachers won't be an issue because they can just move to another school or another grade if they don't like how start times get changed.

It was pretty crazy. Talk about widespread disruption...

Wait, I thought they cancelled that trial run. Did they actually start doing a trial run in one of the pyramids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They pooh-poohed the idea that the new times would be unpopular with the teachers. Big mistake.

Robin Lady said it would all be fine if teachers had enough advance notice because as needed middle school teachers would switch to teaching high school and vice versa.

Seemed weird to me, to the extent that you'd like to have (1) teacher continuity at a school; and (2) teachers who are prepared and want to teach certain subjects, as opposed to just making decisions around their own commutes and child care situations.

There are different certifications between middle school and high school teachers.

Middle school is only 6th-8th certification.
Secondary is 9th-12th and requires specific subject matter certifications. FCPS can't just move teachers around between levels without paying to train and recertification them.

It is set up in Virginia code.

How on earth does a school board representative not know this???


And whoaaa, is the school board moving high school to the early time slot?!?

Watching the meeting, she did not know this. But when she announced to the board that it was easy during the trial schools to move teachers around, at least one other board member (can't remember which one), said, essentially, that it's good to know teachers won't be an issue because they can just move to another school or another grade if they don't like how start times get changed.

It was pretty crazy. Talk about widespread disruption...

Wait, I thought they cancelled that trial run. Did they actually start doing a trial run in one of the pyramids?

It would seem to me that the leadership of FCPS does not appreciate teachers. I'd love for someone to FOiA how much administration has grown (and cost) since Reid took over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They pooh-poohed the idea that the new times would be unpopular with the teachers. Big mistake.

Robin Lady said it would all be fine if teachers had enough advance notice because as needed middle school teachers would switch to teaching high school and vice versa.

Seemed weird to me, to the extent that you'd like to have (1) teacher continuity at a school; and (2) teachers who are prepared and want to teach certain subjects, as opposed to just making decisions around their own commutes and child care situations.

There are different certifications between middle school and high school teachers.

Middle school is only 6th-8th certification.
Secondary is 9th-12th and requires specific subject matter certifications. FCPS can't just move teachers around between levels without paying to train and recertification them.

It is set up in Virginia code.

How on earth does a school board representative not know this???


And whoaaa, is the school board moving high school to the early time slot?!?

Watching the meeting, she did not know this. But when she announced to the board that it was easy during the trial schools to move teachers around, at least one other board member (can't remember which one), said, essentially, that it's good to know teachers won't be an issue because they can just move to another school or another grade if they don't like how start times get changed.

It was pretty crazy. Talk about widespread disruption...

Wait, I thought they cancelled that trial run. Did they actually start doing a trial run in one of the pyramids?

Color me puzzled. What does it take to start the school year? A building and teachers.
A few weeks ago, people were posting on this forum that their kids did not yet have a schedule. Then, they did not yet have a teacher.
Does this School Board really think that the teachers will freely move around? Many also have families that needed tending to and have chosen certain schools and schedules because of that.
Think of all the parents on these forums complaining about the schedules of the schools and their own work schedules.

For a "progressive" group, this leadership sure seems to have lost the bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They pooh-poohed the idea that the new times would be unpopular with the teachers. Big mistake.

Robin Lady said it would all be fine if teachers had enough advance notice because as needed middle school teachers would switch to teaching high school and vice versa.

Seemed weird to me, to the extent that you'd like to have (1) teacher continuity at a school; and (2) teachers who are prepared and want to teach certain subjects, as opposed to just making decisions around their own commutes and child care situations.

There are different certifications between middle school and high school teachers.

Middle school is only 6th-8th certification.
Secondary is 9th-12th and requires specific subject matter certifications. FCPS can't just move teachers around between levels without paying to train and recertification them.

It is set up in Virginia code.

How on earth does a school board representative not know this???


And whoaaa, is the school board moving high school to the early time slot?!?

Watching the meeting, she did not know this. But when she announced to the board that it was easy during the trial schools to move teachers around, at least one other board member (can't remember which one), said, essentially, that it's good to know teachers won't be an issue because they can just move to another school or another grade if they don't like how start times get changed.

It was pretty crazy. Talk about widespread disruption...

HOW IN THE WORLD DOES OUR SCHOOL BOARD NOT KNOW HOW TEACHER CERTIFICATION WORKS?!?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They pooh-poohed the idea that the new times would be unpopular with the teachers. Big mistake.

Robin Lady said it would all be fine if teachers had enough advance notice because as needed middle school teachers would switch to teaching high school and vice versa.

