Seattle Schools Community Forum

The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement calling on school districts to move start times to 8:30 am or later for middle and high schools, so that students can get at least 8 1/2 hours of sleep a night. Full story here .

Tonight is the second of the Superintendent's regional meetings about the Strategic Plan at 6:30 p.m. at Hale High School. I suspect that this particular meeting - coming on the heels of pushback from staff on later start times AND the brewing rebellion by schools over cuts to their budgets - might prove to be larger and more contentious than the one earlier this week.  And Hale - having had a later start time for 10 years - is perfect backdrop for this discussion. That said, the district loves its Powerpoint presentations and I suspect they will make whoever shows up wait for any questioning beyond issues around the Strategic Plan.  But the district press release does say attendees can question district leadership so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Also to note, next week's School Board meeting should be a barnburner as several groups - Start School Later-Seattle, school staffs and NW Center parents - could show up to "express" their opinions ...

There are lots and lots of great reasons for Seattle Public Schools to swap around the start times for school so that elementary school starts earlier and middle and high school starts later. A group called Start School Later Seattle has is looking for a resounding show of support for moving secondary schools to a later start time. They have created a petition. You can express your support for the effort by signing the petition at :  http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/later-start-time-for?mailing_id=13345

It's a quiet week for SPS because of Spring Break. The City has a survey about your use of the Internet, cable tv and city communications .  It might be good to take it as it may influence what kind of access to technology may be available in our city.  Transportation A group called Start School Later is doing a survey about flipping start times .  I received word about this from several readers and it appears to be aimed only at elementary parents.  Saturday, April 20th Memorial service for the late Cheryl Chow at Town Hall at 10:30 am.  This is likely to be quite crowded so be advised if you plan on attending.   Community Meeting with Director DeBell from 9-11 am at Cafe Appassionato by Fisherman's Terminal. Community Meeting with Director Martin-Morris from 9:30-11:30 am at Diva Espresso on Lake City Way. Parent Forum put on by the Road Map Project at Foster High School in Tukwila.  They will have workshops and a Resource Fair....