Anonymous wrote:OP here -- I don't have a problem with FCPS paying teachers for the time the kids are getting packed up or coming into the classroom in the morning. I just wish it was clear what time the kids (1) need to be in their seats and (2) are being dismissed from the room.

Do they need to be in the classroom and in their seats at 8:00 or 8:10? Are they getting dismissed at 2:50 (with the busses pulling away at 3:00) or are they being dismissed from the classroom at 3:00? Confusing.

If they are paying the teachers for supervising arrival and dismissal -- I'm all for that. But, it is a little hinky to count it as "instructional time" for purposes of the state standards. It's not instructional time. They don't count lunch and recess as instructional time. They shouldn't be counting arrival (i.e. hang up your coat) and dismissal (walk to the bus or walk out the school door) as "instructional time." That's the kind of stuff that makes you wonder if they are legitimately interested in being a great school district or one that does the bare minimum (and treads on the fact that the parents are highly educated and therefore produce higher achieving kids regardless of the public school system.)

I do believe the School Board generally makes decisions based on what they believe to be in the best interests of the student body... but fudging the numbers just to meet the "minimum standards" does not invite confidence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually it's not really going to be 20 minutes longer. The starting bell and ending bell will be the same. What's changed is that the "technical" start time will be when buses arrive and when they leave. Those 10 minutes on either end will now "count" towards the minutes that kids are in school. It helps with making the snow day situation work.

So if your official school day last year was 8:45 to 3:25, the bell will still ring at those times. Instruction will start at 8:45 and dismissal will be at 3:25.

This year, the "official" start time on paper will be 8:35 which is when buses arrive. And the "official" end time will be 3:35 which is when buses have left. Again, the actual instruction time will still be exactly the same: 8:45-3:25.

I prefer fcps to be more honest. There isn't a lot of quality instruction while kids are packing up and leaving or arriving fir the day.

Anonymous wrote:

I prefer fcps to be more honest. There isn't a lot of quality instruction while kids are packing up and leaving or arriving fir the day.

Curious: Do you go to work early so you can be ready to start on the dot? Do you pack up to leave after the workday is over?

I prefer fcps to be more honest. There isn't a lot of quality instruction while kids are packing up and leaving or arriving fir the day.

Anonymous wrote:Actually it's not really going to be 20 minutes longer. The starting bell and ending bell will be the same. What's changed is that the "technical" start time will be when buses arrive and when they leave. Those 10 minutes on either end will now "count" towards the minutes that kids are in school. It helps with making the snow day situation work.

So if your official school day last year was 8:45 to 3:25, the bell will still ring at those times. Instruction will start at 8:45 and dismissal will be at 3:25.

This year, the "official" start time on paper will be 8:35 which is when buses arrive. And the "official" end time will be 3:35 which is when buses have left. Again, the actual instruction time will still be exactly the same: 8:45-3:25.

Anonymous wrote:which school is this?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Instructional times have not changed at all. The only difference is that the school's official "start time" will be when the buses arrive, which is when the doors are officially opened for all kids to come in.

At our school, kids could sit in the cafeteria for up to 15 minutes, but no earlier, before school started. Once the doors officially opened, say at 8:50, they could make their way to their classrooms. At 9:00, announcements would start. Last year, 9:00 was our school's official "start time". This year it will be 8:50. But nothing has changed - the time by which a kid has to be in his/her seat is still 9:00.

That actually is a few more minutes of instructional time, since the children will be in their seats at 9 but will not need to listen through the announcements, they can start their day immediately.

Anonymous wrote:Instructional times have not changed at all. The only difference is that the school's official "start time" will be when the buses arrive, which is when the doors are officially opened for all kids to come in.

At our school, kids could sit in the cafeteria for up to 15 minutes, but no earlier, before school started. Once the doors officially opened, say at 8:50, they could make their way to their classrooms. At 9:00, announcements would start. Last year, 9:00 was our school's official "start time". This year it will be 8:50. But nothing has changed - the time by which a kid has to be in his/her seat is still 9:00.

Anonymous wrote:It is an administrative finagle, just the the way they skirt the Commonwealth rules on class sizes. Who cares about the the intent as long as you can manipulate with technicalities.

Anonymous wrote:We went to elementary school from 9-3 with an hour long lunch-recess combo. I think that is a normal school day. These days seem sooo long! 9-4 every day is too long.