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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As someone who grew up outside the US, I find this very amusing but not in a good way. In fact, we noticed the same thing with our child.

Here's how it works elsewhere: first of, even in middle and high schools, there are breaks between classes: at least 10min, one break (where milk could be bought and brought-from-home snacks be eaten) of 15min, and one outdoor recess of 20min. Until 12th grade. Second, lunch facilities were built such that everyone could have lunch at the same time (none of this taking turns in 6 shifts and seeing only half of each grade). No weird 52 minute periods when your period overlapped with some other grade's lunch time because the cafeteria seats only 150 kids (in a school built in the 2010s!).

When I compare this to today's insane schedule of 4min class changes and a single 20min lunch break I'm wondering why we're putting up with this.  Kids that aren't packers (but have to buy their lunch) often spend half of that time in the lunch line. The remaining recess time was stolen as well and crammed in "study hall" or "intervention/enrichment" time (which I understand is usually just a waste of 25min where kids need to read a book or be otherwise quiet).  The other day our child didn't make it to their next class between periods because they had to run from the gym on one end of the building to the other and back to a different wing to get their materials for the next class. To avoid being marked tardy, they are now working out a special exception where the school materials are dropped off in the classroom a period earlier (even though it's against the rules).

This all seems utterly insane and actually reminiscent of prison - I can't think of any other place with a similarly regulated schedule that is purposely designed to cut out any downtime.  Note also that there's almost no time for socializing because each of these time periods is with a randomly assigned group of kids, particularly in middle school before AP classes and with few electives.  The predictable result is that many kids talk during class, sometimes over the teacher, something that was taboo (and occurred infrequently) where I went to school. It prevents kids who want to use class time for their work from doing so and generally kills concentration.
Grabbing granola bars between classes needs to be done furtively because eating in the hallways is not allowed, and in any event, you'd get run over if you don't pay attention. Yes there are teachers who recognize this and allow snacks like in 8th period for early lunchers or before lunch for late lunchers like in this post.

Do Americans even remember a time with quiet class periods where you could concentrate, 10min class changes, a breakfast snack, consistent 45 minute periods, and a long recess where you could talk to your classmates and didn't feel the need to talk in class?  Most people I talked to who went to school in the 90s or later think that this was always this way.  I don't believe that's true, though, or is it? 
 
Why is there no revolution? Why is everyone putting up with this?
[/quote]

People here have been raised to believe that all of this is perfectly fine and that they shouldn't complain.  It has always been this way.  I'm almost 60 and I cannot remember a time when it was different.  Part of the reason is that people with a lot of money send their kids to private school, which is decidedly not prison-like, so the people with the power to change anything at all don't experience this.  I have no idea why it's like this, though.  Perhaps lack of school funding is part of the problem - fewer staff and teachers, more crowded and smaller buildings, insufficient resources, it all means more restrictions are necessary.  People here don't even realize how under-funded most of our school systems are, because they have nothing to compare to.  Also, the lifestyle tends to keep people so busy working, and so exhausted, and then give them just enough that they have something to lose.  Doesn't make for revolutionary thinking.  Anyway, I'm OP, and I think it's horrible and wish I didn't have to send my kid to public school at all, but we've done private up until now and just can't pay for it anymore.  So this is a rude awakening for us, too.  But most people here on dcum will blast you for worrying about your snowflake, so you can see how the thinking is.[/quote]

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