At a meeting last night to meet the new principal of Jane Addams, a group of students and parents asked that I start a petition to request a later start time for Jane Addams Middle School. I first checked in with the new principal, and she, too, thinks it’s a great idea. I also spoke with teachers from Nathan Hale who like the idea.

 Why and why now?

• According to the National Sleep Foundation and numerous studies, tweens/teens need more than 9 hours of sleep each night for physical and mental well-being.

• Research supports the academic and social/emotional benefits of tweens/teens getting a little more shut-eye. Theoretically this could happen by going to bed earlier, but in practice, a bedtime any earlier than 9 p.m. is unrealistic. Also, evenings are often the only time parents have to bond with their kids. Asleep by 10 p.m. and up by 7 a.m. is ideal for most families.

• The incoming eighth-grade students being transferred to Jane Addams from Eckstein and Hamilton currently feel slighted. When asked what would help them to get behind the change, they said improvements over their current experiences, and top of the list was a later start time. (Other requests included: better lunch choices, more hands-on learning, good selection of elective choices, tablets instead of books, and more in-depth learning during school so that homework can be minimized.)

• Many of the kids who will attend Jane Addams next year have older siblings who go to Nathan Hale. For those families, it would be much easier to have the same start time for the two schools. 

• A slightly later start time seems achievable and would be perceived as a big win for students who currently are feeling as though the district doesn’t care about their particular needs. I’ve asked around to try to understand the downside so that we can brainstorm solutions. As far as I understand, the district is concerned about sports schedules, but every kid I know plays sports and does not feel the schedule shift would be problematic at all.

This letter is to respectfully ask you—the school board and district—to please do all you can to honor this fairly simple request for an 8:30 a.m. school start time. Thank you for your consideration and for anything you can do to facilitate the transition to Jane Addams Middle School and ensure its success.