Some Parents Angry Over Bell Schedule Changes
A meeting with a school board member Monday aims to answer questions, address concerns
By Sherell Williams and Erica R. Hendry
June 8, 2012
http://chantilly.patch.com/articles/some-parents-angry-over-bell-schedule-changes


School officials say recently approved changes to its 2012-2013 bell schedule are necessary to accommodate 4,000 more students and three new elementary schools in Fairfax this fall, but some parents are taking issue with what they call a significant change in their family's quality of life, particularly for working parents who need to see their children off to school and still get to work on time.

Come September, the system will welcome the first of what it says are several large increases in student growth, along with the opening of Mason Crest Elementary School in Annandale, Graham Road Elementary School in Falls Church and South County Middle School in Lorton.

The shift will change more than 60 schools' schedules across the elementary, middle and high school levels.

Some schools will shift as little as 20 minutes. But others could see changes as large as 40 minutes, which will significantly affect the daily lives of students and their families, opponents say.

"With this time difference, many parents, some of whom travel from places as far as Clifton and South County districts will be unable to maintain their jobs requiring them to arrive to work by 9 a.m.," one parent wrote to Patch. "And parents who have children at our local high school may have to wait over two hours to drop their children off at elementary school and high school."

Some parents say they've received little information about the change, until they requested a town hall meeting scheduled for Monday.

Braddock District School Board representative Megan McLaughlin will meet with a group of parents on Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the Laurel Ridge Elementary School cafeteria to address the bell schedule changes. The meeting is open to the public.

"Although 20 minutes does not seem like a drastic difference, it will certainly change the quality of life for many families and most importantly, our children," the parent wrote.

Here is a list of schools that are affected...
http://www.fcps.edu/news/bellschedule.shtml
Attachments:

It boggles the mind FCPS has elementary schools start after 8:00 AM, and in some cases after 9:00 AM, and high schools start at 7:20 AM. The older kids get, the more sleep they need, and their sleep patterns shift. The later the school starts for the older kids, the better these kids do in school, at least casually observed.

Were you aware most high schoolers in many areas that have early start times reported they have fallen asleep in class at least once a week?

Here in South Riding, elementary schools start just before 8:00 AM, the middle school starts at 8:40, and the high school starts at 9:00 AM. This system works well. Having high schools start early, and elementary schools start late is ass backwards.

SR Guy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Were you aware most high schoolers in many areas
> that have early start times reported they have
> fallen asleep in class at least once a week?

I'm sure this has nothing to with staying up all night texting and/or talking on the phone. It has nothing to do with staying out until 11pm and then playing video games until 2am. It has nothing to do with watching the "real world" or whatever you little shots watch nowadays until midnight.

Here is a crazy thought, if you know school starts earlier, go to bed earlier.

Whoa..

Greenbriar West ES 9:20-4:00

I love it, this they care about, but the principal can question and basically indict your kid without you being present and that doesn't bother you, but disrupt your stupid schedule...God I hate Fx Cty...

The reason qoiuroqwu is simple. Many folks are convinced that discipline issues only affect THOSE KIDS, never your own, while almost everyone is affected by changes in the bell schedules.

I'd rather have my kid in school longer because then I know that's less time he'll be at home getting in trouble.

SR Guy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It boggles the mind FCPS has elementary schools
> start after 8:00 AM, and in some cases after 9:00
> AM, and high schools start at 7:20 AM. The older
> kids get, the more sleep they need, and their
> sleep patterns shift. The later the school starts
> for the older kids, the better these kids do in
> school, at least casually observed.
>
> Were you aware most high schoolers in many areas
> that have early start times reported they have
> fallen asleep in class at least once a week?
>
> Here in South Riding, elementary schools start
> just before 8:00 AM, the middle school starts at
> 8:40, and the high school starts at 9:00 AM. This
> system works well. Having high schools start
> early, and elementary schools start late is ass
> backwards.


Maybe because the little ones are in less danger of being run over if they can go to school once it's daylight outside. Also, those kids are provided a better time for their parents to drop them off on their ways to work.

As for the start times, I know a lot of districts that start later anyhow in other states, and it does seem more appealing, but there isn't more of a justification to grant the older kids such later timing as opposed to the younger kids.

==================================================================================================
"And if any women or children get their legs torn off, or faces caved in, well, it's tough shit for them." -2LT. Bert Stiles, 505th, 339th (On Berlin Bombardier Mission, 1944).

The problem in FCPS is that they are using a two hour window. It appears that you have a one hour window.

8:00 is a reasonable start time for any age. I think 9 is a little late.

@response - that's a VERy good point. FCPS does have more schools, more students, and more bus routes than Loudoun does...........

Wow!

You all are mad over a bell schedule change? Holy crap. Get a life.

Wait till they close your local ES school. Will you fight or stand back?

I thought so.

WIMPS!

Ever hear or pre- and post-care? Are these people adults, or not?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/13-11.htm

I would rather have parents who care about their local schools compared to those that do nothing.

Either contribute or get out of the way.

This is not day care!

Show up or shut up!

Re: Some Parents Angry Over Bell Schedule Changes in Fairfax County
Posted by: Bill.N. ()
Date: June 11, 2012 04:58PM

The reason qoiuroqwu is simple. Many folks are convinced that discipline issues only affect THOSE KIDS, never your own, while almost everyone is affected by changes in the bell schedules.


Yes, it would be great if they understood this issue and that it is not "those kids", it is every kid, every kid who also rides the bus...

Kids should either walk to school, ride the bus, or drive themselves when they are of age and can pay for it themselves.

"And parents who have children at our local high school may have to wait over two hours to drop their children off at elementary school and high school."
That's the whole fucking problem.

Bunch of pussy parents. Don't get me started.

I could be wrong but I'm right 99% of the time

Lloydster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Kids should either walk to school, ride the bus,
> or drive themselves when they are of age and can
> pay for it themselves.
>
> "And parents who have children at our local high
> school may have to wait over two hours to drop
> their children off at elementary school and high
> school."
> That's the whole fucking problem.
>
> Bunch of pussy parents. Don't get me started.


I was thinking the same thing. Why do high school students need their parent to get them off to school? How about growing up and being responsible for yourself?

Do they use them?

Or does their cell phone wake them up?

Teens and alarm clocks Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do they use them?
>
> Or does their cell phone wake them up?

I don't think that has anything to do with this issue at all bonehead.

I could be wrong but I'm right 99% of the time

In my opinion 4:00 is too late for elementary school kids to be going to school. By the time they get home and do their homework it's time for dinner and bed. Not to mention if they do after school activities! Kids have no time to just "be kids" anymore.

FCPS News Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some Parents Angry Over Bell Schedule Changes
> A meeting with a school board member Monday aims
> to answer questions, address concerns
....
>
> "With this time difference, many parents, some of
> whom travel from places as far as Clifton and
> South County districts will be unable to maintain
> their jobs requiring them to arrive to work by 9
> a.m.," one parent wrote to Patch. "And parents who
> have children at our local high school may have to
> wait over two hours to drop their children off at
> elementary school and high school."

Read... I am too cheap and/or don't make enough money to both pay for appropriate before and after school care for my children while driving my Lexus, vacationing twice per year, drinking good booze, living in a McMansion, etc. I could give up some of those things, but I would prefer that the taxpayers of Fairfax subsidize the children that I am unprepared to sacrifice for. I will inculcate these values into my children so that they too will expect to receive services from the government that they could but are unwilling to pay for themselves.

Amen