APS Bell schedule review

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I still go back to ... Do the proposed bell times actually accomplish the goal of optimizing operations and reducing bell times??! I still see way more than 3-4 bell times in the proposals. Once again I don't see true transparency from APS on what the heck they are trying to accomplish. I just see a bunch of options with 5 or more bell times.

Is this a typo? Or do you mean "reducing the number of bell times"?

I agree with your larger point -- APS will state a goal and the conversation turn to APS parents seeing this as a golden opportunity to get everything they want. Meanwhile it's never clear what APS is actually trying to achieve nor whether/how its final decision will achieve that, let alone whether it's worth achieving.

Speaking of which, what's going on with standards based grading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still go back to ... Do the proposed bell times actually accomplish the goal of optimizing operations and reducing bell times??! I still see way more than 3-4 bell times in the proposals. Once again I don't see true transparency from APS on what the heck they are trying to accomplish. I just see a bunch of options with 5 or more bell times.

Is this a typo? Or do you mean "reducing the number of bell times"?

I agree with your larger point -- APS will state a goal and the conversation turn to APS parents seeing this as a golden opportunity to get everything they want. Meanwhile it's never clear what APS is actually trying to achieve nor whether/how its final decision will achieve that, let alone whether it's worth achieving.

Speaking of which, what's going on with standards based grading?

Yes, it should have said reducing the number of bell times. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know when this will all be decided?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know when this will all be decided?

If APS has put out a survey, it has already been decided.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know when this will all be decided?

May 12th

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:quick question - how would the a later MS time impact those 8th graders that may make a high school JV sports team?

I'm in favor of a later time for my middle schooler but he is also very active after school in activities (at school) and outside school. He loves it and he NEEDS all the physical activity he can get.

If middle school got out later, they would not be able to participate in most high school sports. Practices would start before middle school ends. And little to no middle school sports would be an option.

You do not know this to be true. We don’t know what other changes would come out of shifting bell times.

+1 If bell times change, everything else will adjust to that! Extracurricular schedules are beholden to school schedules, not the other way around.

There is limited field/gym/pool space. It is logistically to have middle school sports if they get out after high schools. Period.

I'm just not understanding this argument. Other than 8th graders playing on the hs teams and any swimming that might occur, do all middle school sports have to use the high school facilities? TJ and Kenmore, at least, have tennis courts and fields available on-site. If other schools use county parks for the courts, that doesn't interfere with high school. And maybe some sports could just meet before school instead of after, if they're that critical.

Same with Williamsburg… Soccer, basketball, wrestling, track, ultimate, cheerleading, etc. all done at the school. I think swimming/dive is the one really impacted.

Middle school sports are from roughly 3-4pm. After that many middle school gyms and fields are used by high school and club teams. High schools do not have enough space for their own teams. Parks and Rec need the revenue from club teams to make budget. If middle school gets out around 4pm, there are not fields/gyms/pools for them to use.

I’m not disputing what you’re saying, but could you give a specific example of Arlington middle school fields used for high school? For various reasons we are at certain middle school field several times a week and I don’t see any high school sports going on. Lots of travel sports teams practicing.

From my experience, high school teams use middle school gyms - 6 high school basketball teams plus cheer and dance don’t fit in the high school gym space. Then club and rec teams use the middle school gyms. Club/travel teams use the fields and pools. I do not know the high school field sport practice schedule. As you say, lots of travel teams use the fields who pay a lot of money for the fields. DPR can’t afford to kick them out. Same for the fees the club swim teams pay for the pools. That income is needed for the maintainer budgets. Middle school sports are free.

Whether middle school sports are needed/valuable is a different question. But I do not believe the space is available for them to operate after 4pm.

SIX basketball teams? What high school has six basketball teams?
I don't know about WL; but both YHS and WHS have two gyms. Cheer and dance could use alternative spaces - I've seen YHS' winterguard practice in YHS' atrium when the gymnasiums are not available. If 20 kids can spin and toss flags and rifles and dance there, surely cheer or dance can manage some practice there or other spaces?

As for non-APS teams being essential for the income, that's the County's problem. APS facilities have shared-use agreements; but priority should be given to school groups.

Well, one thing is clear- changing school start times by much for middle and high schools would really f&@# up a lot of schedules and eliminate many opportunities for sport and club participation.

Yeah, no. Swim clubs are mostly swimming at the stupid waste of money over at Long Bridge now. They can move ALL the teams there if they need to do that MS can have practice at the HS. Or maybe they have morning practice instead. Swimmers are used to early mornings. My HS swim team practiced before school, because we had a 9 am start so they could offer “zero period” classes at 8 am for kids taking lots of APs and still wanting time in the day for art/band/chorus, etc.

The right thing to do is make the change. People can adjust.

Only one swim club is at LB. And Arlington swimmers ARE used to early mornings because there are already morning practices at the pools.

So- yeah, no. Asking all these parents to overhaul their work schedules to shuttle their kids around to morning practices during other people’s rush hour isn’t going to work.

I mean, first and foremost APS should be taking Swim Team parents’ schedules into account.

I mean, if someone is going to bring up swim team specifically as a representative ms/hs sport that can be easily moved in time and space to make way for later start times, she should at least get her facts straight. Unless we’re all supposed to pretend that nothing aside from later start times matters.

