Petition: Later MCPS school start times

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks who are opposed to changing (or even discussing a change) school bell times are
A) don't want to change their own schedule in their stubborn old age
B) MCPS lawyer
C) both A and B above

We have kids in multiple after school activities and they have homework. If your kid needs sleep send them to bed earlier. You are stubborn to demand everyone change their scheduled based off your lazy parenting. Some of us have to drive our kids to school as there is no bus. A 9:30 start time would be a nightmare.

you argue that "some" are trying to change the bell times. Yet it is also "some" who have to drive kids to school. Somehow your "some" is more important???

NP. All kids would benefit from a later start time, especially high schoolers, many of whom are physically incapable of falling asleep before midnight.

Science? We don't need no stinkin' science.

Especially the pseudo science they're pushing when parenting would suffice.

What? Every study on this issue says early school start times aren't good for kids. They're just practical for parents.

Primarily they are feasible for MCPS for school transportation. MCPS only has so many buses and so many bus drivers. Currently, most of the buses and bus drivers are used for 3-4 routes, twice a day: high school, then middle school, then two elementary school groups. For later high school start times, MCPS would either have to buy a lot more buses and hire a lot more bus drivers, or MCPS would have to rearrange the order of the routes. MCPS assessed the rearrange-the-order options in the Bell Times Study and decided that none of the options were better than the current option. And all of the reasons for that decision are still valid now.

So, if you want later school start times, you need to figure out a way to get lots of kids to/from school that isn't (1) school buses or (2) parents driving kids. Once you've figured that out, the rest will be easy.

Flip ES and HS start times. No extra buses necessary.

But that would create a different set of problems, which have been discussed extensively in this thread and which you've never offered solutions for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks who are opposed to changing (or even discussing a change) school bell times are
A) don't want to change their own schedule in their stubborn old age
B) MCPS lawyer
C) both A and B above

We have kids in multiple after school activities and they have homework. If your kid needs sleep send them to bed earlier. You are stubborn to demand everyone change their scheduled based off your lazy parenting. Some of us have to drive our kids to school as there is no bus. A 9:30 start time would be a nightmare.

you argue that "some" are trying to change the bell times. Yet it is also "some" who have to drive kids to school. Somehow your "some" is more important???

NP. All kids would benefit from a later start time, especially high schoolers, many of whom are physically incapable of falling asleep before midnight.

Science? We don't need no stinkin' science.

Especially the pseudo science they're pushing when parenting would suffice.

What? Every study on this issue says early school start times aren't good for kids. They're just practical for parents.

Primarily they are feasible for MCPS for school transportation. MCPS only has so many buses and so many bus drivers. Currently, most of the buses and bus drivers are used for 3-4 routes, twice a day: high school, then middle school, then two elementary school groups. For later high school start times, MCPS would either have to buy a lot more buses and hire a lot more bus drivers, or MCPS would have to rearrange the order of the routes. MCPS assessed the rearrange-the-order options in the Bell Times Study and decided that none of the options were better than the current option. And all of the reasons for that decision are still valid now.

So, if you want later school start times, you need to figure out a way to get lots of kids to/from school that isn't (1) school buses or (2) parents driving kids. Once you've figured that out, the rest will be easy.

Flip ES and HS start times. No extra buses necessary.

That would mean high schools would start at 9:30. Do you know of any large school districts with high school start times that late? Don't you think there are reasons for that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks who are opposed to changing (or even discussing a change) school bell times are
A) don't want to change their own schedule in their stubborn old age
B) MCPS lawyer
C) both A and B above

We have kids in multiple after school activities and they have homework. If your kid needs sleep send them to bed earlier. You are stubborn to demand everyone change their scheduled based off your lazy parenting. Some of us have to drive our kids to school as there is no bus. A 9:30 start time would be a nightmare.

And you are stubborn to demand everyone do what works for your 1950s lazy schedule.

Most people who work start between 8-9. What job will let you start at 10 AM? If you are so flexible why can't you take the time to get your kids to bed at a reasonable hour?

The same ones that allow for ES (you know the youngest learners) to need to arrive at school between 8-9am. If times were reversed the folks getting to school latest would be able to supervise themselves.

But then what do you do in the afternoon?