Seemed weird to me, to the extent that you'd like to have (1) teacher continuity at a school; and (2) teachers who are prepared and want to teach certain subjects, as opposed to just making decisions around their own commutes and child care situations.

There are different certifications between middle school and high school teachers.

Middle school is only 6th-8th certification.
Secondary is 9th-12th and requires specific subject matter certifications. FCPS can't just move teachers around between levels without paying to train and recertification them.

It is set up in Virginia code.

How on earth does a school board representative not know this???


And whoaaa, is the school board moving high school to the early time slot?!?

Watching the meeting, she did not know this. But when she announced to the board that it was easy during the trial schools to move teachers around, at least one other board member (can't remember which one), said, essentially, that it's good to know teachers won't be an issue because they can just move to another school or another grade if they don't like how start times get changed.

It was pretty crazy. Talk about widespread disruption...

Ugh.

Could they be more misinformed?

High school teachers need specific subject certification, including IP, DE and AP certification.

You cannot just move a middle school teacher who has only taught 7th grade science or pre Algebra to a high school and hand over the AP Chem and Calculus classes.

People, please vote differently the next school board election.

The ignorance of our school board is astounding.

[Anonymous]

Are they still working off the scenarios from last spring? The ones that either pushed middle school to a 9:40 start time (C2) or pushed all ES start times an hour later to 9:00-9:50 (E)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They pooh-poohed the idea that the new times would be unpopular with the teachers. Big mistake.

No one is owed a job, so quit, and find something else. There are a lot of unemployed Fed. govt workers who couild fill the gaps. Plus In a year or two, as the economy worsens, there will be plenty of laid off workers eager and recent college grads eager for the cheap benefits and security of a steady paycheck.

Sure. Put in lots of unqualified people. Anyone can teach.

Virginia offers programs that allow those with at least a 4 year degree to apply and if hired qualify for a provisional license to teach.

Why would a recent college grad, who might not have otherwise thought of teaching, but is having trouble finding work, or an applicant with a prior career in the Fed Govt. be automatically unqualified in your view?

Government workers, have to show up on time, conduct themselves professionally, accept rank and file and adhere to and navigate typical govt. bureaucracy. Minus the classroom of unruly kids, sounds like a smooth cultural transition. So if they want to teach, and teachers are needed then what is the problem?

Recent and underemployed grads, bring youth, energy, learn quickly, have probably been exposed in recent memory to excellent teaching and inspired by excellent teachers, so know what it looks like and are more easily moldable than a more senior employee would be.

Teaching is like any other job, you bring some useful skills with you, and you acquire others along the way, and at some point you become a skilled and valued employee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They pooh-poohed the idea that the new times would be unpopular with the teachers. Big mistake.

No one is owed a job, so quit, and find something else. There are a lot of unemployed Fed. govt workers who couild fill the gaps. Plus In a year or two, as the economy worsens, there will be plenty of laid off workers eager and recent college grads eager for the cheap benefits and security of a steady paycheck.

Sure. Put in lots of unqualified people. Anyone can teach.

Virginia offers programs that allow those with at least a 4 year degree to apply and if hired qualify for a provisional license to teach.

Why would a recent college grad, who might not have otherwise thought of teaching, but is having trouble finding work, or an applicant with a prior career in the Fed Govt. be automatically unqualified in your view?

Government workers, have to show up on time, conduct themselves professionally, accept rank and file and adhere to and navigate typical govt. bureaucracy. Minus the classroom of unruly kids, sounds like a smooth cultural transition. So if they want to teach, and teachers are needed then what is the problem?

Recent and underemployed grads, bring youth, energy, learn quickly, have probably been exposed in recent memory to excellent teaching and inspired by excellent teachers, so know what it looks like and are more easily moldable than a more senior employee would be.

Teaching is like any other job, you bring some useful skills with you, and you acquire others along the way, and at some point you become a skilled and valued employee.

Tbh though, I work with numbers for a living, and have no idea what my kids are doing in math. They spend a lot of time on strategies that seem harder than the math problem in front of them....but they don't start teaching the direct way to solve until they are older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They pooh-poohed the idea that the new times would be unpopular with the teachers. Big mistake.

Robin Lady said it would all be fine if teachers had enough advance notice because as needed middle school teachers would switch to teaching high school and vice versa.

Seemed weird to me, to the extent that you'd like to have (1) teacher continuity at a school; and (2) teachers who are prepared and want to teach certain subjects, as opposed to just making decisions around their own commutes and child care situations.

There are different certifications between middle school and high school teachers.

