Further Comments for 'Pushing Back the School Bell?' Article

The Gaston Gazette published a story on August 29th in response to a recent recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics.  The AAP recommendation of changing start times for high schoolers, due to teenagers not receiving enough sleep, has been circulating at high-volume on Twitter, LinkedIn, and other media sources.

Dr.'s urge delayed school times for teens #ncadmin http://t.co/mtXyA4vSLW
— Craig Smith (@CSmithGoBlue) August 26, 2014

I was contacted by Wade Allen of the Gaston Gazette and responded via email to "my opinion on teen sleep habits" and "if I think this would be a good or bad idea".  After emailing my responses, I also conducted a phone interview with Wade, which he used for the article:

Pushing back the school bell? Yesterday's @gastongazette http://t.co/lHvmaGJP64 pic.twitter.com/xcdOYQfIw6
— Craig Smith (@CSmithGoBlue) August 30, 2014

I wanted to share my email responses, as they are more relevant to the AAP recommendation:

"It's challenging to make a blanket-statement if high school students get enough sleep.  Our [Ashbrook High School] students are actually fortunate school does not begin until 8:00 AM, as many high schools in the region begin at 7:15 AM."

"Adjusting the start/end times would not directly impact many of the reasons for teens' lack of sleep, stated by the AAP, such as part-time jobs and the 'use of technology' [quoted from AAP article].  The AAP urges schools to start later, but this would not automatically correct the reasons students are not receiving 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep."

Thanks for reading,

CS

My posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent my employer.