The same thing you do in the morning now. Either have someone there appropriate to supervise the younger kid or get home earlier. This is not a new problem for school districts and parents. Either society forces work and school schedules to more align OR schools offer longer days that provide different services/activities beyond academic OR parents figure out how to get kids where they need to be and school times are based on what makes the most sense for the academic/SE needs for kids in school.

Or we maintain the status quo because every alternative is either wildly impractical or would make things worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks who are opposed to changing (or even discussing a change) school bell times are
A) don't want to change their own schedule in their stubborn old age
B) MCPS lawyer
C) both A and B above

We have kids in multiple after school activities and they have homework. If your kid needs sleep send them to bed earlier. You are stubborn to demand everyone change their scheduled based off your lazy parenting. Some of us have to drive our kids to school as there is no bus. A 9:30 start time would be a nightmare.

you argue that "some" are trying to change the bell times. Yet it is also "some" who have to drive kids to school. Somehow your "some" is more important???

NP. All kids would benefit from a later start time, especially high schoolers, many of whom are physically incapable of falling asleep before midnight.

Science? We don't need no stinkin' science.

Especially the pseudo science they're pushing when parenting would suffice.

What? Every study on this issue says early school start times aren't good for kids. They're just practical for parents.

Primarily they are feasible for MCPS for school transportation. MCPS only has so many buses and so many bus drivers. Currently, most of the buses and bus drivers are used for 3-4 routes, twice a day: high school, then middle school, then two elementary school groups. For later high school start times, MCPS would either have to buy a lot more buses and hire a lot more bus drivers, or MCPS would have to rearrange the order of the routes. MCPS assessed the rearrange-the-order options in the Bell Times Study and decided that none of the options were better than the current option. And all of the reasons for that decision are still valid now.

So, if you want later school start times, you need to figure out a way to get lots of kids to/from school that isn't (1) school buses or (2) parents driving kids. Once you've figured that out, the rest will be easy.

Flip ES and HS start times. No extra buses necessary.

That would mean high schools would start at 9:30. Do you know of any large school districts with high school start times that late? Don't you think there are reasons for that?

Reasons like urban school districts' primary mission is daycare?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks who are opposed to changing (or even discussing a change) school bell times are
A) don't want to change their own schedule in their stubborn old age
B) MCPS lawyer
C) both A and B above

We have kids in multiple after school activities and they have homework. If your kid needs sleep send them to bed earlier. You are stubborn to demand everyone change their scheduled based off your lazy parenting. Some of us have to drive our kids to school as there is no bus. A 9:30 start time would be a nightmare.

you argue that "some" are trying to change the bell times. Yet it is also "some" who have to drive kids to school. Somehow your "some" is more important???

NP. All kids would benefit from a later start time, especially high schoolers, many of whom are physically incapable of falling asleep before midnight.

Science? We don't need no stinkin' science.

Especially the pseudo science they're pushing when parenting would suffice.

What? Every study on this issue says early school start times aren't good for kids. They're just practical for parents.

Primarily they are feasible for MCPS for school transportation. MCPS only has so many buses and so many bus drivers. Currently, most of the buses and bus drivers are used for 3-4 routes, twice a day: high school, then middle school, then two elementary school groups. For later high school start times, MCPS would either have to buy a lot more buses and hire a lot more bus drivers, or MCPS would have to rearrange the order of the routes. MCPS assessed the rearrange-the-order options in the Bell Times Study and decided that none of the options were better than the current option. And all of the reasons for that decision are still valid now.

So, if you want later school start times, you need to figure out a way to get lots of kids to/from school that isn't (1) school buses or (2) parents driving kids. Once you've figured that out, the rest will be easy.

Flip ES and HS start times. No extra buses necessary.

But that would create a different set of problems, which have been discussed extensively in this thread and which you've never offered solutions for.

Why don't you tell us what they are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks who are opposed to changing (or even discussing a change) school bell times are
A) don't want to change their own schedule in their stubborn old age
B) MCPS lawyer
C) both A and B above

We have kids in multiple after school activities and they have homework. If your kid needs sleep send them to bed earlier. You are stubborn to demand everyone change their scheduled based off your lazy parenting. Some of us have to drive our kids to school as there is no bus. A 9:30 start time would be a nightmare.

you argue that "some" are trying to change the bell times. Yet it is also "some" who have to drive kids to school. Somehow your "some" is more important???

