Start School Later is presenting the petition below THIS THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, at the AACPS Board of Education budget hearings which will take place at 7p.m at the Board of Education Building, 2644 Riva Road, Annapolis, MD 21401.
Start School Later is asking the Board of Education to “Set 8 a.m. as the
earliest opening class time for Anne Arundel County Public Schools.”
Please:
1) Sign and share this
petition asking AACPS to consider the health, safety, well-being,
and education of our students when setting school schedules. www.aacstarttime.com is the link –
please email it, facebook, tweet, share in any way you can. Now is the
time to get everyone in your family (13 and over) to take 30 seconds to make a
big impact. Our goal is 5,000
Signatures by Thursday evening! 7:17 a.m. is the earliest high
school start time in Maryland and among the earliest in the country.
Why? No reason. Back when they made the change, saving money by
staggering bus times was a goal but understanding of the impact on adolescents
and teens was not as clear as it is today. The science is overwhelming in
supporting a change, but as with most decisions, the will to change must be there. We need to show that
the community cares.
2) Turn out in
support. On Thursday night, several of us – parents, students,
health experts, teachers – will be testifying at the Board of Ed Budget
Hearings. Please turn out in support if you can, wearing black or darkest blue to symbolize
the night sky when high school students all over Anne Arundel County are
outside waiting to catch the bus for school. We don’t want to send our
kids to school in the dark anymore.
Let me know if you have any questions -
Sincerely,
Heather Macintosh,
Start School Later Anne Arundel County,
410-279-4569
