Perfectly reasonable to take a 14 year old to school. Not sure why that would be controversial.

Anonymous wrote:DCPS starts a bit too late. Even starting at 8:15 would be better for parents who need to be at work by nine. I asked DCPS administrators if there was any consideration to starting a bit earlier. The response was that it is better for some kids to be in school later in the day -- safer and that there is too much trouble kids could get in if they got out of school earlier. While I understand that, it also has to work for everyone else too. Why not 8:15 to 2:50, or 8 to 2:45 and offer a study hall for another hour.

Most kids in the dcps system walk or take transportation to school by the time they are nine or ten. Are you seriously taking your high schooler to school??

^ for the exact reasons stated above. Get your care before school if you have to force your kid up at that hour. Otherwise, let the brain sleep when it wants to sleep.

DCPS starts a bit too late. Even starting at 8:15 would be better for parents who need to be at work by nine. I asked DCPS administrators if there was any consideration to starting a bit earlier. The response was that it is better for some kids to be in school later in the day -- safer and that there is too much trouble kids could get in if they got out of school earlier. While I understand that, it also has to work for everyone else too. Why not 8:15 to 2:50, or 8 to 2:45 and offer a study hall for another hour.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:THere is no lost instruction time. Later start=later dismissal. And as others have noted, later start is better for teenagers. The only reason other jurisdictions need early start times is because of school bus service, which isn't an issue in DC. So ES, MS, and HS can all run on the same (later) schedule.

I'm afraid you may be wrong. I don't think schools in MD or VA end any earlier than DCPS schools which let out pretty early by most standards.

BCC stars at 725 and lets out at 215, so 20 minutes longer, but the kids also get an entire period off for lunch so the instructional time may be the same.

Langley 7:20 - 2:10. Kids go to school in the dark. It's absurd. Look at the advocacy work that SLEEP is doing.

Anonymous wrote:THere is no lost instruction time. Later start=later dismissal. And as others have noted, later start is better for teenagers. The only reason other jurisdictions need early start times is because of school bus service, which isn't an issue in DC. So ES, MS, and HS can all run on the same (later) schedule.

I'm afraid you may be wrong. I don't think schools in MD or VA end any earlier than DCPS schools which let out pretty early by most standards.

THere is no lost instruction time. Later start=later dismissal. And as others have noted, later start is better for teenagers. The only reason other jurisdictions need early start times is because of school bus service, which isn't an issue in DC. So ES, MS, and HS can all run on the same (later) schedule.

The traditional work day is so obsolete. Many employees are on alyernative work schedules. Family friendly workplaces offer these hours.

You do know that some DCPS students will have even later start times. Twilight classes start this year.

School hours should coincide with work hours, so 9-6 is about right.

Washington Lee high 8:19am-3:01pm
Wilson High 8:45-3:15

Agree with everything 12:42 said. +42.

Plus. Research really does show that the teenage brain doesn't function as well at that early time. It's stressful on families to force a brain into a place it just doesn't want to go every single day of the week.

Thinking back on my own teenage self (and I'm a proud morning person these days) I think it's not only beneficial to start late, but also to get out late - when mom and/or dad don't have to worry about where you are for 3 hours before they get home from work...

In recent days there have been a number of editorials and discussion in the media about the early start times of high school's in the DC area. Most seem to start the day around 7:15am. DC high schools have a start time of 8:45. This is almost an hour and a half of either more sleep for teenagers OR and hour and a half of lost instruction time, depending on your perspective. Even most of the privates in the area start by 8:00am. Those hours really add up in the larger scheme of things.

Do you think the much later start time of DCPS high schools is a plus or a minus?