Current Event 4 (3rd Quarter)

• The start times for Fairfax County Public Schools may be changed for the following 2009-2010 school year, however, these changes may be delayed as there are many complaints about the proposed schedule. For high school students, who will be affected the most by the biggest change, start times will go from 7:20 am to 8:30 am. This change has been considered by many, including students, to be much too disruptive a change. However, as the area’s school officials have “championed the five-year effort,” an even-newer schedule would take at least that much more time and money to create. The 169,000-student school system needs to be fixed fast, say members of SLEEP (Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal), while others argue the effort should lead to a perfect plan where everyone is happy, especially with so much money already gone into the effort.

• I, personally, believe the current plan set forth by the county should go forward as planned and be passed for the upcoming school year. However, my opinion does not really matter very much due to the fact that the proposal will not affect me, though I would still want it if it did affect me. The students and the parents and the school workers are the ones who really need to speak up and come up with a decision. If they truly do not believe the proposed schedule will not work as well as another idea, then they need to go forth and promote their own idea to the school board. If the newer plan receives enough support then maybe it will be passed instead. However, when people just sit around and whine about the proposed plan, then nothing will get done. So either accept it, or propose something better.