Getting Serious About Starting School Later in Montgomery County
When residents organize does change happen?
Montgomery County residents have started an official chapter of the Start School Later Initiative, petitioning school officials to give students and parents a break from early school start times. In just under a week, the new chapter lead by Garret Park resident Mandi Mader, a Walter John High School mom, has grabbed more than 2,500 signatures for a petition to the county school board and Montgomery County Superintendent Joshua Starr. The group is encouraging lawmakers to start school no earlier than 8:15 a.m., allowing kids more time for sleep and rest and teachers more time to prepare lessons. “We respectfully request our school board to officially recognize the large and compelling body of research regarding teen sleep and academic …
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Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
12:06 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
So true, Anne. Merely swapping times is not the answer because no child of any age should be required to go to school at unsafe, unhealthy hours. In addition, asking younger teachers to report to duty at 7 am is equally counterproductive. The solution may lie in setting a rock bottom acceptable starting hour for all public schools, which would make it possible for local schools to set their own … more ›