Posted: Dec. 1, 2009 |(0) Comments

GHS students start school way too early

Public Forum:

Greenfield's 7:10 a.m. high school start time is the earliest in southeastern Wisconsin, and our teens start boarding the buses at 6:20 a.m. That's our "status quo" and it must change.

Unfortunately, there are people in our community who are resistant to change. Their motivations are well intentioned but are not in the best interest of our children.

Research shows that early high school start times can lead to numerous problems in teens. These include (but aren't limited to) poorer academic achievement, absenteeism, tardiness, attention problems, memory problems, behavioral problems, unintentional injuries, excessive caffeine use, and obesity. These have been shown repeatedly in published research findings, and our community can no longer afford to ignore these facts. The well-being of our teens depends on it.

As parents, we have a responsibility to be well informed when it comes to issues that affect our children. We also have a responsibility to speak out against school district policies that disregard the well-being of our teens. I urge this community to take the time to understand the issues and let your voices be heard. Otherwise, we will remain stuck with the "status quo."

Need more information? There is a Greenfield Sleep Web site with plenty of facts on this issue. Go to http://greenfieldsleep.pbworks.com/

 

Dolores Skowronek

Greenfield