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California’s new law bans schools from starting before 8am

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21–30 of 404 posts

Re: California’s new law bans schools from starting before 8am

#21
post #4

School children are sleeping on average 1 hour less than theirs peers did 50 years ago. This has been driven by earlier and earlier school start times. Sleep deprivation in school age children has been linked to lower test scores, lower knowledge retention, higher rates of "trouble making". Really happy to see these laws getting put in place!

> This has been driven by earlier and earlier school start times

What about later and later bed times?

Re: California’s new law bans schools from starting before 8am

#22
post #2

I didn't even realize schools started before 8... I believe that's when my high school started. Thinking back to the useless slug that I was in the mornings as a teenager, I can't imagine this will do anything but help learning. If only there had been a law saying college classes couldn't start before 11am (or 2pm on Fridays) when I was there...

My last six years of public school in South Florida all started before 0800.

As for college, there was one year I was getting on a train at 0530 to make my first class...

Re: California’s new law bans schools from starting before 8am

#23
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This law is only for grades 7-12, so most affected kids can get themselves to school, or don't need direct supervision between when parents leave for work and when the bus arrives.

My 7 and 9yo kids start school at 8:50am, and don't get off the bus until 4:30pm. It's ridiculous. They're young and need time off but because the district moved everyone back to make room for the High Schools now elementary kids aren't home until half past 4. Not enough time for them to play in the afternoons now.

Either their elementary school is in session for an awful long time (mine was 6 hours), or they have a really long bus ride home.

Re: California’s new law bans schools from starting before 8am

#24
post #10

My mother works for a school district in California. There was an open hearing around moving the starting school time from 8:00 am to 7:00 am. There's been countless research showing that this is generally bad for children to wake up this early (I'm sorry for not linking a reference). At the hearing, there are some words that go something like "Children come first" printed on some wall in a large font. My mother made…

> tl;dr the early starting times were to make teachers happy.

I've wondered about adverse section being the cause of this. People that don't wake up early typically won't become teachers. Eventually all your teachers and staff are 'morning people' like my dad. My dad loved going into work at 6am. And getting home at 3 or 4pm.

Re: California’s new law bans schools from starting before 8am

#25
post #4

School children are sleeping on average 1 hour less than theirs peers did 50 years ago. This has been driven by earlier and earlier school start times. Sleep deprivation in school age children has been linked to lower test scores, lower knowledge retention, higher rates of "trouble making". Really happy to see these laws getting put in place!

This true for other countries or just the US?

Re: California’s new law bans schools from starting before 8am

#27
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t get how this is supposed to work with sports and other activities. In high school I had water polo/swimming practice mornings at 6:15. Is that now illegal?

I suspect the start time is meant only for classes, not extra-curriculars.

Nobody ever thinks about the edge cases

Re: California’s new law bans schools from starting before 8am

#28
post #4

School children are sleeping on average 1 hour less than theirs peers did 50 years ago. This has been driven by earlier and earlier school start times. Sleep deprivation in school age children has been linked to lower test scores, lower knowledge retention, higher rates of "trouble making". Really happy to see these laws getting put in place!

> This has been driven by earlier and earlier school start times What about later and later bed times?

If both where true you would see more than 1 hour of lost sleep.

Re: California’s new law bans schools from starting before 8am

#29
post #4

School children are sleeping on average 1 hour less than theirs peers did 50 years ago. This has been driven by earlier and earlier school start times. Sleep deprivation in school age children has been linked to lower test scores, lower knowledge retention, higher rates of "trouble making". Really happy to see these laws getting put in place!

> This has been driven by earlier and earlier school start times What about later and later bed times?

When I was kid I took apart my tv to disconnect the speakers and wire up my walkman headphones. This was so I could put a blanket over my head and tv and watch some Letterman at night. My mom would notice if there was light and noise coming from my room after bedtime.

Now the kids have phones. If I had a phone and internet access I would have never slept.

Re: California’s new law bans schools from starting before 8am

#30
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've always been confused by TV shows showing kids leaving for school and it's bright outside with the whole family awake. Growing up, it was dark when we got up for school and just barely sun up (depending on the season still dark) by the time we left to get on the bus.

On the shortest days of the year in Los Angeles[1], there is civil twilight around 6:30am and full daylight before 7am. Maybe the writers, who even have children, live close to the schools they attend. [1] https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/los-angeles

Wow, this really gives you perspective. My corresponding times are 8:21 and 9:55.

I would give the world for the opportunity of sunlight evenly distributed over the year.

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