Comments on: Decatur Superintendent Suggests Revised Bell Schedule to School Board

By: IMHO

IMHO — Tue, 10 May 2011 19:07:38 +0000

@MrFixIt
There is nothing in the “EL/IB thing” requiring the current K-3, 4-5 configuration. It can happen at K-5 schools, too (in fact, EL started at Clairemont K-5). Being an official “IB” school has no effect unless it is a high school offering an IB diploma, which approximately 10-15 students will complete per year. IB in the elementary schools and middle school is just nice curriculum, which we could follow without “official” designation.

By: karass

karass — Tue, 10 May 2011 03:08:45 +0000

For the 4/5 kids with parents needing to get to work at a decent hour (which is usually earlier than 9:15 AM, especially if one wants to get home at a decent hour to help with homework and ferry kids to after school activities!), just drop them off somewhere in the Westchester area to join students walking to Fifth Avenue from there (if any) and that will kill 45-60 minutes. If that’s still too early, they can buy breakfast at school and that will kill another 20 minutes.

I wonder if any of those quaint buildings around Fifth Avenue/Oakview are available to put in a little coffeeshop/before care business. Parents could be sipping their coffee and kids could be finishing up their breakfasts and homework while waiting for Fifth Avenue to open….

By: aggie

aggie — Tue, 10 May 2011 02:19:55 +0000

Two thoughts:

Has anyone considered how a high school teacher with kid(s) at the 4/5 Academy , for example, will manage the lag time? If DHS STARTS at 8:00, they’ll have to be in the classroom well before that. Anybody want their 9-10 year old kid sitting outside a school for while waiting for it to open?

We spend years and a whole lotta tax dollars getting kids ready to excel in…high school. And then we move the start times up, despite massive evidence showing academic performance erosion. And why? To accomodate extra-curriculars.

Huh?

By: 40 and Fabulous

40 and Fabulous — Sun, 08 May 2011 03:09:21 +0000

Amen!

By: 40 and Fabulous

40 and Fabulous — Sun, 08 May 2011 03:05:54 +0000

I always had the dreaded 7:50 am classes at UGA. Cry me a little river please. No wait – I’m not a sissy – and neither are our students! We don’t give them enough credit. – if they want to be a part of athletics and other extracurricular activities they have to be in school when school is in operation. Let’s empower them to be a little bit responsible.

By: sfmaster

sfmaster — Fri, 06 May 2011 23:28:18 +0000

It’s an interesting study in public opinion and the management of it. I think if this had been the first proposal, and based on some community input, then people would have had a few wimpers but lived with it fine. Like someone said above – let’ s get up in arms about 7:30am but 8am, well it might not exactly be the ideal time but oh well.

But with the back and forth half formed strategies, everyone is over analyzing each incremental scenario, even if they are just fine.

I think this path was paved with two previous scenarios that lacked grounding in strategy and community input.

This is fine. Yes fewer buses would be better, more walking, later for the teenagers, better sequencing of schools but I am don’t think it would be worthwhile to get another iteration.

By: Garrett Goebel

Garrett Goebel — Fri, 06 May 2011 20:21:56 +0000

If that’s your opinion. Everyone has one.

By: Bulldog

Bulldog — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:06:38 +0000

I’m sorry I don’t have research to back up my opinion. It must be wrong.