Getting off the early bus

If there's been a theme for this week's blogs it's been the challenges facing our sleepy kids. As this school year begins with earlier start times than ever before, it's time for parents to step up and stop this trend! This might sound a bit harsh, but it's obvious that the many school boards, principals, teachers, and coaches who insist on earlier and earlier school bells are either unaware, or don't care about our kid's health! Today, the Orlando Sentinel starts an article on school start times with: "One by one, eight sleepy-eyed teenage boys wander out of the darkness and gather at a lighted school-bus stop on Montgomery Road. It's 5:45 a.m. Thursday..." In this Florida situation, it's the rearrangement of school zones that results in the pre-dawn bus rides, but the problem persists all around the country. As someone who watches the news closely about such subjects, I know it's just a matter of time before I'll be blogging about a child getting hit by a car while waiting on some dark road for an early bus. Adding morning hours to the school day is counter productive to learning. Take a look at this study out of Israel which finds that even a minimal amount of sleep loss can drastically impact a childs learning abilities. It's time for school boards to wake up to the importance of a good night's sleep and take better care of the kids under their charge. They won't unless we, as parents, make our concerns known. -Shawn