Chambersburg Area School District works through changes in sche...

I am a highschool student currently in 11th grade at CASHS. The new schedule I think is completely ridiculous. I am a participant in sports as well, but something I guess the school district forgot to consider was the fact that some coaches of secondary sports are primary teachers. We have to start our practices everyday without our coach. So while the district is complaining about not having enough practice time or whatever most of us are sitting around doing nothing in the time we should be practicing anyway. I ask myself all the time why on EARTH would they change the schedule? My brother is a primary student and he gets off the bus at 4:30. I make it home from practice at a little after 5. Younger kids are getting home practically the same time as the older kids anyway, so all this transportation talk is a joke! And a no bus policy? If you want students to skip school more often go for it. I know if i had the choice, to walk to school in the middle of January, or stay home for the day, the exact choice I would make...

I'm also a member of band, by making the school day start at 8 I'm required to be at band at 7:20. Factor in travel time and time for me to get ready. I wake up at 5:45. So I get to school at 7 and sometimes don't leave until 5:30. I think that is quite enough instructional time...

Cheers wrote:

Finally, CASD is looking at instructional time. We need our students in school, in class, learning. If teachers can't work the extended time there are plenty of new teachers waiting for jobs. I applaud the administration for taking the necessary steps to change the problem......this statement of "If it ain't broke, don't change/fix it", is strickly the uneducated who have no idea what districts face in meeting the challenges of ALL students in a district.
It appears to me, after reading all the comments in the past week that there are only a handful of teachers who are stirring the issue and getting the union involved.
The time change is the right thing to do. Now we need to extend the school year...our students are behind and we need to provide education to all students to make them competitive in todays world.

Wow are you off base. The administration is lying to the residents of Chambersburg again. Sylvia Rockwood reported that the district was cited by the state in previous years. That is an outright lie. The district was close on minutes but never was it "cited" or paid a fine.

Hey Cheers, great way to believe a spin. They increased instructional time at the elementary level and DECREASED the instructional time at all of the secondary buildings. Do you think that makes sense?? Less instructional time for students getting ready to enter the job market or go off to school.

By the way Cheers, it isn't a couple of the teachers it is MOST of the teachers. Elementary teachers now have 10 minutes of guaranteed planning time a day. They are actually wanting more planning time to prepare lessons that are important to their students. No district I know of has that amount of planning time. The last time there was a contract negotiation the board and administration promised the elementary staff to look at increasing planning time -- another lie. Planning time has been significantly reduced not increased.

Unfortunately, the public is listening to the lies spun by the administration of this district. I think if parents really knew what was happening they would want some top administrators fired for being incompetent!

Student wrote:

I am a highschool student currently in 11th grade at CASHS. The new schedule I think is completely ridiculous. I am a participant in sports as well, but something I guess the school district forgot to consider was the fact that some coaches of secondary sports are primary teachers. We have to start our practices everyday without our coach. So while the district is complaining about not having enough practice time or whatever most of us are sitting around doing nothing in the time we should be practicing anyway. I ask myself all the time why on EARTH would they change the schedule? My brother is a primary student and he gets off the bus at 4:30. I make it home from practice at a little after 5. Younger kids are getting home practically the same time as the older kids anyway, so all this transportation talk is a joke! And a no bus policy? If you want students to skip school more often go for it. I know if i had the choice, to walk to school in the middle of January, or stay home for the day, the exact choice I would make...
I'm also a member of band, by making the school day start at 8 I'm required to be at band at 7:20. Factor in travel time and time for me to get ready. I wake up at 5:45. So I get to school at 7 and sometimes don't leave until 5:30. I think that is quite enough instructional time...

1. It's poor teacher scheduling; the administration should be sure the teacher/coach has their "planning time" at the end of the day, so they can leave and get to practice. Yes, I realize once again this means athletics runs everything.

