I filled out the survey on proposed changes to school start time this evening. I’ve always thought 7:50 is a kind of cruel start time for a middle schooler, especially as they approach eighth grade. Their brains are wired to stay up late and wake up at 8:30 at the earliest. A 9:20 start time would be so much better for them.
One question asks you to check all the potential benefits a later start time would have for students. Additional sleep? Check. Improved mental health? Check. Improved alertness during class? Check. The list continues, and then you’re asked to select the one you want. It’s either the current start time, ten minutes earlier, or 9:20. They might as well ask you why you hate kids so much if you don’t opt for 9:20.
A 9:20 start time would push the end of the school day to 4:20, and then I’d work for at least another hour. I’m all about what’s best for the kids, but…
I guiltily selected the current start time, but I felt better when I read an email from a staff member who pointed out that our kids who plays sports would be competing for facility access with the rest of the county later in the afternoon and evening. In addition, many of our parents are service industry workers whose jobs require an early start time, and currently, many of our students wake up and leave the house when their parents are present. If they had to do this on their own, a spike in truancy and tardiness would be guaranteed.
Yes! I made the right choice, and it wasn’t selfish, after all.
My Corner of the Village 