Fcps elementary school time change

[Anonymous]

Ours went from 8:40 to 8:45, not a huge deal but I'd prefer a slightly earlier start. Oh well.

[Anonymous]

I liked it the way it was before. Even the high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is starting K in the fall and this time change has already impacted our schedule as my life is planned minute to minute. It has changed 10 mins earlier start but ending 15 minutes later.

B/c of dropping off other kids at daycare and school, we will miss the bus. Does anyone know how the kiss and ride works if the bell time is 8:35 and I won't be able to make it till realistically 8:30ish? Will my poor K be late for school everyday or will DC be able to rush in from Kiss and Ride and make it to class? I would hate for DC to be penalized on just making it. Will DC have enough time to take off his jacket and put away his backpack or do they expect them to be in seats by the bell?

Very stressed out rising K parent here!

Earlier should be LATER

you have one of the earliest start times compared to other ES's look at the actual start time of your school with the links that FCPS provided today. Also just call the school for specifics especially for when the open doors and kiss and ride lanes start since every school is different. Most likely since your bell time is 8:35 your actually start time may 10 min after that. So 8:45. Being late to school everyday won't be allowed. There are a lot of people in your same situation and it may just take a few weeks to get the drop off working. Talk with neighbors as well you can try to organize car pooling. Or maybe it will be fine when bus schedules come out.

[Anonymous]

I'm curious about the buses...will my kids be on the bus longer? As it is, we're the 1st stop so in the AM my kids are on the bus for 35 min (school is exactly 2.9 miles).

Will the county be able to have enough buses for ES if the HS are almost the same start times? Less buses, but still the same number of kids to transport?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But this is a change this year for FCPS and coincided with the removal of half day Mondays and the switch to hours versus days counting. It is most certainly a trick because they count it as instructional time when no instruction is being given.

Why is nobody outraged by this? ???

I guess the students won't argue about less school time. And I suppose teachers aren't going to argue to give them more work for themselves. That means only the parents to be the advocating voice?

[Anonymous]

Why is nobody outraged by this? ???

They tried to stop the SLEEP people. Didn't work. Law of unintended consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious about the buses...will my kids be on the bus longer? As it is, we're the 1st stop so in the AM my kids are on the bus for 35 min (school is exactly 2.9 miles).

Will the county be able to have enough buses for ES if the HS are almost the same start times? Less buses, but still the same number of kids to transport?

I read something says they planned to replace some old buses with bigger buses. ( I really don't have time to dig into the original source now.) With a possibility of carrying more kids on a bus, I bet the ride would not be shorter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But this is a change this year for FCPS and coincided with the removal of half day Mondays and the switch to hours versus days counting. It is most certainly a trick because they count it as instructional time when no instruction is being given.

Why is nobody outraged by this? ???

I guess the students won't argue about less school time. And I suppose teachers aren't going to argue to give them more work for themselves. That means only the parents to be the advocating voice?

I'm outraged, yes. I also think teachers are no happier about this sort of meddling than anyone else. They have lives, too. Imagine if your job start time was subject to change every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is starting K in the fall and this time change has already impacted our schedule as my life is planned minute to minute. It has changed 10 mins earlier start but ending 15 minutes later.

B/c of dropping off other kids at daycare and school, we will miss the bus. Does anyone know how the kiss and ride works if the bell time is 8:35 and I won't be able to make it till realistically 8:30ish? Will my poor K be late for school everyday or will DC be able to rush in from Kiss and Ride and make it to class? I would hate for DC to be penalized on just making it. Will DC have enough time to take off his jacket and put away his backpack or do they expect them to be in seats by the bell?

Very stressed out rising K parent here!

Earlier should be LATER

you have one of the earliest start times compared to other ES's look at the actual start time of your school with the links that FCPS provided today. Also just call the school for specifics especially for when the open doors and kiss and ride lanes start since every school is different. Most likely since your bell time is 8:35 your actually start time may 10 min after that. So 8:45. Being late to school everyday won't be allowed. There are a lot of people in your same situation and it may just take a few weeks to get the drop off working. Talk with neighbors as well you can try to organize car pooling. Or maybe it will be fine when bus schedules come out.

Oh, sister, your life may be planned to the minute, but I hate to tell you that it's about to get turned upside down now that you are entering public school. Get ready for upheaval.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But this is a change this year for FCPS and coincided with the removal of half day Mondays and the switch to hours versus days counting. It is most certainly a trick because they count it as instructional time when no instruction is being given.

Why is nobody outraged by this? ???

I guess the students won't argue about less school time. And I suppose teachers aren't going to argue to give them more work for themselves. That means only the parents to be the advocating voice?

I have posted about this numerous times with very little response.

[Anonymous]

My school went from 8:20 to 8:35. 8:20 is a great start time. Many of us wish the school started even earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a grip.

ES start times are the SAME.

I do feel bad for MS.

Our ES I'd starting at 8:50 and ending at 3:35, 10 min change.

[Anonymous]

As if on cue, I just got this email for our rising middle schooler which included:

"Superintendent Garza and the School Board have indicated that the changes to the bell schedules are just a start. They want to work on making adjustments to the middle and elementary school schedules in future years."

What the f*ck?! Pick a schedule and be done with it! How unbelievably arrogant to think that it's their right to continue to interfere with families' schedules.

No doubt there are some highly paid consultants on retainer here, since there's so much work that HAS to be done.

[Anonymous]

Our ES will be 25 minutes later. What a pain. We will need to do morning SACC now.

[Anonymous]

I called this months ago. IT IS ALL PART OF A BIGGER PLAN with all the school closings. It is all about petitioning the state for pre-labor day school start time. All I can say is you get what you ask for. And you can mark my words on this THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING! So we can bitch on DCUM or speak up. This board has lost sight of reality of "the students and families best interest" they are making huge changes to our schools based on a working day not on the over taxed children in this area! They are spending outrageous amounts of money they don't have on things that are not necessary and spending it instead on frills not substance. THIS IS A CROCK AND I am irate. You can mark my word on this to IF THERE IS A HINT OF SNOW ON THE GROUND TOMORROW THIS SCHOOL BOARD WILL CLOSE SCHOOL FOR THE DAY! They want to muck with the schedules even more and start before Labor Day - - WHY??? THIS IS NOT TEXAS- Garza and this needs to stop. You do not deserve a raise, the board does not deserve a raise and the Board of Supervisors should not have gotten a raise. You all are greedy and don't give a damn about what is best for the majority. Many have spoke out against all of this and YOU ARE NOT LISTENING. You are plowing ahead with what you want. I am outraged!