What's wrong with "shift schedules"? (APS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

What was the schedule like for the afternoon kids?

The last classes ended around 4 (I think?) so the overall schedule was pretty normal. There was some overlap between but having a shift schedule definitely helped. There was no opting for an earlier vs later schedule. The student's schedule was determined by what classes they had to take/wanted to take. The guidance counselors worked with the students to make sure that there were no gaps in their schedule. So that each student had 5 (?) continuous periods of classes + one optional period for lunch. Though there were always a couple of people who ended up with gaps because they wanted to take a particular class and it was only offered at a particular time. Those people usually used the extra time to do homework in the library and/or went to a school club.

Basically, the school extended their hours so that more classes being offered. Since some students could take classes earlier, they could leave earlier. As a result, the entire student population was not in the building at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

It's a solution of last resort for a system in a death spiral.

There is no death spiral. If it gets that bad people will leave Arlington for Fairfax, and that will be that.
Shift scheduling sounds great if it is optional. I don’t know how many kids would self select into earlier start times for less crowded classes.

Some of us already left Arlington for Fairfax. Others who might have moved to Arlington will stay in DC or move to Montgomery or Fairfax instead.

OK. Why are you chiming in on APS posts? Do you have experience with shift schedules or not?

Because we used to live in Arlington, we left in large part because of the deteriorating school situation, and I’m addressing the misleading suggestion that people aren’t already bailing on APS.

As for your second question, I had a sibling whose middle school had split shifts, and my parents often said later they felt it had impacted her education negatively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

What was the schedule like for the afternoon kids?

The last classes ended around 4 (I think?) so the overall schedule was pretty normal. There was some overlap between but having a shift schedule definitely helped. There was no opting for an earlier vs later schedule. The student's schedule was determined by what classes they had to take/wanted to take. The guidance counselors worked with the students to make sure that there were no gaps in their schedule. So that each student had 5 (?) continuous periods of classes + one optional period for lunch. Though there were always a couple of people who ended up with gaps because they wanted to take a particular class and it was only offered at a particular time. Those people usually used the extra time to do homework in the library and/or went to a school club.

Basically, the school extended their hours so that more classes being offered. Since some students could take classes earlier, they could leave earlier. As a result, the entire student population was not in the building at the same time.

I don't understand. Now you had to get up at 5:30am, do all your classes, and then come back to school at 4pm if you wanted to do an extracurricular? That sounds like a recipe for teenagers getting even less sleep than they already do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

It's a solution of last resort for a system in a death spiral.

There is no death spiral. If it gets that bad people will leave Arlington for Fairfax, and that will be that.
Shift scheduling sounds great if it is optional. I don’t know how many kids would self select into earlier start times for less crowded classes.

Some of us already left Arlington for Fairfax. Others who might have moved to Arlington will stay in DC or move to Montgomery or Fairfax instead.

Lol, drama queen. If there are so many of you then why are our schools so overcrowded?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

It's a solution of last resort for a system in a death spiral.

There is no death spiral. If it gets that bad people will leave Arlington for Fairfax, and that will be that.
Shift scheduling sounds great if it is optional. I don’t know how many kids would self select into earlier start times for less crowded classes.

Some of us already left Arlington for Fairfax. Others who might have moved to Arlington will stay in DC or move to Montgomery or Fairfax instead.

Lol, drama queen. If there are so many of you then why are our schools so overcrowded?

LOL indeed...because APS doesn't have enough schools and spent money imprudently on the new schools it built.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

What was the schedule like for the afternoon kids?

The last classes ended around 4 (I think?) so the overall schedule was pretty normal. There was some overlap between but having a shift schedule definitely helped. There was no opting for an earlier vs later schedule. The student's schedule was determined by what classes they had to take/wanted to take. The guidance counselors worked with the students to make sure that there were no gaps in their schedule. So that each student had 5 (?) continuous periods of classes + one optional period for lunch. Though there were always a couple of people who ended up with gaps because they wanted to take a particular class and it was only offered at a particular time. Those people usually used the extra time to do homework in the library and/or went to a school club.