Middle school is only 6th-8th certification.
Secondary is 9th-12th and requires specific subject matter certifications. FCPS can't just move teachers around between levels without paying to train and recertification them.

It is set up in Virginia code.

How on earth does a school board representative not know this???


And whoaaa, is the school board moving high school to the early time slot?!?

Watching the meeting, she did not know this. But when she announced to the board that it was easy during the trial schools to move teachers around, at least one other board member (can't remember which one), said, essentially, that it's good to know teachers won't be an issue because they can just move to another school or another grade if they don't like how start times get changed.

It was pretty crazy. Talk about widespread disruption...

Wait, I thought they cancelled that trial run. Did they actually start doing a trial run in one of the pyramids?

In the board meeting they said they did one but then the other one was canceled. But they seemed to have trouble remembering why it was canceled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They pooh-poohed the idea that the new times would be unpopular with the teachers. Big mistake.

Robin Lady said it would all be fine if teachers had enough advance notice because as needed middle school teachers would switch to teaching high school and vice versa.

Seemed weird to me, to the extent that you'd like to have (1) teacher continuity at a school; and (2) teachers who are prepared and want to teach certain subjects, as opposed to just making decisions around their own commutes and child care situations.

There are different certifications between middle school and high school teachers.

Middle school is only 6th-8th certification.
Secondary is 9th-12th and requires specific subject matter certifications. FCPS can't just move teachers around between levels without paying to train and recertification them.

It is set up in Virginia code.

How on earth does a school board representative not know this???


And whoaaa, is the school board moving high school to the early time slot?!?

Watching the meeting, she did not know this. But when she announced to the board that it was easy during the trial schools to move teachers around, at least one other board member (can't remember which one), said, essentially, that it's good to know teachers won't be an issue because they can just move to another school or another grade if they don't like how start times get changed.

It was pretty crazy. Talk about widespread disruption...

Wait, I thought they cancelled that trial run. Did they actually start doing a trial run in one of the pyramids?

In the board meeting they said they did one but then the other one was canceled. But they seemed to have trouble remembering why it was canceled.

My guess as to why it was cancelled was that they didn't tell teachers about it until after the transfer deadline and there were a whole bunch who wanted to change schools, arrange daycare for their kids, reorder their lives, etc. It's no wonder they had "trouble remembering." To remember would be to admit that it actually DOES have a huge impact on teachers' lives and that it's not as simple as "they'll be fine...they can just find a new position." Imagine your boss told you tomorrow that instead of 8-5 you were suddenly expected to work 10-7. I'm sure you can imagine the changes you would have to make whether it be altering your life or changing your job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They pooh-poohed the idea that the new times would be unpopular with the teachers. Big mistake.

Robin Lady said it would all be fine if teachers had enough advance notice because as needed middle school teachers would switch to teaching high school and vice versa.

Seemed weird to me, to the extent that you'd like to have (1) teacher continuity at a school; and (2) teachers who are prepared and want to teach certain subjects, as opposed to just making decisions around their own commutes and child care situations.

There are different certifications between middle school and high school teachers.

Middle school is only 6th-8th certification.
Secondary is 9th-12th and requires specific subject matter certifications. FCPS can't just move teachers around between levels without paying to train and recertification them.

It is set up in Virginia code.

How on earth does a school board representative not know this???


And whoaaa, is the school board moving high school to the early time slot?!?

Watching the meeting, she did not know this. But when she announced to the board that it was easy during the trial schools to move teachers around, at least one other board member (can't remember which one), said, essentially, that it's good to know teachers won't be an issue because they can just move to another school or another grade if they don't like how start times get changed.

It was pretty crazy. Talk about widespread disruption...

It’s crazy that she didn't know this given that she was a high school director of student services. Utter incompetence.

I’m one of the few teachers at my school that has taught both MS and HS. I liked HS teaching just fine and would go back to it, but many (most?) of my colleagues are proud “middle school people.” Middle school people and high school people are cut from different cloths and tend to have different personalities and skill sets.

[Anonymous]

Do we really need to move MS start times? It's 2 years for most FCPS kids and it's much longer for every teacher impacted by this change. Why are we trying to fix something that isn't truly broken????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do we really need to move MS start times? It's 2 years for most FCPS kids and it's much longer for every teacher impacted by this change. Why are we trying to fix something that isn't truly broken????

I agree that it's not necessary to move MS start times later if it means messing up the elementary and high school schedules. But, MS start times are not ideal. I bet there are a LOT of absences that wouldn't occur if school started even an hour later.

I think, though, that the ideal of matching middle school hours to the high school hours (8-3) is just not feasible. And in that case, just leave them.