MCPS Proposed changes in bell times - your thoughts

[Anonymous]

I like the idea of shorter Summer breaks as well. This will give more instruction time.

[Anonymous]

I also love the idea of shorter summer breaks. My friends in CA go on a year round calendar with many short breaks built in. I think that is ideal.

And I do NOT want another 30 mins of 'classroom' time for my 6 and 9 year olds. I could support an extra 30 mins if it's for recess or lunch. Maybe for a foreign language, but that is already offered as an after school activity at our school.

Later start times for HS make total sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a first grader and have been terribly disappointed in the quality of MCPS. I strongly support the proposed changes. With respect to elementary school students, I believe that the extra time should be used to lengthen the lunch time. Kids do not have enough time to eat. Even my pediatrician has told me this about when she attends her children's MCPS lunch time. There could also be two shorter recesses.

It is FOOLISH to extend time for so-called learning. Children's brains need exercise and nourishment to learn. Far too many schools keep them inside ALL day and the slightest bit of tiny drizzles keeps them chained to a desk.

I'm not a physician, but these factors cannot be good for young minds.

I also support the later start times for high school students and commend Mandi Mader's activism to keep fighting for this. This county is full of smart people and NIH employees -- when will start listening to science about what adolescent brains need?

Go ahead, fire away, DCUM is full of nasty posters, but these are my beliefs about what I think could potentially elevate MCPS back to the high stature it once had.

No fire here. I completely agree with you, as well as with the PPs who would prefer a shorter summer break.

[Anonymous]

Why don't schools favor shorter summer breaks?

Is it the teacher's union? Do teachers prefer having the longe summers off? I'd guess they'd rather just have more time off during the year so they get more breaks from the kids!

Or is it the summer camp lobby that wants the longer summer??

Seems like a no-brainer to have shorter summers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't schools favor shorter summer breaks?

Is it the teacher's union? Do teachers prefer having the longe summers off? I'd guess they'd rather just have more time off during the year so they get more breaks from the kids!

Or is it the summer camp lobby that wants the longer summer??

Seems like a no-brainer to have shorter summers.

Don't forget lost swimming pool revenue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't schools favor shorter summer breaks?

Is it the teacher's union? Do teachers prefer having the longe summers off? I'd guess they'd rather just have more time off during the year so they get more breaks from the kids!

Or is it the summer camp lobby that wants the longer summer??

Seems like a no-brainer to have shorter summers.

Don't forget lost swimming pool revenue.

Eh, my kids would still get some good swimming time in after school still.

Or, what about just giving kids the entire month of July off? Still time for swimming and summer camps. But the kids are at school all of June and August.

[Anonymous]

I support the Bell time change proposal. I support shortening the summer break, going two extra weeks in June and one or two extra weeks in August. For ES and the 10 minutes extra in MS -- add more time to lunch, my kids almost never have time to finish their lunch and are starving when they get home and it has been this way since K. For ES, the extra 20 minutes after lunch, I support Foreign Language or coding/computer time rather than extra recess but ES should not use recess for extra study time as often as they do and go outside when cold (except freezing). Let the HS sleep in more. BTW, this is not convenient with my schedule but I believe in the best interest of the DCs so I support it!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's all for the good, but maybe not enough change.

ES need more time to inculcate basic knowledge. The best private schools start at 8am and end at 3 or 4pm. Good foreign schools also have longer ES days.

High school - it's time we acknowledged that teens learn better later in the day and need to sleep in.

+1000

Those changes in start times are really small increments. I do like adding 30 mins to school day but agree that even more time would be better. This is a baaaby step in the right direction.

Count me in this camp as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't schools favor shorter summer breaks?

Is it the teacher's union? Do teachers prefer having the longe summers off? I'd guess they'd rather just have more time off during the year so they get more breaks from the kids!

Or is it the summer camp lobby that wants the longer summer??

Seems like a no-brainer to have shorter summers.

Why would YOU prefer shorter summers?

to take care of childcare for two more months?

[Anonymous]

Well, teachers are only currently paid for 10 months, so salary costs would increase for the school system (and therefore taxpayers) by 10% if we added another month to the school year and took only the month of July off....not to mention paying cafeteria workers, paraeducators, bus drivers, attendance secretaries, etc etc who are all only paid hourly for another month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a first grader and have been terribly disappointed in the quality of MCPS. I strongly support the proposed changes. With respect to elementary school students, I believe that the extra time should be used to lengthen the lunch time. Kids do not have enough time to eat. Even my pediatrician has told me this about when she attends her children's MCPS lunch time. There could also be two shorter recesses.

It is FOOLISH to extend time for so-called learning. Children's brains need exercise and nourishment to learn. Far too many schools keep them inside ALL day and the slightest bit of tiny drizzles keeps them chained to a desk.

I'm not a physician, but these factors cannot be good for young minds.

I also support the later start times for high school students and commend Mandi Mader's activism to keep fighting for this. This county is full of smart people and NIH employees -- when will start listening to science about what adolescent brains need?

Go ahead, fire away, DCUM is full of nasty posters, but these are my beliefs about what I think could potentially elevate MCPS back to the high stature it once had.

oh gracious
MCPS does not have any vastly different hours than MOST U.S. public schools

[Anonymous]

MCPS elementary schools: 6 hours 25 minutes.

Howard County elementary schools: 6 hours 30 minutes.

FCPS elementary schools: 6 hours 25 minutes.

The public elementary school I went to: 6 hours 30 minutes.

Which elementary schools in the US have a 6 hour 55 minute day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't schools favor shorter summer breaks?

Is it the teacher's union? Do teachers prefer having the longe summers off? I'd guess they'd rather just have more time off during the year so they get more breaks from the kids!

Or is it the summer camp lobby that wants the longer summer??

Seems like a no-brainer to have shorter summers.

Why would YOU prefer shorter summers?

to take care of childcare for two more months?

I'm the PP and DH is a SAHD, so child are is not an issue for us.

I find that my kids spend a few weeks in Sept relearning/reviewing stuff they did the year before. Plus, haven't there been studies out that show students DO lose some of their knowledge over those two months off?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I find that my kids spend a few weeks in Sept relearning/reviewing stuff they did the year before. Plus, haven't there been studies out that show students DO lose some of their knowledge over those two months off?

Low-SES students do, high-SES students don't -- as I recall.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I'm still shocked every morning I leave the house - very very early, while it's still dark - and realize there's a high school kid standing at the bus stop around the corner from my house. If they're not going to change the start time, they should at least give the kids reflective gear so drivers know they're there! And for him to be out there before I'm even on the road, he's got to be up by no later than 6.

On a more cynical note, I'll give it a 90% likelihood that Dr. Starr authorized this study to appease the masses, temporarily, and has no intention of changing things.