Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
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On the article Movement to Change School Times Lands in Howard County
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On the article Movement to Change School Times Lands in Howard County
Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
7:39 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
ReplyObviously crack of dawn school hours aren't the only cause of teen sleep deprivation, but they play a major role in it and - unlike the many other factors - are ones we can change overnight with proven results, including more sleep per night (see http://www.startschoollater.net/myths-and-misconceptions.html).
The move to extremely early school hours - which began only about 30 years ago, mainly to save $ on buses - was a mistake, something we did before we knew much about teen sleep patterns and needs. And when you consider the compelling and consistent research now out there on the impact of these early hours on health, safety, school performance, equity, and even long-term economic prospects, you have to ask why people are so defensive about the value in sending teens to school from 7 am - 2 pm.
Asking as this petition (http://signon.org/sign/changing-howard-county) does that no child be required by law to be in class before 8 am is hardly radical. These teens are still children, with growing brains and bodies, and comparing them to adults, many of whom have some degree of control over their work hours, is pointless; it’s like saying infants shouldn’t nap so they can get ready for fifth grade. Just because we've done something one way doesn't mean it's necessarily the only or a desirable way to do things (we also thought seatbelts and bike helmets were for "wusses"). - Terra Ziporyn Snider, PhD, Executive Director, Start School Later
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On the article Movement to Change School Times Lands in Howard County
Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
7:15 am on Thursday, February 14, 2013
A century ago most if not all schools started at around 9 am - at least according to the Harvard School of Public Health (see http://bit.ly/XOoN7A ). In fact, virtually every health and sleep professional, as well as educator, who knows the literature on this subject agrees that the move to extremely early school hours - which began only about 30 years ago, mainly to save $ on buses - was a mistake, something we did before we knew much about teen sleep patterns and needs.
When you look at the compelling and consistent research now out there on the impact of these early hours on health, safety, school performance, equity, and even long-term economic prospects, you have to ask why people are so defensive about the value in sending teens to school from 7 am - 2 pm. You also wonder why so many people assume that just because we've done something one way it's necessarily the only or the best way to do things (we also thought seatbelts and bike helmets were for "wusses"). Obviously school hours aren't the only cause of teen sleep deprivation, but there's now clear evidence that they play a major role and - unlike the many other factors - are ones we can change overnight with proven results, including more sleep per night (see http://www.startschoollater.net/myths-and-misconceptions.html).
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On the article School Start Times Under Review for Howard County Schools
Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
9:42 am on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
ReplyThere's now a petition ( http://signon.org/sign/changing-howard-county?source=c.url&r_by=6963299 ) asking that all schools start at 8 a.m. or later. If you're concerned about the 7:25 a.m. high school start times, please check it out!
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On the article POLL: Should Howard County Schools Start Later?
Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
8:29 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
ReplyHoward County now has a petition to start school no earlier than 8 am (www.tinyurl.com/sslhoco) and its own chapter of Start School Later (http://www.startschoollater.net/md---howard-county.html ). If you're concerned about this issue, check them out!
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On the Blog Post Public High School Students Need You Now!
Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
3:53 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
ReplyThe Start School Later petition (www.aacstarttime.com) goes to AACPS TONIGHT (1/10/13) at 7 p.m. Don't miss your chance to sign & share your thoughts: http://signon.org/sign/set-8-am-as-the-earliest. It's a great chance to make a difference for millions of children and families, now and for many years in the future.
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On the Blog Post Parent Groups Join Forces to Push for Later High School Start Time
Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
10:09 pm on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
ReplyJeff, I disagree with you, obviously, as do the vast majority of health professionals, sleep researchers, and educators familiar with the literature on adolescent sleep and school start time. If you have evidence that running high schools from 7 a.m. until 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon is better for the overall health and learning of teenagers than, say, running them from 9-3 (much more traditional hours), however, please share it.
Your comments also raise two other points worth considering:
1) The petitions in question propose 8 or or 8:15 a.m.as an earliest opening school hour, both considerably earlier than traditional school bell times. Is 8 a.m. really so radical? If so, would you consider any time at all to be unhealthy or counterproductive? High schools all over the country (and beyond), often top academic institutions with top athletic programs, start after 8 a.m., after all.
2) Human beings are adaptable and can rise to meet challenging circumstances - but often at considerable cost Just because people can do something, after all, doesn't mean they should.This is something to consider in the context of your overseas examples. However high a country's achievements may be (or seem to be), they'd probably be even higher, and the country considerably healthier, with enough sleep.
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On the Blog Post Start School Later: The Kids are Exhausted
Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
3:04 pm on Saturday, December 8, 2012
ReplyThe Montgomery County petition (http://signon.org/sign/changing-montgomery-county) to start school later has close to 10K signatures and will be presented to the county BOE on Tuesday, Dec. 11. Both that petition and Anne Arundel's (AACStartTime.com) give more details about the evidence showing why this issue has nothing to do with good parenting or discipline and everything to do with biology and common sense. Asking teenagers to get by on under 6 hours of sleep a night, or to get up and out to school at absurdly early hours, is both unhealthy and counterproductive. It's only myths and misinformation that are keeping communities from returning to more sensible, traditional schedules.
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On the Blog Post Designed to Fail
Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
1:27 pm on Saturday, October 27, 2012
ReplyCasey, when Anne Arundel County citizen groups grappled with our 7:17 am high high school start times back in the mid-2000's, we quickly found that setting 8 am as the minimum opening time for K-12 was the preferred solution. That's how I got the idea of using 8 a.m. as a rock bottom opening hour in the national petition I started last fall (http://signon.org/sign/promote-legislation-to.fb1?source=s.fb&r_by=1521139), and it's at the heart of the newer AACPS petition (http://signon.org/sign/set-8-am-as-the-earliest) as well as most start school later efforts around the country. The Start School Later movement is by no means solely about high schools. It's more fundamentally about finding ways to return to healthier, more traditional hours (and 7 am is by no means traditional), and regarding the need to do so as a non-negotiable matter of public health, much as heating schools in winter is non-negotiable. From what I know, the Fairfax School Board thinks this way. too, and is working to ensure that no child of any age is required to go to school at unsafe or unhealthy hours.
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On the Blog Post Designed to Fail
Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
1:27 pm on Saturday, October 27, 2012
ReplyCasey, when Anne Arundel County citizen groups grappled with our 7:17 am high high school start times back in the mid-2000's, we quickly found that setting 8 am as the minimum opening hours for K-12 was the preferred solution. That's how I got the idea of using 8 a.m. as a rock bottom opening hour in the national petition I started last fall (http://signon.org/sign/promote-legislation-to.fb1?source=s.fb&r_by=1521139), and it's at the heart of the newer AACPS petition (http://signon.org/sign/set-8-am-as-the-earliest) as well as most start school later efforts around the country. The Start School Later movement is by no means solely about high schools. It's more fundamentally about finding ways to return to healthier, more traditional hours (and 7 am is by no means traditional), and regarding the need to do so as a non-negotiable matter of public health, much as heating schools in winter is non-negotiable. From what I know, the Fairfax School Board thinks this way. too, and is working to ensure that no child of any age is required to go to school at unsafe or unhealthy hours.
Terra Ziporyn Snider, Ph.D.
6:51 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
The idea that the only way to return to later, healthier school hours is to reroute or add buses at exorbitant costs is a myth. Communities that have put student health and well-being first have found a variety of creative solutions, sometimes even saving money in the process. Start School Later addresses this, and many other myths and misinformation that cloud this issue, on its website: http://www.startschoollater.net/myths-and-misconceptions.html#answer1