Basically, the school extended their hours so that more classes being offered. Since some students could take classes earlier, they could leave earlier. As a result, the entire student population was not in the building at the same time.

Im glad it worked out for you, but if split shifts were really such a good idea, it wouldn't be the last resort it is. For some reason, districts and communities spend millions to build additional facilities, and I kinda doubt it's because they don't know how great split shifts are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

What was the schedule like for the afternoon kids?

The last classes ended around 4 (I think?) so the overall schedule was pretty normal. There was some overlap between but having a shift schedule definitely helped. There was no opting for an earlier vs later schedule. The student's schedule was determined by what classes they had to take/wanted to take. The guidance counselors worked with the students to make sure that there were no gaps in their schedule. So that each student had 5 (?) continuous periods of classes + one optional period for lunch. Though there were always a couple of people who ended up with gaps because they wanted to take a particular class and it was only offered at a particular time. Those people usually used the extra time to do homework in the library and/or went to a school club.

Basically, the school extended their hours so that more classes being offered. Since some students could take classes earlier, they could leave earlier. As a result, the entire student population was not in the building at the same time.

I don't understand. Now you had to get up at 5:30am, do all your classes, and then come back to school at 4pm if you wanted to do an extracurricular? That sounds like a recipe for teenagers getting even less sleep than they already do.

It also sounds like this would make for a shorter school day and fewer class periods than we currently have, which would limit access to elective classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

What was the schedule like for the afternoon kids?

The last classes ended around 4 (I think?) so the overall schedule was pretty normal. There was some overlap between but having a shift schedule definitely helped. There was no opting for an earlier vs later schedule. The student's schedule was determined by what classes they had to take/wanted to take. The guidance counselors worked with the students to make sure that there were no gaps in their schedule. So that each student had 5 (?) continuous periods of classes + one optional period for lunch. Though there were always a couple of people who ended up with gaps because they wanted to take a particular class and it was only offered at a particular time. Those people usually used the extra time to do homework in the library and/or went to a school club.

Basically, the school extended their hours so that more classes being offered. Since some students could take classes earlier, they could leave earlier. As a result, the entire student population was not in the building at the same time.

I don't understand. Now you had to get up at 5:30am, do all your classes, and then come back to school at 4pm if you wanted to do an extracurricular? That sounds like a recipe for teenagers getting even less sleep than they already do.

This isn't complicated. ECs were available starting in the later periods until the evening. So, different classes and activities/clubs occurred at different times. It was the student's responsibility to figure what they wanted to, when, and also to make trade-offs if necessary. The majority of the time, this system worked. Now that I think about it, it's sort of like how college students arranged their schedules.

For example, your class schedule starts 7 and ends at 12. There's an EC that you want to do and it's starts at 4. You can choose to do the EC and have a gap in your schedule. Or you can choose to not do that EC and pick one that fits better with your schedule. Or if you really love this EC, then you can choose classes that start later so there would be no gap in your schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

What was the schedule like for the afternoon kids?

The last classes ended around 4 (I think?) so the overall schedule was pretty normal. There was some overlap between but having a shift schedule definitely helped. There was no opting for an earlier vs later schedule. The student's schedule was determined by what classes they had to take/wanted to take. The guidance counselors worked with the students to make sure that there were no gaps in their schedule. So that each student had 5 (?) continuous periods of classes + one optional period for lunch. Though there were always a couple of people who ended up with gaps because they wanted to take a particular class and it was only offered at a particular time. Those people usually used the extra time to do homework in the library and/or went to a school club.

Basically, the school extended their hours so that more classes being offered. Since some students could take classes earlier, they could leave earlier. As a result, the entire student population was not in the building at the same time.

I don't understand. Now you had to get up at 5:30am, do all your classes, and then come back to school at 4pm if you wanted to do an extracurricular? That sounds like a recipe for teenagers getting even less sleep than they already do.