NP. All kids would benefit from a later start time, especially high schoolers, many of whom are physically incapable of falling asleep before midnight.

Science? We don't need no stinkin' science.

Especially the pseudo science they're pushing when parenting would suffice.

What? Every study on this issue says early school start times aren't good for kids. They're just practical for parents.

Primarily they are feasible for MCPS for school transportation. MCPS only has so many buses and so many bus drivers. Currently, most of the buses and bus drivers are used for 3-4 routes, twice a day: high school, then middle school, then two elementary school groups. For later high school start times, MCPS would either have to buy a lot more buses and hire a lot more bus drivers, or MCPS would have to rearrange the order of the routes. MCPS assessed the rearrange-the-order options in the Bell Times Study and decided that none of the options were better than the current option. And all of the reasons for that decision are still valid now.

So, if you want later school start times, you need to figure out a way to get lots of kids to/from school that isn't (1) school buses or (2) parents driving kids. Once you've figured that out, the rest will be easy.

Flip ES and HS start times. No extra buses necessary.

But that would create a different set of problems, which have been discussed extensively in this thread and which you've never offered solutions for.

Why don't you tell us what they are.

For someone arguing for a change, you seen remarkably ignorant of the issues. Start there before wasting others' time again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks who are opposed to changing (or even discussing a change) school bell times are
A) don't want to change their own schedule in their stubborn old age
B) MCPS lawyer
C) both A and B above

We have kids in multiple after school activities and they have homework. If your kid needs sleep send them to bed earlier. You are stubborn to demand everyone change their scheduled based off your lazy parenting. Some of us have to drive our kids to school as there is no bus. A 9:30 start time would be a nightmare.

you argue that "some" are trying to change the bell times. Yet it is also "some" who have to drive kids to school. Somehow your "some" is more important???

NP. All kids would benefit from a later start time, especially high schoolers, many of whom are physically incapable of falling asleep before midnight.

Science? We don't need no stinkin' science.

Especially the pseudo science they're pushing when parenting would suffice.

What? Every study on this issue says early school start times aren't good for kids. They're just practical for parents.

Primarily they are feasible for MCPS for school transportation. MCPS only has so many buses and so many bus drivers. Currently, most of the buses and bus drivers are used for 3-4 routes, twice a day: high school, then middle school, then two elementary school groups. For later high school start times, MCPS would either have to buy a lot more buses and hire a lot more bus drivers, or MCPS would have to rearrange the order of the routes. MCPS assessed the rearrange-the-order options in the Bell Times Study and decided that none of the options were better than the current option. And all of the reasons for that decision are still valid now.

So, if you want later school start times, you need to figure out a way to get lots of kids to/from school that isn't (1) school buses or (2) parents driving kids. Once you've figured that out, the rest will be easy.

Flip ES and HS start times. No extra buses necessary.

That would mean high schools would start at 9:30. Do you know of any large school districts with high school start times that late? Don't you think there are reasons for that?

Reasons like urban school districts' primary mission is daycare?

You don't seem to know much about the history of public schools. Read more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks who are opposed to changing (or even discussing a change) school bell times are
A) don't want to change their own schedule in their stubborn old age
B) MCPS lawyer
C) both A and B above

We have kids in multiple after school activities and they have homework. If your kid needs sleep send them to bed earlier. You are stubborn to demand everyone change their scheduled based off your lazy parenting. Some of us have to drive our kids to school as there is no bus. A 9:30 start time would be a nightmare.

you argue that "some" are trying to change the bell times. Yet it is also "some" who have to drive kids to school. Somehow your "some" is more important???

NP. All kids would benefit from a later start time, especially high schoolers, many of whom are physically incapable of falling asleep before midnight.

Science? We don't need no stinkin' science.

Especially the pseudo science they're pushing when parenting would suffice.

What? Every study on this issue says early school start times aren't good for kids. They're just practical for parents.

Primarily they are feasible for MCPS for school transportation. MCPS only has so many buses and so many bus drivers. Currently, most of the buses and bus drivers are used for 3-4 routes, twice a day: high school, then middle school, then two elementary school groups. For later high school start times, MCPS would either have to buy a lot more buses and hire a lot more bus drivers, or MCPS would have to rearrange the order of the routes. MCPS assessed the rearrange-the-order options in the Bell Times Study and decided that none of the options were better than the current option. And all of the reasons for that decision are still valid now.

