Hundreds oppose proposed time swap for Orange schools

Most parents only think about themselves, how "they" will be inconvenienced. Think about how lucky you are to have your child get a very good education. In some countries they do not have the standards that OCPS has in some programs. NO A/C, labs, free busing, free food, free everything. I know, we pay taxes, but in real life you never get what you pay for.So suck it up..........

You say that in real life we "never get what we pay for."

Are you referring to politicians who promise to cut taxes without harming education? Because they lie with impugnity. The media never take them to task when they make such irreconcileable claims.

Face it! Politicians hoodwinked us. They said "This is a free lunch - tax cuts without service cuts." Why do we even listen to those bozos? Very few people volunteer, including the idiot politicians. Basically we all work for a living. Yet we're supposed to believe that basic services won't be hurt when we don't fund them?

This was utterly predictable. Vote out the bums who pushed Prop 1 before they do any more damage.

citizen wrote:

Most parents only think about themselves, how "they" will be inconvenienced. Think about how lucky you are to have your child get a very good education. In some countries they do not have the standards that OCPS has in some programs. NO A/C, labs, free busing, free food, free everything. I know, we pay taxes, but in real life you never get what you pay for.So suck it up..........

We are going to pay for years to come for our government not investing and putting the needs of our young people at a premium. Orange County is frivolously spending millions of dollars during an econmomically challenged time on a football stadium that is barely used; building a basketball arena to replace one that is working just fine; a new performing arts center that we really don't need. All of these buildings pretty much effect the upper 15% of society which are the only ones who can afford to attend events in those buildings. Our local Politicians are more concerned about this upper 15% of society and their political support but only give lip service when it comes to mission or challenge of making better citizens beginning with our young people. If we don't seriously look at the issues & challenges facing young people now we will be (already are) paying the price for this for a long long time while certain leaders bask in their 6 figure retirement incomes and lounge next to their heated swimming pools in their 3500 s.f. plus homes in gated communities. Ask Crotty and Dyer what the price tags are on these 3 projects then ask them to get money for the school system and effective programs for kids and watch how they look the other way. i'd rather live in a safe and wholesome community without fresh concrete than a "white-washed tomb filled with dead man bones".

citizen wrote:

Most parents only think about themselves, how "they" will be inconvenienced. Think about how lucky you are to have your child get a very good education. In some countries they do not have the standards that OCPS has in some programs. NO A/C, labs, free busing, free food, free everything. I know, we pay taxes, but in real life you never get what you pay for.So suck it up..........

Apparently you've never had to work and had children to get off to school. Families have to plan their entire lives around school schedules. Times of start and end, vacations etc. Everything you do as a parent revolves around school schedules and when you change things around suddenly, and radically, it causes everything the parents do to change as well, and many cannot readily just "snap to" as easily as some seem to think we can. When you both work, and have to be at work on time it is a huge change when you find out that suddenly the carefully worked out plan of getting the kids ready, dressed, fed, out the door with one or the other parent or to the bus stop etc. with supervision, is all out the window now and everything has to be re-worked out. I totally disagree - It is damned easy for the school to make the changes and expect thousands of kids and parents to "suck it up" but for some reason, the school isn't in the mood to "suck it up" themselves which would be far less disruptive to the most people. Think about the thousands of homes you are throwing a wrench into their gear works when you change times and schedules.

I have an idea, Ron Bockhead; you can just resign. That way OCPS will save money on your salary.

Either way there are still 24 hours in a day-

I'm all for giving this new idea a try- there are definately some benefits.

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS
FOR SIMPLE PROBLEMS !!!

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Stop Building "Monuments to the School Board"

Come into the 21st Century.

Before TV , The Internet , Telephones , efficient Copy Machines , etc.
Consolidated Schools made some sense.

Now , it is Time to Return to the Very Best Teaching Methods.

(1) one Room School Houses
(2) In Neighborhoods
(3) within Easy and Safe walking Distance of the Students
(4)The Same Teacher(s) for the 1st 8 Grades.
( Emphasis on Reading , Writing , and Math.)

(5) Split Students into College and Vocational Prep Student Courses by the 7th (?) Grade.

The Money saved on Buses , and Awake Students will Pay Big Dividends !

