If you google teenagers and sleep you’re sure to get back a long list of studies indicating that our teenagers are sleep deprived. Many suggest that pushing back high school start times would not only improve our high school age children’s health, but might also improve learning.
Last year the Fairfax County School Board approved a goal of pushing back high school start times to after 8 am. Loudoun and Arlington Counties have already approved and implemented similar goals. More than 75% of school divisions in Virginia have high school start times after 8 am. None of PWCS’ high schools begin after 8 am. Battlefield, Brentsville, Patriot, and Stonewall begin at 7:20. Forest Park, Freedom, Gar-filed, Hylton, OP, Potomac, and Woodbridge begin at 7:30.
What do you think? Should PWCS consider pushing the start times for all schools in the division back to 8am?
October 18, 2012 at 3:37 pm
Yes, definitely, they should push back the start time. Pushing our kids to extremes is inhumane. And what is the philosophy behind the 7:20-7:30 am start times? I don’t get it.