MCPS High School 7:45am for teens is to early

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish parents could attend period 1 at MCPS high schools for 1 week.
They would change their tune quickly.
I’m a HS teacher and don’t mind the early start as I am an early riser.
But I feel terrible for my students. First period is so different from my other classes. Half the students arrive late. They trickle in all throughout period 1.
The remaining kids are either half or fully asleep. Most states have moved high school start times to 8 am or later but MCPS is not progressive in this regard

+100. Another HS teacher here. I teach on-level physics and chemistry at a very diverse school and I often only have 4 students out of 30 at the start of period 1. By the end of period 1, maybe we are at 15-20 students max out of 30. Period 1 starting at 7.45 am does not work. It is a wasted period.

What has changed, other than the internet and social media, since the 1990s? My high school started at 7:45. With the exceptions of late busses, trains, or crazy traffic, everyone was there at 7:45. And no, half the class wasn’t asleep in 1st period. So why are 2023 teens unable to do this but 1990s/2000s teens were?

Well, since the 1990s, kids have been getting less healthy, more obese, depressed, and anxious - and that was before social media. It's not about whether they are able to get up, but whether that is best for their health and learning.

And to the person who said that they need to get ready for the real work world, when they are in the real world, they won't be teens anymore, meaning that their sleep needs will be different.

Bussing logistics and money are reasons why start times haven't changed. However, if you are against changing for any other reason, you are ignoring unanimous agreement from experts that later start times are healthier.

I don't live in Montgomery County, but in my county, the high school start time doesn't even tell the full story of how early teens are forced to get up. My kid has a 7:25 a.m. start time, which required him to be at the bus stop at 6:25. The bus got them to school between 6:50 and 7:00 a.m. so that the driver could leave to pick up middle school kids who had a 7:40 start time. Basically, kids have wasted time spent milling about outside in the earning morning simply to save money on buses. They aren't working, exercising, or learning - just killing time before school and spending their days exhausted.

Or, you could just drive your kids to school. Seems simple enough to me. Surely you could drive your kid.. or are you the lazy one?

Your kids may not be doing much but some of our kids are. My kids have activities every day right after school so a later start time would be an issue with getting them to activities on time, then homework, shower, dinner and bed. Just because you have an issue in your home you refuse to fix, does not mean the rest of us should cater to you.

Really, drive your kid.

Why are you even posting here if it has no impact on your child if they aren't MCPS? The issue isn't the same here as what you are saying. Kids aren't going to school early.

Activities could shift to before school. Those are optional. School is not and should be at a time that prioritizes the well-being of students.

Activities are largely run by teachers, often those who have children of their own. What are they going to do with their babies, preschoolers, and ES kids at 4:30 AM?

If school started at 9:25 as the late-starting ES do now, you could have activities start at 8, which is later than teachers start teaching now. Sports would start earlier with of course paid coaches.

Obviously it can be done. Other school districts do, as does the entire state of CA. MCPS just chooses not to do it.

Many kids are in outside activities so how would that work when coaches and others have other jobs? And, if you have activities early that is the same thing as school early. This is not CA. CA is very different than MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish parents could attend period 1 at MCPS high schools for 1 week.
They would change their tune quickly.
I’m a HS teacher and don’t mind the early start as I am an early riser.
But I feel terrible for my students. First period is so different from my other classes. Half the students arrive late. They trickle in all throughout period 1.
The remaining kids are either half or fully asleep. Most states have moved high school start times to 8 am or later but MCPS is not progressive in this regard

+100. Another HS teacher here. I teach on-level physics and chemistry at a very diverse school and I often only have 4 students out of 30 at the start of period 1. By the end of period 1, maybe we are at 15-20 students max out of 30. Period 1 starting at 7.45 am does not work. It is a wasted period.

What has changed, other than the internet and social media, since the 1990s? My high school started at 7:45. With the exceptions of late busses, trains, or crazy traffic, everyone was there at 7:45. And no, half the class wasn’t asleep in 1st period. So why are 2023 teens unable to do this but 1990s/2000s teens were?

