Late start time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS starts a bit too late. Even starting at 8:15 would be better for parents who need to be at work by nine. I asked DCPS administrators if there was any consideration to starting a bit earlier. The response was that it is better for some kids to be in school later in the day -- safer and that there is too much trouble kids could get in if they got out of school earlier. While I understand that, it also has to work for everyone else too. Why not 8:15 to 2:50, or 8 to 2:45 and offer a study hall for another hour.

in our DCPS elementary school this year kids are required to be there by 8.30, when the teacher takes them to class, and will be tardy after 8.45. until just a couple of years ago the time was 8.50 and tardy after 9, so it seems that schools, or at least our school, do start earlier. I think 8.30 is fine for elementary kids. I was appalled when friends in Fairfax told me that their kids go to school at 7. they need to get up before 6 to make the bus. when I was a teenager my school started early in my opinion, but it was still at 8am, and I could wake up at 7.30 (used to bike to school). I could not imagine being in class at 7 am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perfectly reasonable to take a 14 year old to school. Not sure why that would be controversial.

It's perfectly reasonable to take a 14-year-old to school, but if parental work schedules don't allow for that, then I'd say it's reasonable for a 14-y-o to get there on his or her own -- much more reasonable than contacting the school to complain about an inconvenient start time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perfectly reasonable to take a 14 year old to school. Not sure why that would be controversial.

It's controversial bc you are suggesting that you wanting to drive your teenager to school, when most kids get themselves there, should trump teenagers getting more sleep, learning during hours that are best for them, and having less time to get in trouble in the afternoon hours. A kid who lives east of the park apand goes to Wilson should not have to get up before dawn to get to school just so your kid doesn't have to walk or take the bus.

[Anonymous]

not only do DC schools start late but w/ breakfast in the classroom and morning meeting they don't start instruction until 9;15

[Anonymous]

Yep, nothing like getting kids acclimated to starting later and later in the day to ensure their unemployability, when bosses need to be able to count on having them there on time so that they can open the doors at their businesses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:not only do DC schools start late but w/ breakfast in the classroom and morning meeting they don't start instruction until 9;15

My DC school has breakfast before 9am. At 9am role is called and instruction begins. No eating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:not only do DC schools start late but w/ breakfast in the classroom and morning meeting they don't start instruction until 9;15

My DC school has breakfast before 9am. At 9am role is called and instruction begins. No eating.

guess you are not a responsive classroom school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perfectly reasonable to take a 14 year old to school. Not sure why that would be controversial.

It's perfectly reasonable to take a 14-year-old to school, but if parental work schedules don't allow for that, then I'd say it's reasonable for a 14-y-o to get there on his or her own -- much more reasonable than contacting the school to complain about an inconvenient start time.

I recall being a sophomore in HS, and I - like the 1,500 other students - would have been humiliated to be driven to and from school by my parents. 14 year olds can handle getting themselves to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:not only do DC schools start late but w/ breakfast in the classroom and morning meeting they don't start instruction until 9;15

My DC school has breakfast before 9am. At 9am role is called and instruction begins. No eating.

guess you are not a responsive classroom school.

1) I thought this thread was about high school. DC elementary schools start earlier than the suburbs, not later.

2) Morning meeting in a responsive classroom school is instruction. There are learning standards woven throughout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perfectly reasonable to take a 14 year old to school. Not sure why that would be controversial.

It's perfectly reasonable to take a 14-year-old to school, but if parental work schedules don't allow for that, then I'd say it's reasonable for a 14-y-o to get there on his or her own -- much more reasonable than contacting the school to complain about an inconvenient start time.

I recall being a sophomore in HS, and I - like the 1,500 other students - would have been humiliated to be driven to and from school by my parents. 14 year olds can handle getting themselves to school.

Oh, give me a break. I took the public bus to school about 1/2 the time, and got a ride the other half because my school was right down the street from my parent's work. My kid walks to school, because it happens to be very close, but if we lived farther I'd drive him. He's got a 12.5 hour day today, with school, study hall, and then a sporting event. If I can make that a little shorter by dropping him on my way to work, I'd do that.

For my particular family, my preference is for an earlier start time. I don't totally trust my kid to get up and out of the house with me gone, he's likely to sleep through an alarm, so he'd be up early anyway. He's also active in sports, which makes for a long day. Pushing back the start time would presumably push back the ending time too. Right now in MCPS he starts at 7:20 or so, and gets home around 6:30 p.m.. Starting at 8:45 would presumably mean he got home around 8:00, which is too late for any family time.

[Anonymous]

Helicopter ride anyone????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perfectly reasonable to take a 14 year old to school. Not sure why that would be controversial.

It's perfectly reasonable to take a 14-year-old to school, but if parental work schedules don't allow for that, then I'd say it's reasonable for a 14-y-o to get there on his or her own -- much more reasonable than contacting the school to complain about an inconvenient start time.

I recall being a sophomore in HS, and I - like the 1,500 other students - would have been humiliated to be driven to and from school by my parents. 14 year olds can handle getting themselves to school.

