APS Block Schedule - 90 minute core classes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how is any of this related to a block schedule

HB haters were pissed that HB doesn't have a block schedule. Basically they are pissed at anything related to HB.

Its just ridiculous that the HB benefits from the shorter class periods while no other school has that option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how is any of this related to a block schedule

HB haters were pissed that HB doesn't have a block schedule. Basically they are pissed at anything related to HB.

Its just ridiculous that the HB benefits from the shorter class periods while no other school has that option.

Clearly, it is debatable whether they "benefit" from shorter daily class periods. If it weren't debatable, we wouldn't have this exchange with different opinions about block scheduling.
I've asked one of my kids their thoughts on block scheduling and regarding block scheduling v. daily classes. They had no opinion one way or another, including no opinion one way or another about block scheduling itself. They had no complaints about it. And I assure you, this child can find something negative to complain about with just about everything, especially having to sit 90 minutes in a math class. This child has also noted in the past that 90 minutes in a class they don't like is tough, but that a positive trade-off is that they don't have to have that subject every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how is any of this related to a block schedule

HB haters were pissed that HB doesn't have a block schedule. Basically they are pissed at anything related to HB.

Its just ridiculous that the HB benefits from the shorter class periods while no other school has that option.

Okay, well that also means HB students don't get to benefit from whatever advantages posters have talked about with block scheduling.

No one can have it both ways. Calm down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some serious sour grapes. Sorry your kid didn't get in.

Whatever, what I'm upset about is the supersizing of WL and the overcrowding of the rest of the schools -- that's the root cause of why so many people are desperate to get into HBW.

If the schools were all treated equitably there wouldn't be an sour grapes. We need a 4th high school FFS.

Sure sounds like you're irrationally angry that the program that you pushed out of an old building got a new building.

You are confusing “new” with “needlessly expensive”. Not the same thing, but you know that are being deliberately obtuse.

The building is the building that APS built. Not HB's choice.

Don't blame HB for being in the building that YOU pushed them into. That could have been a fancy neighborhood ES or MS.

But IT IS HBs choice to not accept increasing the program size to relieve overcrowding at other high schools. They demand that it is incompatible with their program.

OK. So now you're mad at the school size? Not the new fancy building? Trying to keep up here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:how is any of this related to a block schedule

HB haters were pissed that HB doesn't have a block schedule. Basically they are pissed at anything related to HB.

Its just ridiculous that the HB benefits from the shorter class periods while no other school has that option.

Okay, well that also means HB students don't get to benefit from whatever advantages posters have talked about with block scheduling.

No one can have it both ways. Calm down.

+1

Block scheduling is way better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some serious sour grapes. Sorry your kid didn't get in.

Whatever, what I'm upset about is the supersizing of WL and the overcrowding of the rest of the schools -- that's the root cause of why so many people are desperate to get into HBW.

If the schools were all treated equitably there wouldn't be an sour grapes. We need a 4th high school FFS.

Sure sounds like you're irrationally angry that the program that you pushed out of an old building got a new building.

You are confusing “new” with “needlessly expensive”. Not the same thing, but you know that are being deliberately obtuse.

The building is the building that APS built. Not HB's choice.

Don't blame HB for being in the building that YOU pushed them into. That could have been a fancy neighborhood ES or MS.

But IT IS HBs choice to not accept increasing the program size to relieve overcrowding at other high schools. They demand that it is incompatible with their program.

OK. So now you're mad at the school size? Not the new fancy building? Trying to keep up here.

Yeah, what does the size and overcrowding have to do with block schedules? Am not following.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some serious sour grapes. Sorry your kid didn't get in.

Whatever, what I'm upset about is the supersizing of WL and the overcrowding of the rest of the schools -- that's the root cause of why so many people are desperate to get into HBW.

If the schools were all treated equitably there wouldn't be an sour grapes. We need a 4th high school FFS.

Sure sounds like you're irrationally angry that the program that you pushed out of an old building got a new building.

