California middle, high school students are going to get later start times? Workers should, too.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s smart decision to sign a bill that will push back public middle school start times to at least 8 a.m. and high school start times to at least 8:30 a.m. — except in some rural communities — is a win for families, even if it may not seem like it. Surveys show most middle school students and nearly all high school students don’t get enough sleep. This lack of sufficient rest correlates with academic struggles and higher rates of depression, drug use and auto accidents. As the first state with such a law, California will be a model for the nation.
One obvious issue? The law will create headaches for parents who can’t drop off their kids much later because of work obligations. This means that schools will have to prepare for students to be dropped off before school begins. Students shouldn’t sit and wait outside schools, especially in late fall and winter, in the dark. School doors will still have to open early to allow some students access.
An even better solution is for employers to let workers with kids have later start times themselves, and either work later in the day or have other flexibility in their shifts. Especially at a time when many jobs are unfilled because of a tight job market, helping workers and their families like this, when possible, should be a priority for California employers.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/editorials/story/2019-10-15/later-school-start-california-help-parents-adjust