[Anonymous]

Well after all they are mostly just moving a few elementary schools earlier (and high school 5 min later). Moving Claremont, Key, Barrett, Long Branch and Randolph

I’m sure my kids will start sleeping in now that are going to be moved from 9AM to 750 AM. 🤦‍♂️ Seem

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TAT-Final-Session-Presentation.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well after all they are mostly just moving a few elementary schools earlier (and high school 5 min later). Moving Claremont, Key, Barrett, Long Branch and Randolph

I’m sure my kids will start sleeping in now that are going to be moved from 9AM to 750 AM. 🤦‍♂️ Seem

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TAT-Final-Session-Presentation.pdf

Are they dumb? They made it so all three schools along Carlin Springs Rd now have the exact same bell schedule. Traffic is already FUBAR at those times, and was a reason why they couldn’t use the Kenmore site for a HS, like ever. This will make traffic even worse. Why am I not surprised?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well after all they are mostly just moving a few elementary schools earlier (and high school 5 min later). Moving Claremont, Key, Barrett, Long Branch and Randolph

I’m sure my kids will start sleeping in now that are going to be moved from 9AM to 750 AM. 🤦‍♂️ Seem

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TAT-Final-Session-Presentation.pdf

ATS is also moving, to 9

[Anonymous]

Is there a reason they listed the bell time schedules, for comparison purposes, for Alex, FCC, PW & Loudoun but not Fairfax? Is it because Fairfax is so huge that it can't be compared to anything else?

Fairfax was on the chart for school day length, but not bell times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well after all they are mostly just moving a few elementary schools earlier (and high school 5 min later). Moving Claremont, Key, Barrett, Long Branch and Randolph

I’m sure my kids will start sleeping in now that are going to be moved from 9AM to 750 AM. 🤦‍♂️ Seem

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TAT-Final-Session-Presentation.pdf

Are they dumb? They made it so all three schools along Carlin Springs Rd now have the exact same bell schedule. Traffic is already FUBAR at those times, and was a reason why they couldn’t use the Kenmore site for a HS, like ever. This will make traffic even worse. Why am I not surprised?

Oh wow - this will be a traffic nightmare on Carlin Springs!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well after all they are mostly just moving a few elementary schools earlier (and high school 5 min later). Moving Claremont, Key, Barrett, Long Branch and Randolph

I’m sure my kids will start sleeping in now that are going to be moved from 9AM to 750 AM. 🤦‍♂️ Seem

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TAT-Final-Session-Presentation.pdf

Arlington Public Schools: F#ck everyone

[Anonymous]

Claremont was 8 am prior to this year, kind of stupid they moved us to 9 am for one year only to move us back but maybe the bus will finally pick up my kids in time to get them to school on time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well after all they are mostly just moving a few elementary schools earlier (and high school 5 min later). Moving Claremont, Key, Barrett, Long Branch and Randolph

I’m sure my kids will start sleeping in now that are going to be moved from 9AM to 750 AM. 🤦‍♂️ Seem

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TAT-Final-Session-Presentation.pdf

Are they dumb? They made it so all three schools along Carlin Springs Rd now have the exact same bell schedule. Traffic is already FUBAR at those times, and was a reason why they couldn’t use the Kenmore site for a HS, like ever. This will make traffic even worse. Why am I not surprised?

Oh wow - this will be a traffic nightmare on Carlin Springs!

It’s like they really just hate us all. I get it, parents have not been great lately. But to jeopardize the safety of these kids just to stick it to us?

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/community-calls-on-arlington-leaders-to-examine-dangerous-stretch-of-road?fbclid=IwAR0SekD48QIoYbSmlaP36Sss7yYSiJGVkFmuWI5w99naXDCF-kqmb61Jrzg

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well after all they are mostly just moving a few elementary schools earlier (and high school 5 min later). Moving Claremont, Key, Barrett, Long Branch and Randolph

I’m sure my kids will start sleeping in now that are going to be moved from 9AM to 750 AM. 🤦‍♂️ Seem

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TAT-Final-Session-Presentation.pdf

Are they dumb? They made it so all three schools along Carlin Springs Rd now have the exact same bell schedule. Traffic is already FUBAR at those times, and was a reason why they couldn’t use the Kenmore site for a HS, like ever. This will make traffic even worse. Why am I not surprised?

Oh wow - this will be a traffic nightmare on Carlin Springs!

It’s like they really just hate us all. I get it, parents have not been great lately. But to jeopardize the safety of these kids just to stick it to us?

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/community-calls-on-arlington-leaders-to-examine-dangerous-stretch-of-road?fbclid=IwAR0SekD48QIoYbSmlaP36Sss7yYSiJGVkFmuWI5w99naXDCF-kqmb61Jrzg

To add, my kids attend two of these schools. We get weekly emails from both with reminders to utilize bus service if possible, drive safely when not, and to watch out for kids darting across the road, etc. I can only imagine this will make things that much worse as it now adds another school to the mix. Did they not look at a map? I bet this is the only place in the county that will have three schools, two that share a campus, that can only be accessed via one road, all with the same bell schedule placing all those buses, cars, and kids in one place at the same time.