2. Don't complain about the band, you elected to be a member of the band, and knew when practice would be held.

No one in the school district is thinking about the kids -- this schedule is a mess! some high school kids and middle/Faust school kids have classes with shorter time periods because the school district failed to do time studies on how long it takes to get buses dismissed each day and now to get buses to the elementary schools so the last period at the end of the day is shorter by 10 mins. These kids are "already left behind" without bringing other factors.
Parents are given less an a weeks notice to find daycare for their elementary school kids for 15 mins in the morning (in the borough where there is no bus service for most elementary ).. you had 20 mins to drop kids off and be at work on time at 9. Now we have 5 mins to drop off our kids and be at work by 9 am or get fired for tardiness. Changing times without thinking how it affects families, jobs, and the community is ridiculous!
Decisions that are made by the board have rippling affects our whole community and they need to be properly considered with the kids needs in mind and how even a change in start time affects our community.

The focal point should not be the kids. The focal point must always be the teachers. The teachers need time in the evenings to tend to their own families, drink beer, and carve pumpkins since October is on the horizon.

If little Johnny wants to partake in 29 extra-cirricular activities then he deserves to have all of his time monopolized. The school board' advice to little Johnny: Don't be a dolt.

Squatch wrote:

<quoted text>
Seven or eight blocks is not that far to go to school.

i bet your kids ride a bus if your kids had to walk you would say the same thing

Transportation had no input concerning the schedule changes. That department was presented with the changes and told to make it work.

This is not untypical with CASD. There is little if any thought to logistics. Bright ideas are instituted all the time without consulting those who have to implement them.

Why are some of the elementary students not getting to school on time? Is my child's bus the only one arriving at its scheduled stop 12 minutes late everyday? My child has yet to even say the pledge of allegience this year due to the fact that he is not yet in the building.

Cheers wrote:

Finally, CASD is looking at instructional time. We need our students in school, in class, learning. If teachers can't work the extended time there are plenty of new teachers waiting for jobs. I applaud the administration for taking the necessary steps to change the problem......this statement of "If it ain't broke, don't change/fix it", is strickly the uneducated who have no idea what districts face in meeting the challenges of ALL students in a district.
It appears to me, after reading all the comments in the past week that there are only a handful of teachers who are stirring the issue and getting the union involved.
The time change is the right thing to do. Now we need to extend the school year...our students are behind and we need to provide education to all students to make them competitive in todays world.

I agree. I've been to other states, and even countries, who start their school days earlier and have longer instructional time. If we follow these examples our children/students would benefit. It's time for us parents/teachers to "suck it up" and do what's right for the kids future...not their temporary discomfort.

intheknow wrote:

Transportation had no input concerning the schedule changes. That department was presented with the changes and told to make it work.
This is not untypical with CASD. There is little if any thought to logistics. Bright ideas are instituted all the time without consulting those who have to implement them.

AMEN AMEN AMEN!!!!!

rigs1002 wrote:

<quoted text>i bet your kids ride a bus if your kids had to walk you would say the same thing

I am just speaking from experience.

If you don't like it vote the bums out.

TRC wrote:

<quoted text>
1. It's poor teacher scheduling; the administration should be sure the teacher/coach has their "planning time" at the end of the day, so they can leave and get to practice. Yes, I realize once again this means athletics runs everything.
2. Don't complain about the band, you elected to be a member of the band, and knew when practice would be held.

1. I don't belive i "complained" about being in band. I agree that I knew what time the practices would be held, I was just stating and elaborating on the times that students are getting to school these days...
2. When I joined band at the highschool level I knew when the practice times were the previous year. The NEW practice times are due to the change in schedule THIS year.

Student wrote:

<quoted text>
1. I don't belive i "complained" about being in band. I agree that I knew what time the practices would be held, I was just stating and elaborating on the times that students are getting to school these days...
2. When I joined band at the highschool level I knew when the practice times were the previous year. The NEW practice times are due to the change in schedule THIS year.

Student: If you want it bad enough to be part of band than you have to accept the consequences. Wait until you get a job..you might be getting there at any hour. Look at it this way, it is building your character and preparing you for life.

We're still adjusting the time schedule. I want the faculty (namely the teachers) to be able to leave the premises at 2:50. It is a waste having teachers standing around watching students get on the bus. The time wasted doing this act could be spent driving home, preparing for the next day, fixing dinner, or cracking that first beer.