Well, since the 1990s, kids have been getting less healthy, more obese, depressed, and anxious - and that was before social media. It's not about whether they are able to get up, but whether that is best for their health and learning.

And to the person who said that they need to get ready for the real work world, when they are in the real world, they won't be teens anymore, meaning that their sleep needs will be different.

Bussing logistics and money are reasons why start times haven't changed. However, if you are against changing for any other reason, you are ignoring unanimous agreement from experts that later start times are healthier.

I don't live in Montgomery County, but in my county, the high school start time doesn't even tell the full story of how early teens are forced to get up. My kid has a 7:25 a.m. start time, which required him to be at the bus stop at 6:25. The bus got them to school between 6:50 and 7:00 a.m. so that the driver could leave to pick up middle school kids who had a 7:40 start time. Basically, kids have wasted time spent milling about outside in the earning morning simply to save money on buses. They aren't working, exercising, or learning - just killing time before school and spending their days exhausted.

Or, you could just drive your kids to school. Seems simple enough to me. Surely you could drive your kid.. or are you the lazy one?

Your kids may not be doing much but some of our kids are. My kids have activities every day right after school so a later start time would be an issue with getting them to activities on time, then homework, shower, dinner and bed. Just because you have an issue in your home you refuse to fix, does not mean the rest of us should cater to you.

Really, drive your kid.

Why are you even posting here if it has no impact on your child if they aren't MCPS? The issue isn't the same here as what you are saying. Kids aren't going to school early.

Activities could shift to before school. Those are optional. School is not and should be at a time that prioritizes the well-being of students.

Activities are largely run by teachers, often those who have children of their own. What are they going to do with their babies, preschoolers, and ES kids at 4:30 AM?

If school started at 9:25 as the late-starting ES do now, you could have activities start at 8, which is later than teachers start teaching now. Sports would start earlier with of course paid coaches.

Obviously it can be done. Other school districts do, as does the entire state of CA. MCPS just chooses not to do it.

Many kids are in outside activities so how would that work when coaches and others have other jobs? And, if you have activities early that is the same thing as school early. This is not CA. CA is very different than MCPS.

Outside activities would adjust. Again, those are optional. School is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish parents could attend period 1 at MCPS high schools for 1 week.
They would change their tune quickly.
I’m a HS teacher and don’t mind the early start as I am an early riser.
But I feel terrible for my students. First period is so different from my other classes. Half the students arrive late. They trickle in all throughout period 1.
The remaining kids are either half or fully asleep. Most states have moved high school start times to 8 am or later but MCPS is not progressive in this regard

+100. Another HS teacher here. I teach on-level physics and chemistry at a very diverse school and I often only have 4 students out of 30 at the start of period 1. By the end of period 1, maybe we are at 15-20 students max out of 30. Period 1 starting at 7.45 am does not work. It is a wasted period.

What has changed, other than the internet and social media, since the 1990s? My high school started at 7:45. With the exceptions of late busses, trains, or crazy traffic, everyone was there at 7:45. And no, half the class wasn’t asleep in 1st period. So why are 2023 teens unable to do this but 1990s/2000s teens were?

Well, since the 1990s, kids have been getting less healthy, more obese, depressed, and anxious - and that was before social media. It's not about whether they are able to get up, but whether that is best for their health and learning.

And to the person who said that they need to get ready for the real work world, when they are in the real world, they won't be teens anymore, meaning that their sleep needs will be different.

Bussing logistics and money are reasons why start times haven't changed. However, if you are against changing for any other reason, you are ignoring unanimous agreement from experts that later start times are healthier.