Stop Busing students past their local school to another across the county - let students attend their local school.

We have to remember, schools are as much daycare as they are school to many parents. I wish it were different, but all middle schoolers out at 2pm sounds like trouble. The school system already did away with almost all sports in middle school (now trying to spend $100M on more PE, don't get it). The schools are in a pickle here.

Hey - here's an idea. Get rid of the deadweight administrators! Why does an elementary school of 600 students need a principal, vice-p, 4 secretaries and a guidance counselor! Why does a middle school need a vice-principal, secretary and guidance counselor for each grade! Geez. With all these automated phone calls we receive ...

Its okay...

When the drop our rate increases becasue sports are cut (which they are doing) and it will be harder to keep those kid of kids focused and when kids from poorer areas quit school for jobs...then we'll see the reasult.

The fact is many kids have to work to help their family. Not many p[laces will hire a kid from 5-10. Plus...when will they do their homework?

Many will argue that this is no big deal. Trust me...I know first hand this will be a disaster. Anytime the school board makes a decision...it is always bad.

What is sad about all of this is the Board does not care what you people have to say. When is the last time they did anything the majority wanted?

get over it.

Change the times.

geez.

they can do it in seminole county too.

You're way off. All high schoolers out by 2 PM poses more problems...after all, high schoolers have cars...they're mobile. I see them everywhere in the afternoon: when you read about all the "awful things" that kids are up to these days (whether it be sex, drugs, or alcohol), what time are they doing it? That's right. Not at 11 PM, when college students are active in their debauchery, but 3 PM, before their parents get home. I'm an old geezer now, but I'll freely admit that this was the way it was for me.

Also...when I was in middle school, I did the majority of my homework in the mornings, since I had so much time. Why can't high schoolers do the same?

I understand the 1-2 year inconvenience this will cause, but really, aside from griping parents (which I do understand their concern), this has great benefits for the community.

Opportunity Tax wrote:

We have to remember, schools are as much daycare as they are school to many parents. I wish it were different, but all middle schoolers out at 2pm sounds like trouble. The school system already did away with almost all sports in middle school (now trying to spend $100M on more PE, don't get it). The schools are in a pickle here.

Thank you Amendment 1 and all the d-bags that voted yes.

People want their cake and to eat it too. If you are concerned about how the school is going to make its budget then feel free to send in a little extra with your property tax checks. I am amazed that the Government school system is thinking of doing something so logical.

If you think that starting the school day later will cause your kid to get pregnant or become a criminal then start parenting! Your kids are what you raise them to be. This would be good in that it might prevent middle school kids from staying up all night on energy drinks to play video games...how many are really staying up late to study anyway?

I am tired of hearing "it's for the kids." That overused excuse has lost its meaning. This is about orange county taxpayers wanting lower property taxes. Well you got it now here are the consequences!

The school board has no courage (unlike Seminole County). They will bow down to a few angry parents. This will never take place.

Grandma Fudd wrote:

<quoted text>
Apparently you've never had to work and had children to get off to school. Families have to plan their entire lives around school schedules. Times of start and end, vacations etc. Everything you do as a parent revolves around school schedules and when you change things around suddenly, and radically, it causes everything the parents do to change as well, and many cannot readily just "snap to" as easily as some seem to think we can. When you both work, and have to be at work on time it is a huge change when you find out that suddenly the carefully worked out plan of getting the kids ready, dressed, fed, out the door with one or the other parent or to the bus stop etc. with supervision, is all out the window now and everything has to be re-worked out. I totally disagree - It is damned easy for the school to make the changes and expect thousands of kids and parents to "suck it up" but for some reason, the school isn't in the mood to "suck it up" themselves which would be far less disruptive to the most people. Think about the thousands of homes you are throwing a wrench into their gear works when you change times and schedules.

Eliminate Muddle Schools. Go back to K-8.
Look around the nation and you will find that K-8 schools are outperforming their K-5, 6-8 compatriots, both academically and emotionally.

Now with only K-8 and High School, put together a transportation schedule.
Oops, saved another couple of million didn't we?
You are limited by the constraints that you place on solving problems.
A whole lot easier to manage a household with only two school schedules too.