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

[Anonymous]

We had a schedule close to what the OP described at my high school growing up. It was supposed to ease over crowding on core facilities like the library, gym and cafeteria. During the "overlap" periods, passing in the halls was nearly impossible. Just too many kids.

After this policy was enacted, honors students also figured out that we could take additional classes in the extra periods. I took 9 classes every semester, which allowed me to double up on languages (french and latin), science, music (band and orchestra), and take extra math classes. A typical schedule before our high school was over crowded would have been 5-6 classes with a lunch and/or study hall. Nine classes (with lots of APs) bordered on insane. Given that our space shortage was mostly in core facilities (with portables we had enough classrooms) the administration was just happy not to have us take lunches or study halls.

[Anonymous]

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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.

Again, why are you on a thread about APS? Are you just trying to be a b1tch? I see no other purpose. GFY.

Miserable, pathetic trolls have taken over this forum to bash APS. Sad!

It couldn’t happen if APS didn’t provide so much raw material to ridicule.

Exactly! I'm an APS parent and I am livid. Except I am livid with the County Board who have refused to give adequate money or land to the schools they helped to cram full of kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a schedule close to what the OP described at my high school growing up. It was supposed to ease over crowding on core facilities like the library, gym and cafeteria. During the "overlap" periods, passing in the halls was nearly impossible. Just too many kids.

After this policy was enacted, honors students also figured out that we could take additional classes in the extra periods. I took 9 classes every semester, which allowed me to double up on languages (french and latin), science, music (band and orchestra), and take extra math classes. A typical schedule before our high school was over crowded would have been 5-6 classes with a lunch and/or study hall. Nine classes (with lots of APs) bordered on insane. Given that our space shortage was mostly in core facilities (with portables we had enough classrooms) the administration was just happy not to have us take lunches or study halls.

One semester they even tried a bigger stagger and added a zero hour. I took 10 classes that semester. Not a good idea for students.

[Anonymous]

People need to stop looking at shift schedules as a money saver, and focus on its value as a tool to reset the population.

Take Washington-Lee High School. Although there are certainly a number of Lyon Village-level households sending their kids there, they’re stuck with APAH and AHC kids who undermine their sense of security and thus their ability to perform in school.

The shift schedule works wonders in this regard. The easy solution is to run IB, AP, Honors and high-level College track courses during the normal school day. Use your regular faculty there. Then hire term-level and sub teachers to run the gen-Ed and remedial courses during the second shift.

On average you’re going to get your families with “skin in the game” for the normal shift, and the less desirable kids in the afternoon/evening session. Sports will run fine; the second shift kids can work around team schedules for PE. So long as you quarantine the second-shift kids into their own wing of classrooms, clubs will run fine as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People need to stop looking at shift schedules as a money saver, and focus on its value as a tool to reset the population.

Take Washington-Lee High School. Although there are certainly a number of Lyon Village-level households sending their kids there, they’re stuck with APAH and AHC kids who undermine their sense of security and thus their ability to perform in school.

The shift schedule works wonders in this regard. The easy solution is to run IB, AP, Honors and high-level College track courses during the normal school day. Use your regular faculty there. Then hire term-level and sub teachers to run the gen-Ed and remedial courses during the second shift.

On average you’re going to get your families with “skin in the game” for the normal shift, and the less desirable kids in the afternoon/evening session. Sports will run fine; the second shift kids can work around team schedules for PE. So long as you quarantine the second-shift kids into their own wing of classrooms, clubs will run fine as well.

This is a fascinating approach, to split the school according to similar paths. I could envision ranking each kid based on the taxes their parents pay, with preferred schedules being granted based on the highest scores (with each dollar of tax paid increasing your score). That might run afoul of civil rights law—probably depends on how the formula shakes out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People need to stop looking at shift schedules as a money saver, and focus on its value as a tool to reset the population.

Take Washington-Lee High School. Although there are certainly a number of Lyon Village-level households sending their kids there, they’re stuck with APAH and AHC kids who undermine their sense of security and thus their ability to perform in school.

The shift schedule works wonders in this regard. The easy solution is to run IB, AP, Honors and high-level College track courses during the normal school day. Use your regular faculty there. Then hire term-level and sub teachers to run the gen-Ed and remedial courses during the second shift.

On average you’re going to get your families with “skin in the game” for the normal shift, and the less desirable kids in the afternoon/evening session. Sports will run fine; the second shift kids can work around team schedules for PE. So long as you quarantine the second-shift kids into their own wing of classrooms, clubs will run fine as well.

Hi troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People need to stop looking at shift schedules as a money saver, and focus on its value as a tool to reset the population.

