Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely extend the day longer. Start at 940 instead of 740 and get out around 445. Most parents work until 5ish so that makes things easier for literally everyone.

Also agree that having off of school for 9 weeks in the summer is antiquated. Schools have AC now (and honestly , it’s super hot in August when they go back anyways so the AC argument is dumb). Have a 2 week break in June and a 2 week break in August and go to school for July.

I think a lot of teachers would leave the district if FCPS got rid of summers off.

As a parent I would leave the system if I have to deal with school routine grind without breaks I want 2 months of not having to nag the kids to do schoolwork, go to bed early, prepare for tests, deal with multiple drop offs and pick ups, tired and grumpy kids.

Sweetie, my elementary child should not be going to school at 11:00am.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I remember my kids getting up so early. They were pretty sleep deprived in secondary school. I think a longer school year with shorter days is the answer.

No. Summer break should be 2 months, or it’s not a break. People need the reset from the routines and the rat race grind. And some have families they need to visit, vacations they want to take without the grind of the jet lag and constant supervising of the kids to do assignments. There is so much fluff in our education system and busy work that we can cut the school hours and still be where we are academically. Kids who need more help can stay after school like they do now. Kids that are ahead can enjoy extra time off or divert it to activities. 7:30 am school start for middle school is brutal and doesn’t help kids or parents. Even with daylight savings you still get up and get out before dawn.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now add 2 hours on to the end of the day and tell me how they feel. Would they be happy getting home from school at 4:30 or 5:30?

Or we keep the shorter day but add on weeks to make up for the 2 hours that we are cutting from the day, so shorter summer.

Which is it?

1) Current schedule
2) Later release time
3) Longer school year but shorter days

You are thinking too narrowly. Public schools have a huge amount of wasted, non-learning time during the day. Breaks, transitions, for elementary students there are too many "specials", for older kids free periods. You could easily accomplish the same amount of actual learning in a shorter school day if you tried, with no need to extend the school day or school year.

But people get attached to the idea of "instructional hours" as an essential metric for school quality without thinking critically about how many of those instructional hours actually include instruction. It's so many fewer than you think. Your kids are dragging themselves to school at 7 or 8 am in order to spend half of their school day waiting, walking between classes, or engaged in an independent activity they could easily do at home.

I'm not sure how you would get rid of transitions. I do feel strongly that "specials" are important. For some kids there may just be one part of the school week where they feel successful. That might not be math or reading. It could be art, music or PE. I didn't always appreciate this

I used to think this way. But, year after year, with a few exceptions, ES specials and teachers have been the most soul crushing, time-wasting part of the day. Poor classroom control, projects that students don’t care about, minute amount of “learning” anything new. Aside from PE, I would vote for eliminating every one of the specials classes in ES. Actually, my ES kids have been thrilled about 2 hour delay so they don’t have to sit through music and art. Not because they don’t like music and art, but because of the type of instruction and environment. That time alone, specials plus transition to and from, is over one hour every single day.

For HS, get rid of advisory.

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely extend the day longer. Start at 940 instead of 740 and get out around 445. Most parents work until 5ish so that makes things easier for literally everyone.

Also agree that having off of school for 9 weeks in the summer is antiquated. Schools have AC now (and honestly , it’s super hot in August when they go back anyways so the AC argument is dumb). Have a 2 week break in June and a 2 week break in August and go to school for July.

I think a lot of teachers would leave the district if FCPS got rid of summers off.

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely extend the day longer. Start at 940 instead of 740 and get out around 445. Most parents work until 5ish so that makes things easier for literally everyone.

Also agree that having off of school for 9 weeks in the summer is antiquated. Schools have AC now (and honestly , it’s super hot in August when they go back anyways so the AC argument is dumb). Have a 2 week break in June and a 2 week break in August and go to school for July.

It doesn't make things easier for literally everyone. First of all, there are plenty of people who don't work 9-5. But more to the point, elementary parents don't want their kids going in at 11. Parents of active high school students don't want their kids starting sports practice at 5, and ending at 8. Or starting their part time job at 5 and getting off at 10. Or playing in a basketball game from 8 - 10.

