Anonymous wrote:Dr. Starr is recommending the following changes be studied:

- Move high school start times 50 minutes later, from 7:25 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. (school ending at 3 p.m.)
- Move middle school start times 10 minutes earlier, from 7:55 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. (school ending at 2:30 p.m.)
- Keep elementary school start times as they currently are (8:50 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.), but extend the school day by 30 minutes (school ending at 3:35 p.m. and 4 p.m.)

Would not be implemented until 2015-2016 school year.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?page=showrelease&id=3407

Anonymous wrote:

I do not support a longer day for elementary school. Frankly, I have found the elementary curriculum to be very weak -- even more so with C2.0. I can't support having my child be in school for an even longer day, especially at that young age when play dates and after school activities and other "down" time is so important. More time with a weak curriculum and weak teachers is really not going to be helpful. For those students that enter or fall behind in elementary, rigorous research-based intervention during the school day would be most helpful. 2nd most helpful would be rigorous research-based intervention/catch-up plans after the school day or in Saturday school. Instead, right now, those students who are behind are simply given more of the same, on the theory that teaching the same way a second time will be successful.

I agree with you about the curriculum and Starr should be run out of town for what he has done to MCPS.

However, MCPS doesn't have to screw everything up. They could do this right and use the extra 30 minutes to give kids more recess time. This would support the latest research on the childhood obesity epidemic and recommendation from HHS and AAP. This would never happen in MCPS BUT wouldn't it be great if they could offer extra PE, art, music or even introduce something new like drama or a foreign language for grades 2 and above. K and 1st just need more outdoor time and play time.

The county also needs to take away the principal's discretion to cancel recess. Too many principals don't let kids go outside for recess when its under 40 or 32 degrees. Every single kid goes to play outside once they get home, get into aftercare, or go to outdoor sports. There is no reason for the principals to be canceling recess all winter. The gyms can't accommodate the size of the recess population so the kids end up copped up in their classrooms.

Anonymous wrote:I think it's awesome that a big announcement like this, sure to please as many people as it displeases, was dropped simultaneously with a government shutdown! Well played - even better than announcing something late in the day on a Friday before a long weekend

Anonymous wrote:Why start elementary so late? Those are by and large the kids who could handle the 7:30 am start. A 9:15 start means losing a good chunk of the prime learning time for kids that age.

Anonymous wrote:Why start elementary so late? Those are by and large the kids who could handle the 7:30 am start. A 9:15 start means losing a good chunk of the prime learning time for kids that age.

Anonymous wrote:This seems like a good fix and would bring MCPS in line with most other school districts. It is impossible to please everyone but the proposal would make the bus schedule work, align the high school with a much better start times and consistent with VA schools, and also make MCPS elementary school day on par with most every other school district in MD and I think elsewhere, though I gather some mothers might resent having to wait 30 minutes for their kids to return home. How someone could oppose 30 minutes longer school day to bring MCPS into the norm is beyond me.

Anonymous wrote:

I do not support a longer day for elementary school. Frankly, I have found the elementary curriculum to be very weak -- even more so with C2.0. I can't support having my child be in school for an even longer day, especially at that young age when play dates and after school activities and other "down" time is so important. More time with a weak curriculum and weak teachers is really not going to be helpful. For those students that enter or fall behind in elementary, rigorous research-based intervention during the school day would be most helpful. 2nd most helpful would be rigorous research-based intervention/catch-up plans after the school day or in Saturday school. Instead, right now, those students who are behind are simply given more of the same, on the theory that teaching the same way a second time will be successful.

I agree with you about the curriculum and Starr should be run out of town for what he has done to MCPS.

However, MCPS doesn't have to screw everything up. They could do this right and use the extra 30 minutes to give kids more recess time. This would support the latest research on the childhood obesity epidemic and recommendation from HHS and AAP. This would never happen in MCPS BUT wouldn't it be great if they could offer extra PE, art, music or even introduce something new like drama or a foreign language for grades 2 and above. K and 1st just need more outdoor time and play time.

The county also needs to take away the principal's discretion to cancel recess. Too many principals don't let kids go outside for recess when its under 40 or 32 degrees. Every single kid goes to play outside once they get home, get into aftercare, or go to outdoor sports. There is no reason for the principals to be canceling recess all winter. The gyms can't accommodate the size of the recess population so the kids end up copped up in their classrooms.