Take Washington-Lee High School. Although there are certainly a number of Lyon Village-level households sending their kids there, they’re stuck with APAH and AHC kids who undermine their sense of security and thus their ability to perform in school.

The shift schedule works wonders in this regard. The easy solution is to run IB, AP, Honors and high-level College track courses during the normal school day. Use your regular faculty there. Then hire term-level and sub teachers to run the gen-Ed and remedial courses during the second shift.

On average you’re going to get your families with “skin in the game” for the normal shift, and the less desirable kids in the afternoon/evening session. Sports will run fine; the second shift kids can work around team schedules for PE. So long as you quarantine the second-shift kids into their own wing of classrooms, clubs will run fine as well.

This is a fascinating approach, to split the school according to similar paths. I could envision ranking each kid based on the taxes their parents pay, with preferred schedules being granted based on the highest scores (with each dollar of tax paid increasing your score). That might run afoul of civil rights law—probably depends on how the formula shakes out.

A property-value based approach will let you reward people who, as PP says, have skin in the game. You also need to give negative points for FARMS benefits, housing grants, value of rent subsidies when in committed affordable units, and the like.

If you can slip this through the courts, and I think you have a real chance with another year of Trump judges, then you can clean up the student population. Going to PW or PG counties, or to DCPS won’t look so bad if your kid is in school from 4:00-10:00 PM every day. Plus a school system that rewards high-wealth residents will keep our county’s best students in APS.

[Anonymous]

Oh look “skin in the game troll” found the thread.
We haven’t missed you.

[Anonymous]

I’m assuming these are joke posts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m assuming these are joke posts.

Not the PPs, but I think it’s not too far from what the reality would look like. Academically stronger and/or higher SES kids would end up with preferential access to class and activities in a way that’s glaringly obvious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m assuming these are joke posts.

Not the PPs, but I think it’s not too far from what the reality would look like. Academically stronger and/or higher SES kids would end up with preferential access to class and activities in a way that’s glaringly obvious.

There is a real constituency in favor of the approach PP cited. If you just go to a shift, people will be skeptical. But if you demonstrate the haves will benefit, then those people plus fiscal hawks will let you ram this through.

No surprise Libby Garvey has suggested a shift schedule. The people I described above are the Vihstadt-Garvey coalition. When John blows away the Democrat in a “Blue Wave” election this Fall, watch for a third County Board member to join in and encourage shifts as the way to move forward with limited funds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m assuming these are joke posts.

Not the PPs, but I think it’s not too far from what the reality would look like. Academically stronger and/or higher SES kids would end up with preferential access to class and activities in a way that’s glaringly obvious.

There is a real constituency in favor of the approach PP cited. If you just go to a shift, people will be skeptical. But if you demonstrate the haves will benefit, then those people plus fiscal hawks will let you ram this through.

No surprise Libby Garvey has suggested a shift schedule. The people I described above are the Vihstadt-Garvey coalition. When John blows away the Democrat in a “Blue Wave” election this Fall, watch for a third County Board member to join in and encourage shifts as the way to move forward with limited funds.

Vihstadt is actually more open to giving the schools more money to build than most of the board (he just wants it done more cost-effectively). On this issue, Garvey is more in line with Cristol and Dorsey that APS should fine other ways of managing overcapacity instead of building more seats. Both of the Dem candidates hold that view as well, so far Vihstadt is the most pro-APS candidate in the race.

[Anonymous]

I grew up with shift schedules and it was just the way things went. You either went to school 8 to 1 pm, or 1 to 6 pm. You couldn't choose, your class was assigned to a particular shift and that was it. Most extracurriculars were offered both in the morning and evening because split schedules were a reality at most schools. Everyone lived. No one went to bed super early or super late because it was just like your normal day, only switched.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up with shift schedules and it was just the way things went. You either went to school 8 to 1 pm, or 1 to 6 pm. You couldn't choose, your class was assigned to a particular shift and that was it. Most extracurriculars were offered both in the morning and evening because split schedules were a reality at most schools. Everyone lived. No one went to bed super early or super late because it was just like your normal day, only switched.

So every class was offered twice? Each school play had two casts? There were two of each varsity team? Two student newspapers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up with shift schedules and it was just the way things went. You either went to school 8 to 1 pm, or 1 to 6 pm. You couldn't choose, your class was assigned to a particular shift and that was it. Most extracurriculars were offered both in the morning and evening because split schedules were a reality at most schools. Everyone lived. No one went to bed super early or super late because it was just like your normal day, only switched.

Hallmark of a second-rate school system.