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(shorter version appropriate for publication in school newsletters)
| This article
written
by MCPS parents Robin Barr and Kirk Renaud, is the third in a
series. To read the
other articles,
click
here.
For a slightly longer version of this article, click here |
encourages the re-publication of this article. Feel free to edit as necessary to fit space limitations for school newsletters. Please do tell us how you use this article. |
A recent survey confirmed what most Montgomery County high school parents already know -- their teenagers aren’t getting enough sleep.* Some school systems around the country are responding to the problem of sleep deprivation by moving high school start times later. However, moving to a later schedule for a large county like ours is a daunting task because it involves many conflicting interests. While the majority of BCC families would applaud a later school start time, some families would prefer the status quo. Teachers who drive long distances to school would face longer commutes, sports schedules would need rethinking, and bus costs could go up, to name a few of the potential complications.
With those obstacles in mind, WAKEUP (a groups of MCPS parents and students) has begun working with school officials on a flexible schedule approach that would be very practical for BCC and other county schools. The “Flex Schedule” idea calls for schools to offer an extra class period so that some students (and teachers) could start one period later and stay one period later, while others stay on the current schedule. The Flex Schedule is a good compromise solution with many advantages over other approaches proposed in the past, including:
• Schedule Choice: It provides extra sleep to students who need it
without
forcing
a change on students and families who prefer the current schedule.
• Low Cost: It has no significant transportation or operating cost
impact
since it does not require new buses or more drivers.
• Positive Teacher Impact: It benefits teachers who prefer a later
start
without
penalizing those who prefer the current schedule.
• Extracurricular Compatible: It need not disrupt sports or other
after
school
activities.
• Smaller Class Size: Extra class periods can mean fewer students per class.**
The Flex Schedule seems to be the most realistic solution to the problem of sleep deprivation, and it can be implemented quickly without significant costs. WAKEUP members are already starting to work with several high schools in the county to pilot test Flex Schedules next fall. Once the pilot tests prove successful, the program could quickly be expanded to include more schools and more students. Look in future issues of this newsletter for details about how the Flex Schedule will work, and please visit the WAKEUP website (http://www.patesslinger.com/wakeup/) for more information about this topic.
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*
See “Sleep deprivation at BCC,” Banter, December, 2001.
** Extending the school day with extra class sections is a very efficient way to reduce class size, and it could preclude or postpone more school construction costs.
This
article, written by MCPS parents Robin Barr and Kirk Renaud, is the third
in a series of articles on this topic.
| Parents, students, teachers and other school staff concerned about the problem of sleep deprivation among high school and middle school students are encouraged to join WAKE UP!, an organization working for later school starting times in Montgomery County. To join, click here |