Welcome to our weekly column in which a topic of interest, piece of news, relevant opinion, or general request for feedback is presented. We’ll offer the topic du jour and accompanying question, and you have the opportunity to respond with your thoughts.
Simply fill out the form below. A collection of each week’s responses will appear in the following week’s column. To view responses on last week’s topic "Memorial Day Overshadowed by Gun Violence", click here.
Publisher reserves the right to edit responses for clarity and publish online and/or in our print publications.
Please let us know your thoughts!
This week’s Feedback Friday topic is:
School Start Times & Common Sense
If you’re a parent in Anne Arundel County, then you know next year’s public school start times will be changing to accommodate high school students’ sleep patterns. The schedule will bump up the start time for elementary students (to 8 a.m.), while bumping back the start times for high schoolers (8:30 a.m.), and middle schoolers (9:15 a.m.). This all in an effort to gain 43 minutes of sleep for your average high schooler, according to a study.
But where’s the common sense? Citing health study after health study about the positive effects a healthy night’s rest will have (don’t we all know this already?), the Board of Education—in my opinion—has overlooked some commonsense observations, which is also likely why the County Council passed a resolution this past Wednesday urging the Board to delay this change.
Look, every kid could use more sleep. We know that. By delaying the start time for high schoolers, their entire day’s schedule shifts, pushing back extracurricular activities, sports, dinner, homework, socializing, and finally sleep. Do we really think delaying the start time is going to add sleep to their schedules? I’m not a believer. I think the kids will still stay up late (even later?) at night, just as many of them do now. And still flop out of bed at the last possible second. I don’t think the adjustment will result in more bright-eyed, bushy-tailed kids in the morning. And mom and dad won’t be the wiser—they’ve already gone off the work in the morning.
What I do believe is that families with younger children, especially those who can’t walk themselves to/from the bus stop or must be driven to/from school. They now face the challenge of adjusting their entire work and home schedules. Kids go in earlier, kids come home earlier. There’s a larger time gap in the afternoon for needed childcare—that can cost more money. I imagine single, hardworking parents of youngsters may not be happy campers on this issue.
Or maybe it deserves a chance to play out. After all, it took approximately 8 years for the County to make their decision on this issue.
Am I off the mark on this, or speaking your mind? What do you think about the school start times adjusting next school year?
Please share your thoughts by filling out this form. Today’s responses—and all future Feedback Friday responses—will be published in our Monday newsletters after the weekend. AND, several responses from recent topics will appear in our upcoming print magazines!
