All-day school schedules

Eric Morgan54 said:Also curious—what kind of trouble did she run into?
Some journalist needs to step up and ask what happens with parental consent. Did the Department of Education even think about that? Of course not. But what’s the actual fix for parents who refuse to sign off on their kids joining these nationwide school programs?

Let's assume the principal made sure parents knew that signing against her wishes would carry consequences.
It's a small town; everyone knows everyone else's business.
There were other calls and directives issued, but I won't get into the weeds—it isn't my story.

jadetinker85 said:Alright, I just looked at a sample schedule. The second language is listed under A2.
https://postimg.cc/2bp89gdY

But if you actually bother to look, it’s clearly marked as A1 right there. Not to mention that A1 and A2 designations can be swapped around in different scheduling formats.

Honestly, I was under the impression that I was engaging in a discussion with people who had actually taken the time to study the official documents—or at least possessed the basic intelligence to distinguish between elective courses, extracurricular activities, and after-school programs.

When we talk about "A2 electives," it doesn't mean those are the core subjects; it refers to that specific portion of the A2 block that isn't mandatory for every single student, but is instead structured based on individual needs and interests.

And let me say this one more time: A1 encompasses both the elective and the standard curriculum. A2 is the supplemental block, which consists of both required and elective components. I truly assumed that at least these fundamental concepts were common knowledge.

Carol Johnson21 said:Let's assume the principal made sure parents knew that signing against her wishes would carry consequences.
It's a small town; everyone knows everyone else's business.
There were other calls and directives issued, but I won't get into the weeds—it isn't my story.

dada, fair enough, so we're talking intimidation tactics... plus, the whole petition thing is clearly just a way to spite the principal.

I figure our last resort is either calling in the school board inspectors because she failed to give us proper notice (which is literally her job), or just staging a walkout by keeping the kids home.

hiddenseal14 said:But if you actually bother to look, it’s clearly marked as A1 right there. Not to mention that A1 and A2 designations can be swapped around in different scheduling formats.

Honestly, I was under the impression that I was engaging in a discussion with people who had actually taken the time to study the official documents—or at least possessed the basic intelligence to distinguish between elective courses, extracurricular activities, and after-school programs.

When we talk about "A2 electives," it doesn't mean those are the core subjects; it refers to that specific portion of the A2 block that isn't mandatory for every single student, but is instead structured based on individual needs and interests.

And let me say this one more time: A1 encompasses both the elective and the standard curriculum. A2 is the supplemental block, which consists of both required and elective components. I truly assumed that at least these fundamental concepts were common knowledge.

For grades 5 through 8, the foreign language electives will stay just that—electives. It’s only being made mandatory for the 4th graders. If it isn't a requirement, it means it'll fall under those B1 time slots.

Sarah Hall53 said:For grades 5 through 8, the foreign language electives will stay just that—electives. It’s only being made mandatory for the 4th graders. If it isn't a requirement, it means it'll fall under those B1 time slots.

I mean, what is the actual point of making an elective language mandatory for fourth graders?

Sarah Hall53 said:For grades 5 through 8, the foreign language electives will stay just that—electives. It’s only being made mandatory for the 4th graders. If it isn't a requirement, it means it'll fall under those B1 time slots.

B1 refers to EXTRA-CURRICULAR activities.

Honestly, it’s clear nobody here has bothered to actually read the documentation. It's completely pointless. Everyone acts like an expert when they haven't done the homework.

So, I'll just copy and paste this directly from the document for you:

Achieving the established educational goals and outcomes of the national
Common Core State Standards within the experimental program is achieved directly through the Program of
Common Core State Standards regular instruction (both mandatory and elective components) (A1) and the Program for
supportive, assisted, and enriched learning (A2). These are indirectly achieved and supplemented
through the educational activities of the Extra-curricular Program (B1) and the Program for
after-school activities (B2).

miseducata, since you're one of the few people actually supporting this and have clearly read the document, what's your take on how the seven-period and eight-period schedules will look for full-day schooling?

rowdypanther12 said:miseducata, since you're one of the few people actually supporting this and have clearly read the document, what's your take on how the seven-period and eight-period schedules will look for full-day schooling?

Actually, I am not a supporter of this full-day school model at all, but it is patently obvious that this shift is coming and that we are facing a total overhaul of the elementary school concept.

I can only speak for my own school, given that NYU allows for a certain amount of autonomy regarding how they organize classes and breaks. Up until now, our seventh and eighth graders have followed a schedule of three 7-hour days and two 6-hour days. Electives were built right into the schedule, and everyone attended. At NYU, however, they’ll be looking at four 7-hour days and one 6-hour day. On top of that, there's lunch and an extra A2 period. Previously, kids were finished by 2:00 PM; now, they won't be out until 3:15 or even 3:30 once you factor in lunch. And make no mistake, this part is mandatory.

Hey, how is everyone planning to be finished by 3:15 if we have to factor in lunch, longer breaks, and A2?

I'm having a hard time making the math work here.
How can we fit lunch, extended breaks, and A2 all into just an hour and fifteen minutes?

rowdypanther12 said:Hey, how is everyone planning to be finished by 3:15 if we have to factor in lunch, longer breaks, and A2?

