Elementary school starts at 9:15?!?! Rant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are you so hung up about the start time? If they did start earlier and there was no need for before school care, they would be in aftercare for longer. What difference does it make then? The time in childcare is the same.

Read the thread numbskull

A) Parents can rotate (one goes early the other goes in late) resulting in no care needed at all in some scenarios.
B) Just aftercare is cheaper than before and aftercare no matter what the total length of time is.
C) Starting early allows at least some parents to avoid the before care altogether.
D) Its easier to coordinate care during one time frame rather than two.
E) Just because school starts earlier does not equate to staying in aftercare longer as many have other options in the afternoon i.e. friends, family who can pick up just to name one.

Focus!

[Anonymous]

This issue has been discussed to death. OP you are not the first person to raise this. But the bigger issue is the high schools (research that adolescents aren't awake at 7:20, etc). There are periodic quests to swap elementary and HS starting times but in the end both groups put up a fuss. So if the pick up order stays the same there is no other option because the HS kids are already out at the crack of dawn (mine is at the bus stop at 6:40, which is still dark in the winter).

What time does your bus come? Our ES bus comes at around 8:25, which still leaves time to get to work if you don't live too far away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:questioning the policy -- the question you will have to raise is what order should the schools start. current order is High School, Middle School, Elementary School. There is only one fleet of buses, and the three levels need to be staggered. There is a whole lot of ripple effects of changing the school start / finish times -- athletic practices change times, arts & drama change times, etc. etc. I think you will get a couple people to nod, that is all

Funny I hear posters here claiming "the school is not a daycare" but they have no problem with the school being their kids taxi. I for one am not counting on the school bus, the elementary schools are typically much closer to you than a highschool and I don't want my DD on the bus with unknown older juveniles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This issue has been discussed to death. OP you are not the first person to raise this. But the bigger issue is the high schools (research that adolescents aren't awake at 7:20, etc). There are periodic quests to swap elementary and HS starting times but in the end both groups put up a fuss. So if the pick up order stays the same there is no other option because the HS kids are already out at the crack of dawn (mine is at the bus stop at 6:40, which is still dark in the winter).

What time does your bus come? Our ES bus comes at around 8:25, which still leaves time to get to work if you don't live too far away.

To answer you question I'm not exactly sure when the bus get to the stop because the route report generated simply states "First stop" and "Arrival at school"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:questioning the policy -- the question you will have to raise is what order should the schools start. current order is High School, Middle School, Elementary School. There is only one fleet of buses, and the three levels need to be staggered. There is a whole lot of ripple effects of changing the school start / finish times -- athletic practices change times, arts & drama change times, etc. etc. I think you will get a couple people to nod, that is all

Funny I hear posters here claiming "the school is not a daycare" but they have no problem with the school being their kids taxi. I for one am not counting on the school bus, the elementary schools are typically much closer to you than a highschool and I don't want my DD on the bus with unknown older juveniles.

There's a difference between compulsory education and expecting the provision of transportation to meet that requirement and expecting the school to care for your child outside of normal school hours.

Honestly, a lot of parents feel entitled to low-cost care or free care before and after school when one parent could fulfill their parenting duties and actually care for their child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This issue has been discussed to death. OP you are not the first person to raise this. But the bigger issue is the high schools (research that adolescents aren't awake at 7:20, etc). There are periodic quests to swap elementary and HS starting times but in the end both groups put up a fuss. So if the pick up order stays the same there is no other option because the HS kids are already out at the crack of dawn (mine is at the bus stop at 6:40, which is still dark in the winter).

What time does your bus come? Our ES bus comes at around 8:25, which still leaves time to get to work if you don't live too far away.

To answer you question I'm not exactly sure when the bus get to the stop because the route report generated simply states "First stop" and "Arrival at school"

So how far are you from the first stop? We are the 3rd stop of 6 on our route and it takes about 5 minutes from the start of the route to get to our stop. Not too hard to figure out. Perhaps you can ask your neighbors with elementary age kids when the bus arrives (they typically don't change that much from year to year). Or perhaps you've noticed the kids waiting for the bus in the past?

[Anonymous]

Kids in aftercare are looked down upon by the kids who go home at normal dismissal time, my children tell me. They were panicked last year when dw was considering going back to work that they would be lumped in with "those kids."

Right. Troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:questioning the policy -- the question you will have to raise is what order should the schools start. current order is High School, Middle School, Elementary School. There is only one fleet of buses, and the three levels need to be staggered. There is a whole lot of ripple effects of changing the school start / finish times -- athletic practices change times, arts & drama change times, etc. etc. I think you will get a couple people to nod, that is all

Funny I hear posters here claiming "the school is not a daycare" but they have no problem with the school being their kids taxi. I for one am not counting on the school bus, the elementary schools are typically much closer to you than a highschool and I don't want my DD on the bus with unknown older juveniles.

There's a difference between compulsory education and expecting the provision of transportation to meet that requirement and expecting the school to care for your child outside of normal school hours.

Honestly, a lot of parents feel entitled to low-cost care or free care before and after school when one parent could fulfill their parenting duties and actually care for their child.

