When the FCPS School Board gained six new members at the start of the new year, there were rumblings that the activist board would bring change to the county. They are doing just that by bringing change to the county through their initiatives to start high school later, add online classes to the curriculum and create a virtual high school.
Starting later
It’s a fairly common sight to see teenagers dozing off in their first class of the morning. Many on the school board have grown tired of this problem. On April 12, the board voted 10-2 to set a goal of starting high schools at 8:00 a.m.
This does not mean the measure has passed, rather Superintendent Jack Dale and his staff will have to research the costs and implications and report back at a June 11 work session. Then, the board will determine if they will pass the measure. It is unclear when this rule would take action if approved.
It is not surprising that this issue is being pursued by the current school board at this time. Mason district member Sandy Evans is the co-founder of the Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal (SLEEP), which has led the charge in the county to move back high school start times. Although this is not her first year on the school board, the same school board members who rejected the proposal in 2009 made up the board for the past couple of school years. With the six new members, many of whom call themselves activist members, it was the right time to bring back the initiative.
Some students are excited at the possibility of having more time to sleep.
“It would benefit a lot of IB students because they have to stay up so late. There would be more time for homework,” sophomore Allen Duran said.
“I would like it so I can stay up a bit later,” sophomore Julio Mendieta said.
According to the Annandale Patch, the long history with later school start times is why former school board member Stu Gibson stated his opposition in a letter. He led a similar campaign in 1998, which eventually failed. In both the 1998 and 2009 cases, a task force, which was founded stated that later start times would be beneficial.
Principal Vincent Randazzo says that although he has had discussion with groups like SLEEP, he has not made his decision yet about whether he supports the initiative.
“I want to wait to see all of the information,” Randazzo said.
Some criticisms for the measure include that it creates problems for the bus schedule and that students will have less time in the afternoons for homework and extracurricular activities. Student athletes are particularly concerned.
“I don’t like that because I play three sports so if we start later, then we’d get out later and homework gets bunched up and I procrastinate. Don’t change it,” sophomore Carly Potts said.
Online opt-out
Governor Bob McDonnell recently announced a new requirement that students have to take an online class to graduate. The online course initiative by McDonnell to prepare high school students for the 21st century job market. It also serves to expand virtual education, which has been popularized by Alabama, Florida and Michigan.
In addition, McDonnell is hoping that through this initiative that more courses will be offered and course selection for rising high school students will be more diverse. McDonnell also indicated in the new legislation that online courses would aid nontraditional students in offering an array of courses.
However, students are not open to the changes in the requirements.
“Most kids need assistance from teachers and having an online class mandatory to graduate will put those kids in a bad position,” sophomore Sara Khan said.
Most students find that students learn better in a hands-on environment.
“I don’t like the idea because I feel as though a one-on-one educational interaction with a teacher will be more beneficial to a student,” junior Daniel Critchfield said.
Regardless of student opinions or objections, the changes will begin with the freshman class of 2013-2014 and they will be required to take at least one online course in order to graduate with a standard or advanced diploma.
In order to help meet this requirement, the school board is pushing for an initiative for students to have the option to opt-out of their first and last classes of the day to take an online class. Most students who take online classes at AHS take them during the middle of the day in the library. This change could begin next year.
Randazzo says that he is a proponent of this if students think it is the appropriate option.
“If it’s a good fit, talk to your parents, counselors and teachers,” Randazzo said.
One issue is transportation, which will not be provided to students who opt out. They would have to find their own way to leave school or come late.
Virtual high school
The school board is also considering creating a virtual high school, in which students could take all their classes online. It would be ideal for students who have disabilities, which make attending school difficult.
The idea is in such an early phase that many things, such as cost and implementation, still need to be researched and discussed. The argument for a virtual high school is that FCPS is behind many other counties on technology and that many for-profit companies have been developing online schools.
There are others who fear how the lack of face-to-face interaction with students and teachers will affect those taking the online classes. According to The Washington Post, members such as Braddock district representative Megan McLaughlin have voiced their concerns.
