Middle School start times

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:^^^ 3rd paragraph should end with "either way". Yes, MS schedule shifts more under C2 but that's kind of the whole point. It's a minor adjustment for the MS years.

Getting out at 4:25 pm doesn’t make sense for middle schoolers - they have more time consuming homework. And they wouldn’t be able to do any sports or activities. That is why E makes more sense - MS will get 30 extra minutes of sleep and still have their after school activities. Many elementary schools are already homework free so those students can get out later.

My middle schooler rarely has homework. They do all their work in class. Do you even have a middle schooler?

My MS kid rarely has homework but he has friends who always have homework. Some kids can’t get the work done in class and have to finish at home. The notices posted on schoology seem to indicate that it is a decent number of kids.

So we are going to ruin school for elementary kids by sending them to school until 4:30 PM, and mess up high school schedules of the kids who have hours of real homework, whose grades actually count for college, and whose sport/musicals/concerts/jobs already finish at 10:00 PM or later, to aapease a small group of middle school parents whose kids screw around in class not doing their (easy) school work, for 2 quick years of inconvenience?

Only this school board could be so short sighted and foolish.

Kids will adjust. It’s only 30 minutes.

Nope.

Guve middle school the schedule that gets them home at 5PM.

Nope. Not gonna happen as they need the after school activities program. Elementary school kids can get home later as they have no homework and no classes they count toward their GPAs. Half the kids are already at SACC or some after school activity.

The issue not being addressed with schedule E is the morning childcare issue now created. Working parents can fork over extra money for before care if they can find it or leave young kids alone at home to walk to the bus stop/school on their own? They should just leave it as is especially since the ES schedule is for 7 years.

I think this is the issue that FCPS purposefully created by only finding E to meet their needs. At this point I'd rather just keep everything the same - which is what they wanted.

[Anonymous]

They won’t shift the times now that most parents are back in the office. Now parents are forced to find before school care and after school.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine many ES teachers would be happy with a school day ending at 4:35.

I would leave. I know of several teachers in my building who would as well. I already commute from another county and it won’t be worth it at that point.

Elementary should be the earliest start time.

Agree. Loudoun does it without an issue.

So you want to have elem kids starting between 7:20-7:30 am. Loudoun parents complain. It’s hell for 6 years there.

Some ES kids in Loudoun are at the school building close to 11 hours, from the 7:30 a.m. start time though Casa pickup at 6. That's an incredibly long day for a 7 year old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine many ES teachers would be happy with a school day ending at 4:35.

I would leave. I know of several teachers in my building who would as well. I already commute from another county and it won’t be worth it at that point.

Elementary should be the earliest start time.

Agree. Loudoun does it without an issue.

So you want to have elem kids starting between 7:20-7:30 am. Loudoun parents complain. It’s hell for 6 years there.

Some ES kids in Loudoun are at the school building close to 11 hours, from the 7:30 a.m. start time though Casa pickup at 6. That's an incredibly long day for a 7 year old.

That’s also true of kids who are at schools that start at 9. They go to SACC both in the morning and the afternoon and stay there from 7AM-6PM. plenty of kids have to deal with this schedule.

[Anonymous]

They could always reallocate their DEI funds to hire more bus drivers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They won’t shift the times now that most parents are back in the office. Now parents are forced to find before school care and after school.

So just like it was for all the years before COVID. That is what it always was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They could always reallocate their DEI funds to hire more bus drivers.

OMG, you’re such clever little troll, aren’t you? Too bad FCPS has been trying that for years including four-figure signing bonuses. It’s a job that requires you to be available for a few hours in the morning, take a long break and then return in the afternoon. Few people want that despite the financial incentives. How ‘bout you apply?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could always reallocate their DEI funds to hire more bus drivers.

OMG, you’re such clever little troll, aren’t you? Too bad FCPS has been trying that for years including four-figure signing bonuses. It’s a job that requires you to be available for a few hours in the morning, take a long break and then return in the afternoon. Few people want that despite the financial incentives. How ‘bout you apply?

