Ep. 8: A doctor’s perspective on school start times

About My Interview with Mariah Baughn, MD of Start School Later

Mariah Baughn, MD, and I discuss the Start School Later Bill from the perspective of a pathologist and parent. We talk about the fact that high schools aren’t doing enough to help teens get enough sleep. Mariah tells about her personal experience with start times. For example, her son is entering high school this coming year. Unfortunately, very few of the available schools have start times after 8:30. We discuss how parents, students, and anyone interested can get involved with the Start School Later organization.

School Start Time Case Studies

There are myriad studies showing the benefits of starting just 30 minutes later. Altering start times in Arlington, Texas allowed students to get an extra 45 minutes of sleep per night.  In Denver, Colorado a reformed school starting system gave students opportunities to succeed. More science and computer labs are now available for students. Tutoring for classes and college preparatory exams was also made available.

Another example comes from Wilton, Connecticut who pushed their start time to 8:15 a.m. from 7:35 a.m. Consequentially, the school won multiple state championships, saw a rise in athletics participation, and had even more participation in extracurriculars from 3rd through 5th graders, who were starting earlier.

If you are interested in finding out more start times and their effects on teen health click here.

Sign the MoveOn Petition to help get the Bill to the Governor’s Desk. You can also like Start School Later on Facebook.

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Bills Episode 7: Giving Kids the Chance to Dream with Irena Keller

Be sure to listen to Bills Episode 5 for a teacher’s perspective on the topic of start times.

About Luke Scorziell

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Mr. Scorziell created The Edge of Ideas when he was 15 years old. After a few years of blogging he found a passion for podcasting and now regularly has guests on his show, Bills with Luke Scorziell. Find out more about Luke and his unique journey. Feel free to send Luke a message below.

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