Detroit Schools: Can New Emergency Manager Turn the Tide ?

As students begin to face the realization that their days of sleeping in are nearly over, school districts continue to debate the benefits of later start times for older students. With plenty of research to back up the idea that teens sleep on a different cycle than many schools allow, districts must once again consider the theory that later start times could mean higher student performance. Would later start times really impact how well high school students learn?

Research Supports Later Start Times

As back-to-school logistics are put into place, research on the benefits of later start times comes back into play. There is plenty to choose from in that category with most showing teens that head to class later tend to perform better overall. Unfortunately, coordination of school schedules doesn’t always support allowing teens the later start.

According to a recent report at Times-Union, 40 percent of high schools in the United States start prior to 8:00 a.m. A small minority, 15 percent, start after 8:30 a.m. That minority is often the result of coordination of bus schedules, which tends to favor younger students for the later start times.

Logistics aside, research certainly seems to favor allowing older students to hit the books later. Students in the teen years require just as much sleep as younger children, according to the National Sleep Foundation. That amount can range from 8 ½ to 9 ¼ hours of sleep every night. Decades of studies support

As kids and parents get ready for the back-to-school flurry, it doesn’t appear pocketbooks will open up quite as much as last year. According to three different national surveys, parents are planning to pare back on school spending this year, although the specific amount varies somewhat. As kids lament the end of their summer vacations, parents are on the hunt for ways to save as they equip their kids for their new classroom experiences.

Spending Expectations from National Retail Federation

The National Retail Federation predicts spending for back-to-school to be significantly more per family than it was last year. This time last year, the average family in the United States spent $688 on school supplies, clothing, shoes, and backpacks to send the kids back to school in style. This year, that number is expected to be closer to $634.

The NRF predicts overall back-to-school and off-to-college spending will total $72.5 billion. The majority of that will come from college costs, while back-to-school spending should total around $26.7 billion of that larger number. The average family sending a child to college is expected to spend around $836, as opposed to $907 that was spent last year.

“The good news is that consumers are spending, but they are doing so with cost and practicality in mind,” Matthew Shay, president, and CEO of the National Retail Federation stated on the organization’s website. “Having splurged on their growing children’s needs last year, parents will ask their kids

As kids begin the back-to-school ritual of purchasing school supplies and packing up backpacks, students in Chicago are facing a very different type of readiness routine. Many of the students in this city are facing a new school this year because their old school was closed due to district budget cuts. What’s more, the walk to the new school may be a much more dangerous trek than the one to the old school. Students are now facing very real fears and dangers that district officials are struggling to address to the satisfaction of everyone involved.

Record-Breaking Closures

According to the Huffington Post, Chicago is currently in the midst of one of the largest school shutdowns in American History. The district has closed 49 schools and laid off around 800 teachers. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and district officials cite a $1 billion budget deficit as the reason behind the huge move. The budget deficit was attributed to reduced state funding, ballooning pension payments, and a significant increase in salary and benefits for district staff.

The closures sounded good on paper – at least to some. Closing schools that were not filled to the brim with students could save the district millions. Transferring those students to schools nearby allowed the school district to more effectively allocate resources. The decision appeared to be a win-win.

Consequences No One Thought Of

Except no one took into consideration that forcing children to walk a few extra blocks

As states continue the hard work initiated by Race to the Top, Hawaii appears to be showing the rest of the nation how to get things done. The state, which is also one of the largest school districts in the country, is busy getting ducks in a row to comply with Race to the Top requirements. As a district that had received a high-risk mark from the federal government for its lack of progress less than two years ago, Hawaii, thanks to hard work and a key contribution from a local philanthropist, is becoming a shining example of how persistence can pay off in the wonderful world of public education.

This video explains Race To The Top.

Racing to the Top

In 2010, Hawaii won a $75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s new Race to the Top program, according to Education Week. The school district had ambitious plans for revamping its system, including transitioning public schools to Common Core Standards, improving teacher development programs, and establishing a new teacher’s contract. Unfortunately, the federal government wasn’t impressed - at first.

By December 2011, the state had received a black mark from the U.S. Education Department. The federal agency said the school had achieved high-risk status because it had failed to make adequate progress toward reaching its Race to the Top goals. But Hawaii wasn’t going to be thwarted