If they paid what the average fcps DEI department worker makes (120k) I would!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would people prefer a 9 am start to a 7:30 am start?

Have you met MS kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a MS kid and I prefer they stay the same, the best solution is to get more bus without mess up ES/HS school current schedule. If they must change, I think ES should get the earliest time like 8am, they may be too young to stay home then go to school bus stop/ walk to school, if parents need to go to work ( there may not be enough before care if a lot of people are going back to office), also younger kids have to go to bed early, if they get dismissal at 4:45pm then they arrive home after 5pm, it push their bed then to an hour later. Then MS can get like 8:30am, but frankly speaking, for my MS kid with lot of homework, getting home 1 hour late also push to a later bedtime. For HS they can get 9am, since most HS kids don’t really go to bed early, they’re almost adult and can decide their bedtime.

You think my 14 yr old is almost an adult?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. Many teachers are moms that still have to do their second job of being a housewife after teaching all day. I get home and have to cook and clean and take care of everyone. If I get home at 5 or later there is not going to be enough time. Not to mention getting exercise, but I guess that could get switched to the morning. It’s really not that bad for middle school, but if they insist on changing the schedule, I hope it’s to make elementary schools start early.

What do you think the moms of your students do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ 3rd paragraph should end with "either way". Yes, MS schedule shifts more under C2 but that's kind of the whole point. It's a minor adjustment for the MS years.

Getting out at 4:25 pm doesn’t make sense for middle schoolers - they have more time consuming homework. And they wouldn’t be able to do any sports or activities. That is why E makes more sense - MS will get 30 extra minutes of sleep and still have their after school activities. Many elementary schools are already homework free so those students can get out later.

My middle schooler rarely has homework. They do all their work in class. Do you even have a middle schooler?

My MS kid rarely has homework but he has friends who always have homework. Some kids can’t get the work done in class and have to finish at home. The notices posted on schoology seem to indicate that it is a decent number of kids.

So we are going to ruin school for elementary kids by sending them to school until 4:30 PM, and mess up high school schedules of the kids who have hours of real homework, whose grades actually count for college, and whose sport/musicals/concerts/jobs already finish at 10:00 PM or later, to aapease a small group of middle school parents whose kids screw around in class not doing their (easy) school work, for 2 quick years of inconvenience?

Only this school board could be so short sighted and foolish.

Kids will adjust. It’s only 30 minutes.

Nope.

Guve middle school the schedule that gets them home at 5PM.

Nope. Not gonna happen as they need the after school activities program. Elementary school kids can get home later as they have no homework and no classes they count toward their GPAs. Half the kids are already at SACC or some after school activity.

Middle schools gpas don't matter.

Plus, it is just 2 years.

My kid took Geometry HN in 7th and Algebra II HN in 8th. Some kids do Algebra I HN in 7th and Geometry HN in 8th. Their GPAs count and matter!

[Anonymous]

This is a ridiculous conversation. We have enough resouces as a county to make it so all kids can go to school at times that are not detrimental to their health and learning. Let's see FCPS reallocate budget to fund enough buses at the right times, and recruit the staff needed. There's money being wasted elsewhere to pull for this. Or raise school taxes, I don't care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a ridiculous conversation. We have enough resouces as a county to make it so all kids can go to school at times that are not detrimental to their health and learning. Let's see FCPS reallocate budget to fund enough buses at the right times, and recruit the staff needed. There's money being wasted elsewhere to pull for this. Or raise school taxes, I don't care.

They have over 5 million in their DEI program they can use now.

[Anonymous]

This makes me mad. I've been looking forward to my middle schooler getting more sleep next year. I think it is stupid if they don't implement it for another year. By that time my middle schooler will no longer be in middle school and will have had to get up too early for 2 whole years while they have been studying it. They make everything more complicated than it has to be.