Basically, this is taking a schedule that works for most people, and switching it to only support the segments of high schoolers who have parents who work 9 - 5, don't do activities, and are lazy about getting out of bed, but not too lazy because they'll need to do it themselves since their parents will be gone to work. If that's your family, I'm sorry, but that doesn't justify changing everyone else's schedule.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now add 2 hours on to the end of the day and tell me how they feel. Would they be happy getting home from school at 4:30 or 5:30?

Or we keep the shorter day but add on weeks to make up for the 2 hours that we are cutting from the day, so shorter summer.

Which is it?

1) Current schedule
2) Later release time
3) Longer school year but shorter days

You are thinking too narrowly. Public schools have a huge amount of wasted, non-learning time during the day. Breaks, transitions, for elementary students there are too many "specials", for older kids free periods. You could easily accomplish the same amount of actual learning in a shorter school day if you tried, with no need to extend the school day or school year.

But people get attached to the idea of "instructional hours" as an essential metric for school quality without thinking critically about how many of those instructional hours actually include instruction. It's so many fewer than you think. Your kids are dragging themselves to school at 7 or 8 am in order to spend half of their school day waiting, walking between classes, or engaged in an independent activity they could easily do at home.

I'm not sure how you would get rid of transitions. I do feel strongly that "specials" are important. For some kids there may just be one part of the school week where they feel successful. That might not be math or reading. It could be art, music or PE. I didn't always appreciate this

I used to think this way. But, year after year, with a few exceptions, ES specials and teachers have been the most soul crushing, time-wasting part of the day. Poor classroom control, projects that students don’t care about, minute amount of “learning” anything new. Aside from PE, I would vote for eliminating every one of the specials classes in ES. Actually, my ES kids have been thrilled about 2 hour delay so they don’t have to sit through music and art. Not because they don’t like music and art, but because of the type of instruction and environment. That time alone, specials plus transition to and from, is over one hour every single day.

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely extend the day longer. Start at 940 instead of 740 and get out around 445. Most parents work until 5ish so that makes things easier for literally everyone.

Also agree that having off of school for 9 weeks in the summer is antiquated. Schools have AC now (and honestly , it’s super hot in August when they go back anyways so the AC argument is dumb). Have a 2 week break in June and a 2 week break in August and go to school for July.

It doesn’t make it easier for me. I have to be at work at 7:30. Not every school in my district has a/c. My school has it but it rarely works properly. I’d prefer fewer weeks in the summer for vacation. My students lose so much over the summer. I can’t afford a summer vacation because the prices are $$$$.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Now add 2 hours on to the end of the day and tell me how they feel. Would they be happy getting home from school at 4:30 or 5:30?

Or we keep the shorter day but add on weeks to make up for the 2 hours that we are cutting from the day, so shorter summer.

Which is it?

1) Current schedule
2) Later release time
3) Longer school year but shorter days

3. + instead of random scattered days off or teacher days, gather them up to a week in like March. Longer year but more solid chunks of time off. Don't need a whole summer. 2 weeks here, 2 weeks there, 1 week here or there....

That’s the dream!!! Although I’ll just take a straight week off and don’t need 2 (but I’d take it). Summer is long and icky. Can’t visit family in the summer because it’s too hot.

I too would like less days off scattered. Give each kid 2 free excuses absences for religious holidays.

Anonymous wrote:My middle schooler is so much more rested and happier to go to school this should be the real start time.


Same with my highschooler

They sound like lazybones

As a parent of current 8th & 5th grader, I prefer school buses schedule to remain the same. The only solution is more buses, rather than mess up schedules.

Anonymous wrote:It's the middle school start time debate in a new package, ha.

Unless and until we invest in more busses, it simply isn't going to happen.

And year round school isn't happening either. I'm not saying there aren't merits to the idea, but do not kid yourself that this is something that will happen in any current school child's school career.

Gee. Seems to me that test scores started falling when school starts got later.

And, yes, I know there are lots of other influences on this, but, just saying.......

It's the middle school start time debate in a new package, ha.

Unless and until we invest in more busses, it simply isn't going to happen.

And year round school isn't happening either. I'm not saying there aren't merits to the idea, but do not kid yourself that this is something that will happen in any current school child's school career.

My ES kids were ready to go at 8:30. The 2 hours wasted in the am were not great. They were productive at home and read and caught up on some math hw too.

Anonymous wrote:11:20 is not a good time for my elementary schooler to start.

If we had enough buses and bus drivers, OP and your kid could both have appropriate start times. Alas, it is expensive.