Changing the bell schedule originally published on February 26, 2009, on DC Metro Moms.
I am a proud product of Fairfax County Public Schools–from kindergarten to high school graduation! So I am delighted that my firstborn child, Bito, will be starting full day kindergarten at a FCPS school in September. I am also nervous as I look at the juggling the schedules of my three kids and husband. The planner in me is trying to do all I can to prepare our whole family for the upcoming school year.
In January, I had read Fairfax County was proposing a change to their bell schedules. If passed, middle and high schools will start and end later than they currently do. Currently, Fairfax County high schools start around 7:20 AM. That would change to 8:30ish AM. Dismissal would be at 3:20 PM instead of 2:05 PM (approximate). Middle schools would open and close even later: roughly 9:40 AM to 4:30 PM. The transportation office has developed this plan with the assurance that there would be no additional cost to the county.
The group Start Later for Excellence in Education, or SLEEP, advocates for this change. They cite research that later start times are better for adolescents, and will improve the health, quality of life, and school performance of middle and high schoolers.
I agree that teens can benefit from starting school later in the day, so I was happy to hear this plan was being discussed. I was under the impression that middle and high schools would simply flip their schedules with elementary schools, thus; elementary schools would begin and end earlier. Since younger learners supposedly learn better early in the day, I was pleased that Bito would benefit from the change as well.
Then I took a look at the proposal, which includes the current and proposed school hours for every school in the county. I was surprised to see that not all elementary schools would be starting earlier. Some would, but others would begin later! Currently, most elementary schools start between 8:00 AM and 9:15 AM. Under the proposal, elementary schools would start between 7:50 AM and 9:25 AM.
The elementary school Bito will attend would have a later start time under the new plan. His school wouldn’t begin until 9:20 AM and would be dismissed at 4:00 PM! Needless to say, there are many reasons that I am not happy about the hours (I won’t expound on them right now). I was all in favor of the proposed change, but now that my own family would be negatively affected by the new hours, I’m no longer on board.
I’m sure FCPS is considering the rippling repercussions of changing the hours of all their school–parent work schedules, childcare issues, rush hour, extra-curricular activities, etc. FCPS is holding community dialogue meetings this week at different schools around the county. There is also an online survey for students, parents, teachers and community/business members to voice their opinions.
I will be disappointed if the proposal is passed as it is currently written. In the end, however, I am still an advocate for public education. I will have to get behind whatever is decided and make the best of it…even if I do so grudgingly.
Original DC Metro Moms post.
Michelle blogs about her kids, husband, life and so much more at Wife and Mommy!
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Note: This post is re-posted here with permission from Silicon Valley Moms Group upon the announcement of their dissolution.
