Anonymous wrote:As a PP pointed out, shift schedules only work if they are voluntary. I would think that any high schooler interested in any extracurricular is going to opt into an early schedule, as will kids who need to work after school. Do you therefore end up with the majority of kids in the early block? Now you have to double up on busses and transportation costs since their start time will overlap with the middle schoolers.

Similar to lottery options, what happens if you don't have enough kids to split the difference? If 2,600 of those 3,000 kids choose the early shift, now you still have overcrowding plus you have to pay extra for teachers for those afternoon kids.

Do you offer all classes at both times? If not, kids who are college bound and care about both AP classes and extracurriculars are going to want those AP classes in the morning, so now you may also inadvertently contribute to tracking or dividing the classes along intellectual or economic lines.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

It's a solution of last resort for a system in a death spiral.

There is no death spiral. If it gets that bad people will leave Arlington for Fairfax, and that will be that.
Shift scheduling sounds great if it is optional. I don’t know how many kids would self select into earlier start times for less crowded classes.

Some of us already left Arlington for Fairfax. Others who might have moved to Arlington will stay in DC or move to Montgomery or Fairfax instead.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

It's a solution of last resort for a system in a death spiral.

There is no death spiral. If it gets that bad people will leave Arlington for Fairfax, and that will be that.
Shift scheduling sounds great if it is optional. I don’t know how many kids would self select into earlier start times for less crowded classes.

Some of us already left Arlington for Fairfax. Others who might have moved to Arlington will stay in DC or move to Montgomery or Fairfax instead.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

It's a solution of last resort for a system in a death spiral.

There is no death spiral. If it gets that bad people will leave Arlington for Fairfax, and that will be that.
Shift scheduling sounds great if it is optional. I don’t know how many kids would self select into earlier start times for less crowded classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

It's a solution of last resort for a system in a death spiral.

There is no death spiral. If it gets that bad people will leave Arlington for Fairfax, and that will be that.
Shift scheduling sounds great if it is optional. I don’t know how many kids would self select into earlier start times for less crowded classes.

Anonymous wrote:As a PP pointed out, shift schedules only work if they are voluntary. I would think that any high schooler interested in any extracurricular is going to opt into an early schedule, as will kids who need to work after school. Do you therefore end up with the majority of kids in the early block? Now you have to double up on busses and transportation costs since their start time will overlap with the middle schoolers.

Similar to lottery options, what happens if you don't have enough kids to split the difference? If 2,600 of those 3,000 kids choose the early shift, now you still have overcrowding plus you have to pay extra for teachers for those afternoon kids.

Do you offer all classes at both times? If not, kids who are college bound and care about both AP classes and extracurriculars are going to want those AP classes in the morning, so now you may also inadvertently contribute to tracking or dividing the classes along intellectual or economic lines.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

It's a solution of last resort for a system in a death spiral.

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

Anonymous wrote:I went to a large (4,000+ students) high school with shift schedules. From sophomore year onward, my classes began around 7 and ended around noon. The last period was lunch and that wasn't mandatory. Getting up at 5 am wasn't fun but otherwise, I loved it. It made it easy for me get to an after school job, do an extracurricular, and still have plenty of time to do homework.

There's nothing wrong with shift schedules. It's good solution to student overpopulation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did the schedule you are imaging in high school. I graduated in 2010. We have “zero” hour that started at 7:30ish. Then some more students came for first period then everyone was there for 2-6. Then students started ending their day. For athletes that practiced after school, they didn’t take zero hour. The early morning classes were a mix of everything from gen ed to AP. If you went a traditional school day your hours were 9:15-4:30. It worked well. It let you take classes early to get kids to work in the afternoon or let the non early risers come in later. I had 1800 kids in my graduating class, so I’m familiar with big schools.

I don't see how that solves the over crowding problem. I see how it solves other issues, like getting kids who need to work out early, or allowing kids to take an extra subject. But if you've got all your kids there is some periods, then you still need the same sized building.

So extreme crowding it doesn’t solve, but it did open up more class slots so the classes all didn’t have 36+ people in them. For instance, instead of only 5 AP sections offered during the typical day, but the zero hour opened 2 more sections.