You are confusing “new” with “needlessly expensive”. Not the same thing, but you know that are being deliberately obtuse.

The building is the building that APS built. Not HB's choice.

Don't blame HB for being in the building that YOU pushed them into. That could have been a fancy neighborhood ES or MS.

But IT IS HBs choice to not accept increasing the program size to relieve overcrowding at other high schools. They demand that it is incompatible with their program.

OK. So now you're mad at the school size? Not the new fancy building? Trying to keep up here.

Yeah, what does the size and overcrowding have to do with block schedules? Am not following.

PP is irrationally SO ANGRY at anything related to HB.

[Anonymous]

At my kids MCPS HS, they have mixed block scheduling. Classes meet 4 days a week. MWF = 50 min classes. Wed/Thurs are 90 min blocks with half the classes each day. It seems to work well. Science teachers like it because you have time to do labs. Same with other classes that do projects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At my kids MCPS HS, they have mixed block scheduling. Classes meet 4 days a week. MWF = 50 min classes. Wed/Thurs are 90 min blocks with half the classes each day. It seems to work well. Science teachers like it because you have time to do labs. Same with other classes that do projects.

That sounds like a good compromise.

[Anonymous]

At DHMS, they have block on M/T and T/F and all classes on W. So most classes meet 3x/week. One class meets 5x/week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At DHMS, they have block on M/T and T/F and all classes on W. So most classes meet 3x/week. One class meets 5x/week.

This doesn't sound terrible. Why all the complaining??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At DHMS, they have block on M/T and T/F and all classes on W. So most classes meet 3x/week. One class meets 5x/week.

This doesn't sound terrible. Why all the complaining??

People like to complain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At DHMS, they have block on M/T and T/F and all classes on W. So most classes meet 3x/week. One class meets 5x/week.

This doesn't sound terrible. Why all the complaining??

DHMS has block 80% of time, regular 20% for most classes. If you like block, you like that. If you don't like block, that's not very appealing.
MCPS has block 40% of time, regular 60%. While it skews toward regular, it is more evenly matched than DHMS. Those who favor regular might be ok with MCPS schedule, recognizing the benefits of block to science and the arts at least once a week. Would block advocates support MCPS's approach? Weigh in!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Some serious sour grapes. Sorry your kid didn't get in.

Whatever, what I'm upset about is the supersizing of WL and the overcrowding of the rest of the schools -- that's the root cause of why so many people are desperate to get into HBW.

If the schools were all treated equitably there wouldn't be an sour grapes. We need a 4th high school FFS.

DP. And if the County and APS hadn't spent years pushing back against building at the Kenmore site, we'd have a fourth high school by now. Costs have risen over the past ten years and APS' shoe-horning "capacity solutions" onto small sites exacerbates that higher cost.

The surrounding neighborhood and then the county and its transportation experts pushed back against the Kenmore site for a 4th neighborhood high school. After years of planning and public input, the “4th high school” will be Arlington Tech, officially a “program” like HB. That’s seems reasonable as students can play sports at their home schools. The neighborhood schools will stay a similar size to the growing FCPS schools. Except for maybe D.C., there has been no desire for local school districts to go back to the smaller 1,300 student high schools common in the older suburbs for a brief period from the 1980s through early 1990s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At DHMS, they have block on M/T and T/F and all classes on W. So most classes meet 3x/week. One class meets 5x/week.

This doesn't sound terrible. Why all the complaining??

DHMS has block 80% of time, regular 20% for most classes. If you like block, you like that. If you don't like block, that's not very appealing.
MCPS has block 40% of time, regular 60%. While it skews toward regular, it is more evenly matched than DHMS. Those who favor regular might be ok with MCPS schedule, recognizing the benefits of block to science and the arts at least once a week. Would block advocates support MCPS's approach? Weigh in!

OP here. Targeted block would make sense. So simply make some art and science classes two periods.

90 minutes of most math of history will not keep kids engaged, and unless you have a really dynamic teacher you’ll end up with lots of worksheets or movies.