So, if you want later school start times, you need to figure out a way to get lots of kids to/from school that isn't (1) school buses or (2) parents driving kids. Once you've figured that out, the rest will be easy.

Flip ES and HS start times. No extra buses necessary.

That would mean high schools would start at 9:30. Do you know of any large school districts with high school start times that late? Don't you think there are reasons for that?

They'd have to do sports and activities before school, for one thing so they'd need activity buses. And, they'd have to bring back the MVA or change it to one mile for buses as mine would have no way to get back and forth to school at that hour.

[Anonymous]

If your spolied kids don't want to get up, have them do summer school and take summer classes to skip first period and drive them. Or, have them dual enrolled in MC and they can take classes on their schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your spolied kids don't want to get up, have them do summer school and take summer classes to skip first period and drive them. Or, have them dual enrolled in MC and they can take classes on their schedule.

Great suggestions!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks who are opposed to changing (or even discussing a change) school bell times are
A) don't want to change their own schedule in their stubborn old age
B) MCPS lawyer
C) both A and B above

We have kids in multiple after school activities and they have homework. If your kid needs sleep send them to bed earlier. You are stubborn to demand everyone change their scheduled based off your lazy parenting. Some of us have to drive our kids to school as there is no bus. A 9:30 start time would be a nightmare.

you argue that "some" are trying to change the bell times. Yet it is also "some" who have to drive kids to school. Somehow your "some" is more important???

NP. All kids would benefit from a later start time, especially high schoolers, many of whom are physically incapable of falling asleep before midnight.

Science? We don't need no stinkin' science.

Especially the pseudo science they're pushing when parenting would suffice.

What? Every study on this issue says early school start times aren't good for kids. They're just practical for parents.

Primarily they are feasible for MCPS for school transportation. MCPS only has so many buses and so many bus drivers. Currently, most of the buses and bus drivers are used for 3-4 routes, twice a day: high school, then middle school, then two elementary school groups. For later high school start times, MCPS would either have to buy a lot more buses and hire a lot more bus drivers, or MCPS would have to rearrange the order of the routes. MCPS assessed the rearrange-the-order options in the Bell Times Study and decided that none of the options were better than the current option. And all of the reasons for that decision are still valid now.

So, if you want later school start times, you need to figure out a way to get lots of kids to/from school that isn't (1) school buses or (2) parents driving kids. Once you've figured that out, the rest will be easy.

Flip ES and HS start times. No extra buses necessary.

That would mean high schools would start at 9:30. Do you know of any large school districts with high school start times that late? Don't you think there are reasons for that?

They'd have to do sports and activities before school, for one thing so they'd need activity buses. And, they'd have to bring back the MVA or change it to one mile for buses as mine would have no way to get back and forth to school at that hour.

Can you explain what you mean by that? Why would they have a harder time getting to school "at that hour"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your spolied kids don't want to get up, have them do summer school and take summer classes to skip first period and drive them. Or, have them dual enrolled in MC and they can take classes on their schedule.

The kids struggling to get up for school aren't going to be even MC material...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your spolied kids don't want to get up, have them do summer school and take summer classes to skip first period and drive them. Or, have them dual enrolled in MC and they can take classes on their schedule.

The kids struggling to get up for school aren't going to be even MC material...

Very true

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks who are opposed to changing (or even discussing a change) school bell times are
A) don't want to change their own schedule in their stubborn old age
B) MCPS lawyer
C) both A and B above

We have kids in multiple after school activities and they have homework. If your kid needs sleep send them to bed earlier. You are stubborn to demand everyone change their scheduled based off your lazy parenting. Some of us have to drive our kids to school as there is no bus. A 9:30 start time would be a nightmare.

you argue that "some" are trying to change the bell times. Yet it is also "some" who have to drive kids to school. Somehow your "some" is more important???

NP. All kids would benefit from a later start time, especially high schoolers, many of whom are physically incapable of falling asleep before midnight.

Science? We don't need no stinkin' science.

Especially the pseudo science they're pushing when parenting would suffice.

What? Every study on this issue says early school start times aren't good for kids. They're just practical for parents.