Its awkward interacting with you when you keep throwin up the straw man of care outside of normal school hours when i clearly have stated several times in this thread I don't expect longer hours nor do I want my DC to be any form of school supplemented before or after care. Whole purpose of the thread...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But PP (or are you OP) if school starts at 8:15 then it is out at about 2:15. Would't most people still need aftercare? Even if you go to work at 8 you wouldn't be home till 4 or 4:30 with commuting time....

Are you thinking it would be better for kids to only need aftercare but not before care?

Or are you trying to stagger schedules?

Let's face it. Relying on after care is so much less stressful than relying on before care.

Why? That isn't my experience.

Both my husband and I have to be at work by 7 am since we teach high school. Our kids' before care (at their school) opened at 7 am. So we now have a nanny for morning care!

yes, stressful . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This issue has been discussed to death. OP you are not the first person to raise this. But the bigger issue is the high schools (research that adolescents aren't awake at 7:20, etc). There are periodic quests to swap elementary and HS starting times but in the end both groups put up a fuss. So if the pick up order stays the same there is no other option because the HS kids are already out at the crack of dawn (mine is at the bus stop at 6:40, which is still dark in the winter).

What time does your bus come? Our ES bus comes at around 8:25, which still leaves time to get to work if you don't live too far away.

To answer you question I'm not exactly sure when the bus get to the stop because the route report generated simply states "First stop" and "Arrival at school"

So how far are you from the first stop? We are the 3rd stop of 6 on our route and it takes about 5 minutes from the start of the route to get to our stop. Not too hard to figure out. Perhaps you can ask your neighbors with elementary age kids when the bus arrives (they typically don't change that much from year to year). Or perhaps you've noticed the kids waiting for the bus in the past?

I'm pretty thorough about these things.. believe me... Bus starts at 8:40 and we are personally deep into the list so its not going to work out. Anyone working at 9:00 has 20 minutes to get to work from the time of the first stop. Just imagine later stops...

[Anonymous]

Oh I have never seen the bus as I'm typically at work by 6:45 by choice...

[Anonymous]

Read the thread numbskull

A) Parents can rotate (one goes early the other goes in late) resulting in no care needed at all in some scenarios.
B) Just aftercare is cheaper than before and aftercare no matter what the total length of time is.
C) Starting early allows at least some parents to avoid the before care altogether.
D) Its easier to coordinate care during one time frame rather than two.
E) Just because school starts earlier does not equate to staying in aftercare longer as many have other options in the afternoon i.e. friends, family who can pick up just to name one.

Focus!

Try this short list:

A) People who work FT need to cover 8 to 12 hours care for their children per day.
B) Elementary school is never going to be an 8-12 hour day.
C) Care is not inherently cheaper in the afternoon vice the mornings. If school started and ended earlier and there was no need for before care, aftercare would be longer and correspondingly more expensive.
C) Working parents will need to find childcare for the differential between their kid's school day and their combined work/commute time, whether it's before school or afterschool.
D) Tens of thousands of us manage to do this. In fact, many of us realized when we had children that we do not live in one of those wonderful socialized European countries with free high-quality childcare from birth through adulthood, and that by virtue of that fact we would be responsible for finding childcare if we wanted/needed to continue our careers.
E) So the hysteria over 915am start times is kind of absurd.

Focus!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Funny I hear posters here claiming "the school is not a daycare" but they have no problem with the school being their kids taxi. I for one am not counting on the school bus, the elementary schools are typically much closer to you than a highschool and I don't want my DD on the bus with unknown older juveniles.

You're talking about kids who live nearby and attend the same school? Put your kid on the bus. Sheesh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Read the thread numbskull

A) Parents can rotate (one goes early the other goes in late) resulting in no care needed at all in some scenarios.
B) Just aftercare is cheaper than before and aftercare no matter what the total length of time is.
C) Starting early allows at least some parents to avoid the before care altogether.
D) Its easier to coordinate care during one time frame rather than two.
E) Just because school starts earlier does not equate to staying in aftercare longer as many have other options in the afternoon i.e. friends, family who can pick up just to name one.

Focus!

Try this short list:

A) People who work FT need to cover 8 to 12 hours care for their children per day.
B) Elementary school is never going to be an 8-12 hour day.
C) Care is not inherently cheaper in the afternoon vice the mornings. If school started and ended earlier and there was no need for before care, aftercare would be longer and correspondingly more expensive.
C) Working parents will need to find childcare for the differential between their kid's school day and their combined work/commute time, whether it's before school or afterschool.
D) Tens of thousands of us manage to do this. In fact, many of us realized when we had children that we do not live in one of those wonderful socialized European countries with free high-quality childcare from birth through adulthood, and that by virtue of that fact we would be responsible for finding childcare if we wanted/needed to continue our careers.
E) So the hysteria over 915am start times is kind of absurd.

Focus!

Nothing in here relates to the points I've raised.. wow even regular citizens have talking points now?!?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Funny I hear posters here claiming "the school is not a daycare" but they have no problem with the school being their kids taxi. I for one am not counting on the school bus, the elementary schools are typically much closer to you than a highschool and I don't want my DD on the bus with unknown older juveniles.

You're talking about kids who live nearby and attend the same school? Put your kid on the bus. Sheesh.

You didn't address the other two points but as always I address yours. There are several "communities" that are served by the same bus and unfortunately one of them is known for disciplinary problems.