MIDDLETOWN — The length of the school day for Middletown students will decrease by 20 minutes beginning Aug. 28, when students return from summer break.
While pre-K hours and early dismissal times remain the same, students at the city’s eight elementary schools will be in class from 8:50 a.m. to 3:25 p.m., when they were formerly dismissed at 3:45 p.m., according to the district website.
The state of Connecticut requires students to attend school no more than seven hours a day.
Beman Middle School, which last year began at 8:05 a.m. and dismissed at 3 p.m., will run from 8:10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.; while high schoolers will begin at the same time, 7:25 a.m., but end at 2 instead of 2:20 p.m.
Superintendent of Schools Alberto Vázquez Matos informed district parents of the adjustments on Aug 1. "This change is guided by a district-wide effort to align more closely with state instructional hour requirements while also improving operational efficiencies," he wrote.
The move, Vázquez Matos added, will allow the public schools to "meet required instructional time while providing additional flexibility for staff to support professional collaboration as well as family and student services."
Board of Education member Liz Crooks, a former principal in the New Britain school system and longtime educator, supports teachers having enough time to work with students after school.
She was employed by a district that mandated teachers to conduct an “extra help” day at least once a week after school, but she doesn’t think that is necessary in Middletown.
“Most good teachers are going to stay regardless,” Crooks said.
Some are unhappy with the change, including parent Molly Salafia, who wrote to the board Aug. 1, saying she was “shocked,” and took issue with being told of the change only three weeks before the kids return.
Crooks agrees. “It was much too late.”
It could be tough for parents to tailor their work hours to accommodate the new schedule, Salafia pointed out. "Parents who have privilege (most don't)” will have to request a shift change from their employers. Otherwise, she added, they may lose wages.
She said she believes administrators could have made start times later to adapt to children's sleep schedules.
“Younger children wake up earlier, older children sleep later, and can also get themselves ready without direct supervision in many cases,” Salafia said. “Instead of taking the opportunity for younger kids to start earlier, nope!”
She pointed to low standardized tests scores. “Let's reduce instructional time — make that make sense, please.”
Crooks has a similar view. “I don’t like the idea of less instructional time when our scores are so low. That really bothers me,” she said.
Salafia questioned why the change is being “sprung on parents” this close to opening day. "The method of delivery to teachers and parents is an ‘F.’”
Vázquez Matos did not respond to multiple attempts for comment.