Primarily they are feasible for MCPS for school transportation. MCPS only has so many buses and so many bus drivers. Currently, most of the buses and bus drivers are used for 3-4 routes, twice a day: high school, then middle school, then two elementary school groups. For later high school start times, MCPS would either have to buy a lot more buses and hire a lot more bus drivers, or MCPS would have to rearrange the order of the routes. MCPS assessed the rearrange-the-order options in the Bell Times Study and decided that none of the options were better than the current option. And all of the reasons for that decision are still valid now.

So, if you want later school start times, you need to figure out a way to get lots of kids to/from school that isn't (1) school buses or (2) parents driving kids. Once you've figured that out, the rest will be easy.

Flip ES and HS start times. No extra buses necessary.

That would mean high schools would start at 9:30. Do you know of any large school districts with high school start times that late? Don't you think there are reasons for that?

They'd have to do sports and activities before school, for one thing so they'd need activity buses. And, they'd have to bring back the MVA or change it to one mile for buses as mine would have no way to get back and forth to school at that hour.

Can you explain what you mean by that? Why would they have a harder time getting to school "at that hour"?

Explain what? My kids need to be driven to school. We have no sidewalks, several major dangerous roads that kids have been hit by cars, no crossing guards, etc. So, for parents who have to drive, 9:30 is a huge problem if you are working or have to get to work.

And, the kids who are in sports and activities will just be up even later, to fit everything in and still have to get up for early AM practices so that only helps the tantruming parents whose kids are in no activities and parents refuse to parent and tell them to go to bed.

So, if my child's practice starts later, ends later, then homework and food, they would not go to bed till 1-2-3 am and have to be up at 4:30 for sports again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Folks who are opposed to changing (or even discussing a change) school bell times are
A) don't want to change their own schedule in their stubborn old age
B) MCPS lawyer
C) both A and B above

We have kids in multiple after school activities and they have homework. If your kid needs sleep send them to bed earlier. You are stubborn to demand everyone change their scheduled based off your lazy parenting. Some of us have to drive our kids to school as there is no bus. A 9:30 start time would be a nightmare.

you argue that "some" are trying to change the bell times. Yet it is also "some" who have to drive kids to school. Somehow your "some" is more important???

NP. All kids would benefit from a later start time, especially high schoolers, many of whom are physically incapable of falling asleep before midnight.

Science? We don't need no stinkin' science.

Especially the pseudo science they're pushing when parenting would suffice.

What? Every study on this issue says early school start times aren't good for kids. They're just practical for parents.

Primarily they are feasible for MCPS for school transportation. MCPS only has so many buses and so many bus drivers. Currently, most of the buses and bus drivers are used for 3-4 routes, twice a day: high school, then middle school, then two elementary school groups. For later high school start times, MCPS would either have to buy a lot more buses and hire a lot more bus drivers, or MCPS would have to rearrange the order of the routes. MCPS assessed the rearrange-the-order options in the Bell Times Study and decided that none of the options were better than the current option. And all of the reasons for that decision are still valid now.

So, if you want later school start times, you need to figure out a way to get lots of kids to/from school that isn't (1) school buses or (2) parents driving kids. Once you've figured that out, the rest will be easy.

Flip ES and HS start times. No extra buses necessary.

That would mean high schools would start at 9:30. Do you know of any large school districts with high school start times that late? Don't you think there are reasons for that?

They'd have to do sports and activities before school, for one thing so they'd need activity buses. And, they'd have to bring back the MVA or change it to one mile for buses as mine would have no way to get back and forth to school at that hour.

Can you explain what you mean by that? Why would they have a harder time getting to school "at that hour"?

Explain what? My kids need to be driven to school. We have no sidewalks, several major dangerous roads that kids have been hit by cars, no crossing guards, etc. So, for parents who have to drive, 9:30 is a huge problem if you are working or have to get to work.

And, the kids who are in sports and activities will just be up even later, to fit everything in and still have to get up for early AM practices so that only helps the tantruming parents whose kids are in no activities and parents refuse to parent and tell them to go to bed.

So, if my child's practice starts later, ends later, then homework and food, they would not go to bed till 1-2-3 am and have to be up at 4:30 for sports again.

Are you really suggesting that *high school* kids can't walk to school? Yes, some kids with special needs may be able to safely walk, but you can get transportation written into the IEP.

Don't get me wrong- I think switching the start times is an awful idea. I just think "high school kids being unable to walk" is an incredibly weak reason.