At the forums, representatives of Illinois-based Search firm Hazard,
Young, Attea & Associates - hired to conduct the search that
resulted in Dale's hiring in 2004 - are taking feedback fro
Three grassroots groups in the DC Metro area—the Montgomery and Anne
Arundel chapters of Start School Later (SSL) and SLEEP in Fairfax—are
joining forces to push area school systems to provide
After hearing nine members of the community speak on the issue, the Fairfax County School Board voted 10-2 on Thursday to develop a system-wide goal of starting high schools after 8 a.m.
FALLS CHURCH, Va. - Fairfax County school board members voted 10 to 2 Thursday night in favor of a resolution that would explore starting high school classes later.
Many on the board seemed to be swayed by arguments made by some parents, educators, health professionals and students that forcing teenagers to wake up early goes against their natural clocks and leads to poor school performance.
Many like Caroline Hemenway, who has a daughter in her senior year, says it has been proven scientifically.
“Adolescents have brain chemistry that doesn't let them get to sleep until after 11 o'clock or so at night, so in order to get the full amount of sleep that they need, they have to be able to sleep later on in the morning,” says Hemenway.
Nearly three years after the Fairfax County School Board voted against a proposal to accommodate later high school start times, a School Board with many new faces is preparing to take a second bite of the “teen sleep deprivation” apple.
Thursday night, the 12-member board was slated to vote on a resolution to develop a goal of pushing Fairfax County’s 7:20 a.m. high school start time back by one hour or more.
The debate is likely to go on for several months and stir emotions among students, parents, teachers and administrators. Bus drivers and coaches might have a thing or two to say, as well.
