WOW! LOVE LOVE LOVE our Schools!

[susiestar]

For years there have been studies that show the teenage brain is programmed to stay up later and sleep later yet our schools continue to open up earlier and earlier the older a child gets. I have long wondered why those who are most trained in child development would insist on sticking to a schedule that requires students to fight their biology, esp when a review of attendance records shows that the first two classes of the day have higher absenteeism than the other classes each day.

Our school Superintendent just sent out an email saying that the school board has decided to flip the start times for our schools. The elem schools will have kids dropped off there earlier so that all students can have breakfast before school rather than arriving on a bus with five min or so to get to class. The middle school, jr high and high school will start later, at the time the elem schools start now. It will help parents with daycare because children can be at school having breakfast rather than at a sitter or daycare that the parents have to pay for. Most of our schools, all elem and the middle school esp, have free bfast and lunch for everyone regardless of income. Part through the school lunch program and part through a few grants. It makes a BIG impact on every aspect of school performance including disciplinary problems (greatly reduces them).

The school cited the research that shows taht teens do better and have less depression when they are allowed to go to school later. So changing the start time from 7:45or so to 9:00 should have a significant impact once everyone gets used to the change.

This is the kind of thing that has husband and I staying in this town rather than moving to a more convenient place.

 

[Wiped Out]

Susie, that is great!!! They did something somewhat similar many years ago in our district but they didn't take it far enough. They moved the high schools to a later start time for the same reason but then moved the middle schools to an early start time which made the elementary schools go to a late start time (most of them). I know they did the high school for the right reasons but wish they had taken it further; I know they didn't because of the bus situation!!

 

[Mattsmom277]

That's awesome. I have never understood such earlier start times when I read about them here from mostly US members. Here, our schools all start between 8:50-9a.m which just always made sense to me.

 

[Tiapet]

Susie I'm really glad your schools are progressive and "get it" about our kids and want to take a proactive step towards change. I only wish many more schools would get on board with this. I also wish more schools would get on board or at least create and optional school location in each district where there is a year round school. It works well too, at least for some kids and parents. I know my kids attended a year round district or rather a district where you could opt in to do that. 1 year I put Ms Queen in it to break up the siblings (which is necessary). I felt she would benefit from this type of schedule due to her lack of retention. It did wonders for her and she actually began enjoying school. The next year I opted to also try putting Mr. Busy in one too (different school then her though). He didn't do as well. It strained him being in school so much and not having the long break and too MANY breaks so often through out the year. It does better the standard way. That district also had later start times for the kids as well.

 

[greenrene]

The school district where I used to live in KY did this several years ago.

 

[Kathy813]

Our district tried to change it years ago and had to back down to the community uproar to leave it as an early start for high school. Parents wanted their teenagers home first so they would be home to babysit for younger siblings that got home later. Parents also complained that it would make sports practice get out too late and that it would interfere with their teenagers' part time jobs.

It wasn't a case that the school district didn't "get" it. It was the parents that didn't "get" it. The school district pulled out the research to show that a later start would result in higher achievement but the parents didn't care.

Trust me, any math teacher would tell you that trying to teach advanced math to teenagers at 7:15 in the morning is a daunting task. Not to mention that I don't enjoy getting up at 5:30 a.m. so I can be at school my 6:30 a.m.

~Kathy

 

[AnnieO]

Our school recently shifted the HS times to EARLIER. Because they are no longer busing HS students, they now get out at the same time as the elementary kids that are being bused. There've been a few accidents, though no fatalities thank heavens. And most of those were actually parents rushing. Ugh.