Oh, give me a break. I took the public bus to school about 1/2 the time, and got a ride the other half because my school was right down the street from my parent's work. My kid walks to school, because it happens to be very close, but if we lived farther I'd drive him. He's got a 12.5 hour day today, with school, study hall, and then a sporting event. If I can make that a little shorter by dropping him on my way to work, I'd do that.

For my particular family, my preference is for an earlier start time. I don't totally trust my kid to get up and out of the house with me gone, he's likely to sleep through an alarm, so he'd be up early anyway. He's also active in sports, which makes for a long day. Pushing back the start time would presumably push back the ending time too. Right now in MCPS he starts at 7:20 or so, and gets home around 6:30 p.m.. Starting at 8:45 would presumably mean he got home around 8:00, which is too late for any family time.

What are you even talking about? You should really stay in MCPS. Teenagers perform best later in the day. Circadian rhythms push them to go to sleep later and later as the days lengthen. There is plenty of time for them to whip into the demands of the work world win they're older--besides the whole concept of a "typical" workday has shifted over the last decade. Many, many people telecommute. PP, your opinion is self centered and out dated, frankly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perfectly reasonable to take a 14 year old to school. Not sure why that would be controversial.

It's perfectly reasonable to take a 14-year-old to school, but if parental work schedules don't allow for that, then I'd say it's reasonable for a 14-y-o to get there on his or her own -- much more reasonable than contacting the school to complain about an inconvenient start time.

I recall being a sophomore in HS, and I - like the 1,500 other students - would have been humiliated to be driven to and from school by my parents. 14 year olds can handle getting themselves to school.

Oh, give me a break. I took the public bus to school about 1/2 the time, and got a ride the other half because my school was right down the street from my parent's work. My kid walks to school, because it happens to be very close, but if we lived farther I'd drive him. He's got a 12.5 hour day today, with school, study hall, and then a sporting event. If I can make that a little shorter by dropping him on my way to work, I'd do that.

For my particular family, my preference is for an earlier start time. I don't totally trust my kid to get up and out of the house with me gone, he's likely to sleep through an alarm, so he'd be up early anyway. He's also active in sports, which makes for a long day. Pushing back the start time would presumably push back the ending time too. Right now in MCPS he starts at 7:20 or so, and gets home around 6:30 p.m.. Starting at 8:45 would presumably mean he got home around 8:00, which is too late for any family time.

What are you even talking about? You should really stay in MCPS. Teenagers perform best later in the day. Circadian rhythms push them to go to sleep later and later as the days lengthen. There is plenty of time for them to whip into the demands of the work world win they're older--besides the whole concept of a "typical" workday has shifted over the last decade. Many, many people telecommute. PP, your opinion is self centered and out dated, frankly.

+1. We're still a ways from HS, but my hope is that the later start will be universal by then. The research on brain development and sleep deprivation is convincing.

[Anonymous]

DCPS is working great for us. They all start their instructional day at 8:45, elem., middle and high school.
All 3 schools want the kids there by 830 at the latest to start at 845.
Public transportation-yes please! And thank you dc city council for the free metro bus program this year, what a great use of budget surplus.

It's all working out great.

For those of you who just want to beat up DCPS...go for it, waste your time, this dcps parent really doesn't care what you have to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perfectly reasonable to take a 14 year old to school. Not sure why that would be controversial.

It's perfectly reasonable to take a 14-year-old to school, but if parental work schedules don't allow for that, then I'd say it's reasonable for a 14-y-o to get there on his or her own -- much more reasonable than contacting the school to complain about an inconvenient start time.

I recall being a sophomore in HS, and I - like the 1,500 other students - would have been humiliated to be driven to and from school by my parents. 14 year olds can handle getting themselves to school.

Oh, give me a break. I took the public bus to school about 1/2 the time, and got a ride the other half because my school was right down the street from my parent's work. My kid walks to school, because it happens to be very close, but if we lived farther I'd drive him. He's got a 12.5 hour day today, with school, study hall, and then a sporting event. If I can make that a little shorter by dropping him on my way to work, I'd do that.

For my particular family, my preference is for an earlier start time. I don't totally trust my kid to get up and out of the house with me gone, he's likely to sleep through an alarm, so he'd be up early anyway. He's also active in sports, which makes for a long day. Pushing back the start time would presumably push back the ending time too. Right now in MCPS he starts at 7:20 or so, and gets home around 6:30 p.m.. Starting at 8:45 would presumably mean he got home around 8:00, which is too late for any family time.

What are you even talking about? You should really stay in MCPS. Teenagers perform best later in the day. Circadian rhythms push them to go to sleep later and later as the days lengthen. There is plenty of time for them to whip into the demands of the work world win they're older--besides the whole concept of a "typical" workday has shifted over the last decade. Many, many people telecommute. PP, your opinion is self centered and out dated, frankly.

I guess that is why DCPS students perform so well in comparison to their suburban counterparts