I don't live in Montgomery County, but in my county, the high school start time doesn't even tell the full story of how early teens are forced to get up. My kid has a 7:25 a.m. start time, which required him to be at the bus stop at 6:25. The bus got them to school between 6:50 and 7:00 a.m. so that the driver could leave to pick up middle school kids who had a 7:40 start time. Basically, kids have wasted time spent milling about outside in the earning morning simply to save money on buses. They aren't working, exercising, or learning - just killing time before school and spending their days exhausted.

Or, you could just drive your kids to school. Seems simple enough to me. Surely you could drive your kid.. or are you the lazy one?

Your kids may not be doing much but some of our kids are. My kids have activities every day right after school so a later start time would be an issue with getting them to activities on time, then homework, shower, dinner and bed. Just because you have an issue in your home you refuse to fix, does not mean the rest of us should cater to you.

Really, drive your kid.

Why are you even posting here if it has no impact on your child if they aren't MCPS? The issue isn't the same here as what you are saying. Kids aren't going to school early.

Activities could shift to before school. Those are optional. School is not and should be at a time that prioritizes the well-being of students.

Activities are largely run by teachers, often those who have children of their own. What are they going to do with their babies, preschoolers, and ES kids at 4:30 AM?

If school started at 9:25 as the late-starting ES do now, you could have activities start at 8, which is later than teachers start teaching now. Sports would start earlier with of course paid coaches.

Obviously it can be done. Other school districts do, as does the entire state of CA. MCPS just chooses not to do it.

Activity buses can’t run for an 8 am start if elementary schools are starting then.

Plus the implications of 7 (because you need two hours) am football when kids don’t shower at school any more is terrifying.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't Loudon county do this? How does it work there?

[Anonymous]

Seems like another argument for splitting up MCPS into smaller districts. Easier to coordinate buses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't Loudon county do this? How does it work there?

terribly but you can't please everyone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like another argument for splitting up MCPS into smaller districts. Easier to coordinate buses.

another chestnut that is a terrible idea and also can never happen despite the right-wing fan-fictions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't Loudon county do this? How does it work there?

By all means, feel free to move to Loudon County

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like another argument for splitting up MCPS into smaller districts. Easier to coordinate buses.

A brighter moon would help, too. Brighter moon now!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like another argument for splitting up MCPS into smaller districts. Easier to coordinate buses.

A brighter moon would help, too. Brighter moon now!

Many of the pro-segregation posters lobby for splitting up the county in the hope they can gerrymander boundaries and exclude low-income families from their area. It's as short-sighted as it is illegal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't Loudon county do this? How does it work there?

By all means, feel free to move to Loudon County

If only all these cranks would just move we could stop having these same discussions over and over and focus on useful matters.

[Anonymous]

One of the worst impulses on this board (and the internet in general) is for folks to pick up a complicated issue and offer extremely simple solutions as though they are the first ones to consider those solutions.

I call it "They should just...." syndrome.

"They should just" split MCPS into multiple districts.

"They should just" swap ES and HS start times.

Never mind that the first would require a state constitutional amendment and the second was examined at great costs a few years back and determined to be infeasible.

We could have much better discussions and maybe find better solutions for advocacy if people would just take a minute to do some research as to why their simple suggestion is much more complicated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like another argument for splitting up MCPS into smaller districts. Easier to coordinate buses.

How would that help. You still need the same number or more buses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the worst impulses on this board (and the internet in general) is for folks to pick up a complicated issue and offer extremely simple solutions as though they are the first ones to consider those solutions.

I call it "They should just...." syndrome.

"They should just" split MCPS into multiple districts.

"They should just" swap ES and HS start times.

Never mind that the first would require a state constitutional amendment and the second was examined at great costs a few years back and determined to be infeasible.

We could have much better discussions and maybe find better solutions for advocacy if people would just take a minute to do some research as to why their simple suggestion is much more complicated.

They need something new to complain about as they can no longer complain about Covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seems like another argument for splitting up MCPS into smaller districts. Easier to coordinate buses.

How would that help. You still need the same number or more buses.

You wouldn't because fewer students would be traveling, and fewer as far.