I'm having a hard time making the math work here.
How can we fit lunch, extended breaks, and A2 all into just an hour and fifteen minutes?

It all comes down to how we organize the day. Breaks will likely stay around five minutes, just like they have been. Instead of one massive midday break, we'll implement a quick 15 or 20-minute recess. Lunch will be trimmed to 30 minutes instead of 40. Every school district sets its own rules based on what works for them. We’re going to trial this setup initially and then adjust things if the numbers don't add up.

hiddenseal14 said:It all comes down to how we organize the day. Breaks will likely stay around five minutes, just like they have been. Instead of one massive midday break, we'll implement a quick 15 or 20-minute recess. Lunch will be trimmed to 30 minutes instead of 40. Every school district sets its own rules based on what works for them. We’re going to trial this setup initially and then adjust things if the numbers don't add up.

I'm just not following. If you take 20 minutes plus 30 minutes, that's already 50 minutes total.
That leaves you with 30 minutes for A2 🤷

rowdypanther12 said:I'm just not following. If you take 20 minutes plus 30 minutes, that's already 50 minutes total.
That leaves you with 30 minutes for A2 🤷

It is exactly the same thing! Whether you had a fifteen or twenty-minute long break previously, or if you had a fifteen or twenty-minute recess like they used to have back in middle school—it doesn't matter. You don't get both; you only get one or the other. Do you follow me?
The only actual change is lunch, which could end up lasting anywhere from twenty-five to forty-five minutes.

mellowskipper said:I mean, what is the actual point of making an elective language mandatory for fourth graders?

I think I misspoke there—my typing gets a little messy when I'm just squeezing in a quick message during a break. What I meant was that the second language, which used to be an elective, is actually becoming a requirement for fourth graders at the US Navy school.
The "elective" part really just means the school gets to decide which specific language they want to offer—they can make it a school-wide thing or just apply it to certain grades.

jadetinker85 said:Alright, I just looked at a sample schedule. The second language is listed under A2.
https://postimg.cc/2bp89gdY

Looking at this, it seems like the second language for seventh graders is on Mondays and Thursdays from 1:55 PM to 2:40 PM. Right after that, they have A2 - Language communication. My question is about my seventh grader—he’s actually in sixth grade now, and since he didn't pick a second language back in fourth grade, he doesn't have one. This leaves him with a completely free period.
Where should he go during that time? Is he required to wait around for the A2 class, or can he just head home and practice his violin instead?

🥳

To me, this schedule actually looks more packed than what seventh graders are dealing with right now.🤷
And that's not even counting the A2 classes.

If you include the A2 stuff, they are stuck at school until 3:30 PM literally every single day.
Honestly, what parent would actually want that kind of schedule for their seventh or eighth grader?

hiddenseal14 said:It is exactly the same thing! Whether you had a fifteen or twenty-minute long break previously, or if you had a fifteen or twenty-minute recess like they used to have back in middle school—it doesn't matter. You don't get both; you only get one or the other. Do you follow me?
The only actual change is lunch, which could end up lasting anywhere from twenty-five to forty-five minutes.

Okay, so that leaves an hour for A2. 🤷

Susan James said:Looking at this, it seems like the second language for seventh graders is on Mondays and Thursdays from 1:55 PM to 2:40 PM. Right after that, they have A2 - Language communication. My question is about my seventh grader—he’s actually in sixth grade now, and since he didn't pick a second language back in fourth grade, he doesn't have one. This leaves him with a completely free period.
Where should he go during that time? Is he required to wait around for the A2 class, or can he just head home and practice his violin instead?

🥳

To me, this schedule actually looks more packed than what seventh graders are dealing with right now.🤷
And that's not even counting the A2 classes.

If you include the A2 stuff, they are stuck at school until 3:30 PM literally every single day.
Honestly, what parent would actually want that kind of schedule for their seventh or eighth grader?

When exactly are they supposed to actually study all this stuff? A2 - Language isn't going to help you pass a chemistry exam, tackle a physics quiz, finish a math assignment, or handle a foreign language class. It just doesn't add up.
The workload is piling up, but there’s zero time to actually digest it all. I don't get home until around 3:30 PM.

jadetinker85 said:When exactly are they supposed to actually study all this stuff? A2 - Language isn't going to help you pass a chemistry exam, tackle a physics quiz, finish a math assignment, or handle a foreign language class. It just doesn't add up.
The workload is piling up, but there’s zero time to actually digest it all. I don't get home until around 3:30 PM.

That’s honestly the biggest issue here. At best, kids get home around 3:30, they need to grab a bite to eat, and their brains need at least an hour to decompress before they can even start studying or doing homework. It feels like school takes up their entire day.

Between evening practices, language lessons, violin rehearsals...
When you actually sit down and tally it all up, they’re running at a higher capacity than most working adults I know. It's honestly a bit embarrassing.

mellowskipper said:Between evening practices, language lessons, violin rehearsals...
When you actually sit down and tally it all up, they’re running at a higher capacity than most working adults I know. It's honestly a bit embarrassing.

Exactly. Between my kid and everything else, they put in more hours than I do. 🤷Once you factor in all the studying and various projects, they easily blow past an eight-hour workday.

Here’s the full list of schools participating in the pilot program.