This isn't complicated. ECs were available starting in the later periods until the evening. So, different classes and activities/clubs occurred at different times. It was the student's responsibility to figure what they wanted to, when, and also to make trade-offs if necessary. The majority of the time, this system worked. Now that I think about it, it's sort of like how college students arranged their schedules.

For example, your class schedule starts 7 and ends at 12. There's an EC that you want to do and it's starts at 4. You can choose to do the EC and have a gap in your schedule. Or you can choose to not do that EC and pick one that fits better with your schedule. Or if you really love this EC, then you can choose classes that start later so there would be no gap in your schedule.

This is a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

It's a solution of last resort for a system in a death spiral.

There is no death spiral. If it gets that bad people will leave Arlington for Fairfax, and that will be that.
Shift scheduling sounds great if it is optional. I don’t know how many kids would self select into earlier start times for less crowded classes.

That's exactly what a school system death spiral looks like. People with the economic means to make different choices WILL make different choices. The kids left behind will be those who are high-needs and they will inherit a system with fewer resources.

Agreed, shift schedule=death spiral of APS. We are not talking about optional zero periods here. Libby thinks we can put something like 5000 students at Washington Lee, since they will only show up in "shifts" - or even better NOT AT ALL. "They will learn with this": *waves iPhone in parents' face*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have personal experience during high school with a true shift schedule (and FYI, OP, that does not mean 9am to 4pm, that means that you come in, when the other high school kids have gone home, and you stay until late in the evening), and while we initially thought it was an interesting novelty, it got old pretty quick, and ended up being absolutely awful. Thankfully we had to do it only for a few months as my school's building was renovated. I can't even imagine this as a permanent solution! Dreadful.

It was impossible to do homework coming home at 8pm. It was impossible to have a life outside of school. It was impossible to get all homework done in the morning.

Teachers hated it, too. This was a true shift schedule, of double the students sharing the same space.

Believe me, this is NOT a solution, and this is not something you'd want!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have personal experience during high school with a true shift schedule (and FYI, OP, that does not mean 9am to 4pm, that means that you come in, when the other high school kids have gone home, and you stay until late in the evening), and while we initially thought it was an interesting novelty, it got old pretty quick, and ended up being absolutely awful. Thankfully we had to do it only for a few months as my school's building was renovated. I can't even imagine this as a permanent solution! Dreadful.

It was impossible to do homework coming home at 8pm. It was impossible to have a life outside of school. It was impossible to get all homework done in the morning.

Teachers hated it, too. This was a true shift schedule, of double the students sharing the same space.

Believe me, this is NOT a solution, and this is not something you'd want!

+1. This is obvious to everyone on this thread, other than the one ridiculous poster trying to make it sound like it will prepare teenagers better for college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have personal experience during high school with a true shift schedule (and FYI, OP, that does not mean 9am to 4pm, that means that you come in, when the other high school kids have gone home, and you stay until late in the evening), and while we initially thought it was an interesting novelty, it got old pretty quick, and ended up being absolutely awful. Thankfully we had to do it only for a few months as my school's building was renovated. I can't even imagine this as a permanent solution! Dreadful.

It was impossible to do homework coming home at 8pm. It was impossible to have a life outside of school. It was impossible to get all homework done in the morning.

Teachers hated it, too. This was a true shift schedule, of double the students sharing the same space.

Believe me, this is NOT a solution, and this is not something you'd want!

+1. This is obvious to everyone on this thread, other than the one ridiculous poster trying to make it sound like it will prepare teenagers better for college.

The other thing is that it would broadcast to every potential newcomer that arl co govt isn't so good at planning after all. They should be massively embarrassed y this, given all the back patting about how good they are at it. Alan ehrenhalt should write about it.

[Anonymous]

The other negative is the potentially huge amount of additional free time that young people would gain in the middle of the day. At one point there were studies that more kids got drunk, high, had sex and all sorts of other bad behaviors for the first time during the hours after school and before parents got home. How many hundreds of Arlington teens do we want midday with no supervision?

[Anonymous]

That this 3rd world solution is being discussed in one of the wealthiest counties in the US makes me so angry I can barely see straight.