Middle School start times

[Anonymous]

Fcps should pay attention to huge funding cut from government, instead of worrying about start time change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like the early start times because there is plenty of time for my daughter to stay after school for programs she enjoys, come home study, and then get to practice without having to rush. It's been great. Yes, it sucks getting up early. So what.

Well those programs will be gone next year. We will have a crappy start time and nothing to look forward to after school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fcps should pay attention to huge funding cut from government, instead of worrying about start time change.

FCPS should do all they can to avoid losing their funding

[Anonymous]

I just saw an email that FCPS is keeping their middle school start times the same for 25-26 and will probably revisit them during the boundary review. What concerns me is that is FCPS going to lose federal funding because they still have DEI programs? I don't understand why Reid isn't doing everything she can to keep that federal funding.

[Anonymous]

Research suggests a strong correlation between early school start times and poorer performance in both reading and math, primarily due to sleep deprivation which can significantly impact cognitive function and learning abilities in students, especially adolescents; studies often show that later start times are associated with improved academic outcomes in both subjectS.

[Anonymous]

What you should all be most concerned about is the loss of after school programs. This is how middle schoolers make friends. It's important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Research suggests a strong correlation between early school start times and poorer performance in both reading and math, primarily due to sleep deprivation which can significantly impact cognitive function and learning abilities in students, especially adolescents; studies often show that later start times are associated with improved academic outcomes in both subjectS.

Well they could just start off school without math or english and get over that issue. Also remove them from the end of the school day too to deal with fatigue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Research suggests a strong correlation between early school start times and poorer performance in both reading and math, primarily due to sleep deprivation which can significantly impact cognitive function and learning abilities in students, especially adolescents; studies often show that later start times are associated with improved academic outcomes in both subjectS.

I do believe you that research shows that, and their sample sizes are definitely much larger than mine, but my experience is that my students in my morning classes consistently have the highest SOL scores and grades.

For at least the past ten years, at least 75% of my morning classes have been my lower-level classes, not honors, but they've had the fewest students fail the SOL and I always have very few students with a D or F in those classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Research suggests a strong correlation between early school start times and poorer performance in both reading and math, primarily due to sleep deprivation which can significantly impact cognitive function and learning abilities in students, especially adolescents; studies often show that later start times are associated with improved academic outcomes in both subjectS.

I do believe you that research shows that, and their sample sizes are definitely much larger than mine, but my experience is that my students in my morning classes consistently have the highest SOL scores and grades.

For at least the past ten years, at least 75% of my morning classes have been my lower-level classes, not honors, but they've had the fewest students fail the SOL and I always have very few students with a D or F in those classes.

It's not because they are too tired in the morning - it's because kids who start school at 7 are tired by 11. It's not that they can't focus in the morning - it's that they can't sustain the focus.

[Anonymous]

Are they fixing this year or are they going to focus on dei lgbtqi+ esol anchor babies

[Anonymous]

I couldn't care less about the start times. But FCPS middle school experience is about to get a lot worse with the after school programs being cut. I can't believe a school district like FCPS that has such a huge tax base can't pull it together and do what's right for middle school. I attended a crappy, rural southern school and even we had middle school programs.

[Anonymous]

We're seriously considering moving to PWC this summer because my oldest will be in 7th and FCPS MS is going to be nothing.

[Anonymous]

Love how Melanie Meren's quotes at the end of this article are basically, "Hey we spent a ton of money on this consultant but don't worry - because we can't please everyone we aren't really going to do anything!"

https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2025/03/fairfax-co-wants-to-start-middle-schools-later-that-could-impact-elementary-start-times-too/

No bleep Sherlock, this is what people said from the beginning would happen. A waste of millions again...again...Gatehouse will never learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love how Melanie Meren's quotes at the end of this article are basically, "Hey we spent a ton of money on this consultant but don't worry - because we can't please everyone we aren't really going to do anything!"

https://wtop.com/fairfax-county/2025/03/fairfax-co-wants-to-start-middle-schools-later-that-could-impact-elementary-start-times-too/

No bleep Sherlock, this is what people said from the beginning would happen. A waste of millions again...again...Gatehouse will never learn.

I like how they spent all this money just to come up with their preferred option of moving all the start times back 30 minutes. No one else in FCPS could have come up with that option for free?

[Anonymous]

Let's affect all working parents of K-6 for 2 years of kids who don't rely on their parents as much. Make it make sense.

I would have them attend later, after Elementary. Most parents have to work from 7am-8am. Pushing elementary to 9am+ is horrible idea!