The subject of later start times for middle and high school students is not a new topic of conversation. For years, experts have advocated for older students to start their school days later than elementary students. The American Academy of Pediatrics , stating that school districts should consider pushing start times to 8:30 a.m. or later for older students.
Most research on this topic cites insufficient sleep for teenagers; once adolescents begin puberty, they experience a 鈥減hase delay鈥濃�攐r later sleep onset and wake times. In contrast to younger children, adolescents struggle to fall asleep at earlier bedtimes because of biological changes. The result of too little sleep during the week likely causes adolescents to catch up on sleep over the weekend, further disrupting their circadian rhythms.
A recent 澳门跑狗论坛 piece on the topic sparked dozens of comments on social media. Educators across the country weighed in on the difficulty of changing bus schedules, the role of parents in ensuring students get enough sleep, and the importance for students to learn personal responsibility. Here鈥檚 a roundup of their thoughts.
Bus schedules will suffer
Changing school start times, some educators pointed out, would upend bus schedules. Making the change for everyone鈥攑arents, teachers, and younger students鈥攚ould be rather daunting, they said.
鈥淏us and transportation issues are a real problem in an economy where we can鈥檛 hire enough bus drivers and kids have to wait around 20-30 minutes after school is over (later than ever) for the bus to actually show up from doing the earlier runs at the other earlier starting schools in district.鈥�
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鈥淭here are so many challenges to starting school later in large cities or compacted areas. Where I live sometimes a bus ride home during rush hour can take 3-4hrs. Plus with driver shortages, violence on school busses, and family needs (caring for and picking up siblings), economic needs, etc. This where practicality devours theory.鈥�
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鈥淭here鈥檚 already a lack of buses in the afternoon to get kids home. Later start and finish would mean absolutely no buses to get home.鈥�
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Parents need to do more to ensure healthy sleep
Educators called on parents to take a larger role in shaping their children鈥檚 sleep schedules.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a school problem. If students need more rest, then parents should provide a home structure that allows for bedtimes and/or more rest.鈥�
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鈥淚f the kids are staying up later, then I鈥檇 argue that falls on the shoulders of the parents and the district should work to find ways to educate the parents about the sleep needs of adolescents (speaking as the father of a 13-year-old, it鈥檚 amazing what happens when you lock the phone *down*).鈥�
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鈥淚sn鈥檛 school mostly there so parents can be separated from the kids to go make money for the house and car they can鈥檛 afford? Feeling salty today... But if school times change then parents would have even more issues getting to work on time, employers are not understanding. Not to mention the before and after school care options are rarely affordable for the average family, and forget it if you鈥檙e a single income.鈥�
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Focus on student responsibility
Educators also pointed to the responsibility of students to make sure they get enough sleep to be successful since the working world will not accommodate them.
鈥淎s a veteran teacher, our school district in California has started later the last two years. The students just stay up later each night now than before. They are just as tired as before. I get home much later from work as well, which is not good either. I wish our state would go back to 8:30 a.m. start time, not 8:50 a.m.鈥�
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鈥淣o matter when the school day starts teens will resist arriving on time. I worked in the front office of a middle school for eight years, so I know. Instead: offer a library period or a study hall for first period. Most students will arrive on time. Those who don鈥檛 arrive on time won鈥檛 be penalized. You might want to consider that showing up late for a job isn鈥檛 an option nor is showing up late for university classes. Accommodating preferences doesn鈥檛 necessarily have a long term benefit.鈥�
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鈥淲e are raising adults. Adults get jobs. Jobs require early start times.鈥�
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Advocating for change
Many educators came to the defense of experts, citing personal experiences and potential benefits of switching to a later start time.
鈥淥r鈥ive them SAY in their class schedule so that perhaps their first class starts early (or starts later, if that鈥檚 the first class they need) and as a school, be okay with that! Let them choose classes, like Concurrent Enrollment college classes) that get them purposeful classes that will do something for their future. There are 4,999 excuses why we should not do something. Let鈥檚 think of the one reason WHY we should do something and try that for a change.鈥�
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鈥淢y middle school starts at 9:15 a.m. Teachers get there at 8:15 and we use that time for planning and staff meetings. Yes, students are still tired, but they are a lot less tired than they would be starting at 8 a.m.!鈥�
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鈥淢y first 15 years teaching in a metro-Atlanta county were in a system where Middle school started at 9:30! Buses ran an elementary, middle, & high school route鈥攏o mix of those kids on buses!! It. Was. Beautiful.鈥�
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鈥淚 think the point of this deals more with districts like in my area where high schools take in at around 7:05, tardy bell at 7:15, 7:20. While the elementary schools take in the latest鈥攚hich is weird as elementary age kids tend to wake up earliest.鈥�
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鈥淛obs do not necessarily require early start times鈥攑erhaps during the agrarian period; not so in today鈥檚 society鈥� it just requires a culture shift!鈥�
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鈥淭his isn鈥檛 new. Sleep studies of teens found they tend to stay up later and get to sleep later. Since they need more sleep during this time in their lives, it makes sense they get up later in the morning!鈥�
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