As educators with first-hand experience and knowledge of the economic troubles and resource shortages facing our high school, we would like to weigh in on one choice you are currently faced with: cutting more than $90,000 from the high school's budget to cover the cost of busing for a later school start time. While there is little disagreement that there can be health benefits for our students if their school hours are shifted, the proposed way of paying for this shift would cut at the heart of what makes an education at NHS so rich and meaningful. It would eliminate many classes that keep our students engaged, tap into their creativity, and stretch them academically. The resulting negative impacts on individual students intellectually and emotionally, and on our climate and identity as a community would not be offset by the benefits derived from a 30-minute later start.
Please vote no to cutting funding to the high school to pay for a later start time.
Updates
March 12, 2015
The school committee is finally paying attention to our concerns because of the incredible energy you brought to this. Post this link on Facebook to keep the pressure on before the next vote. Email your representative today to demand they protect our class offerings.
28 Comments
I strongly support starting the day later - there is plenty of recent research supporting this change. I do not agree that it should come at the cost of key offerings at the high school. This cannot be the only source of funds to make this change and until we find that alternative source I cannot support the delayed start initiative.
Please keep in mind that cutting classes means displacing students into other courses, increasing class sizes that are already consistently in the upper 20s and into the 30s. Large class sizes have a detrimental effect on all students.
Please let us not squander anymore resources on this change until we recover from the deep recession cuts. I have classes of 30 and no textbooks, this is not an ideal world!
We love our high school and the diversity of our students. Our resources are stretched so thin, we cannot afford the deep cuts the a change in busing would create. Please do not make us fight for the arts and music programs we treasure, and all the choices are students have at NHS for challenge and inspiration!
I want a late start, but NOT if it means a cut to the NHS budget. We are already stretched thin in many ways. Find the money somewhere else. Also, I have many students who work afterschool every day. They often get off at 9pm. The late start change for them may only mean that they work later, go to bed later and wake up later; NOT that they get more sleep.
Let us work together and think creatively to find solutions that are financially feasible and supported by educators, staff, students and their families. Although the later start time has been talked about for several years now and people are feeling impatient, I believe a yes vote to change the start time is premature. Northampton Public Schools have been absorbing cuts to their school budget since my daughter went to school here, that would be since 1998. A line by line look at the budget to find places to trim would be like trying to trim the fat from non-fat frozen yogurt. There will be a good time to change the school start time and we will recognize it when we see it. I do not support a half hour later start at the expense any classes, positions or programs.
I have seen compelling studies demonstrating the merits of a later start time, but until such a change can be made at NHS without negative impacts on our course offerings, class sizes, or extracurricular activities, I will not be able to support it.
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As educators with first-hand experience and knowledge of the economic troubles and resource shortages facing our high school, we would like to weigh in on one choice you are currently faced with: cutting more than $90,000 from the high school's budget to cover the cost of busing for a later school start time. While there is little disagreement that there can be health benefits for our students if their school hours are shifted, the proposed way of paying for this shift would cut at the heart of what makes an education at NHS so rich and meaningful. It would eliminate many classes that keep our students engaged, tap into their creativity, and stretch them academically. The resulting negative impacts on individual students intellectually and emotionally, and on our climate and identity as a community would not be offset by the benefits derived from a 30-minute later start.
Please vote no to cutting funding to the high school to pay for a later start time.
Updates
March 12, 2015
The school committee is finally paying attention to our concerns because of the incredible energy you brought to this. Post this link on Facebook to keep the pressure on before the next vote. Email your representative today to demand they protect our class offerings.
28 Comments
As an NHS teacher and the parent of three children in Northampton's public schools, I do not support cutting existing programs at the high school to allow for a later start time.
I strongly support starting the day later - there is plenty of recent research supporting this change. I do not agree that it should come at the cost of key offerings at the high school. This cannot be the only source of funds to make this change and until we find that alternative source I cannot support the delayed start initiative.
Please keep in mind that cutting classes means displacing students into other courses, increasing class sizes that are already consistently in the upper 20s and into the 30s. Large class sizes have a detrimental effect on all students.
Please let us not squander anymore resources on this change until we recover from the deep recession cuts. I have classes of 30 and no textbooks, this is not an ideal world!
We love our high school and the diversity of our students. Our resources are stretched so thin, we cannot afford the deep cuts the a change in busing would create. Please do not make us fight for the arts and music programs we treasure, and all the choices are students have at NHS for challenge and inspiration!
I want a late start, but NOT if it means a cut to the NHS budget. We are already stretched thin in many ways. Find the money somewhere else. Also, I have many students who work afterschool every day. They often get off at 9pm. The late start change for them may only mean that they work later, go to bed later and wake up later; NOT that they get more sleep.
Let us work together and think creatively to find solutions that are financially feasible and supported by educators, staff, students and their families. Although the later start time has been talked about for several years now and people are feeling impatient, I believe a yes vote to change the start time is premature. Northampton Public Schools have been absorbing cuts to their school budget since my daughter went to school here, that would be since 1998. A line by line look at the budget to find places to trim would be like trying to trim the fat from non-fat frozen yogurt. There will be a good time to change the school start time and we will recognize it when we see it. I do not support a half hour later start at the expense any classes, positions or programs.
I have seen compelling studies demonstrating the merits of a later start time, but until such a change can be made at NHS without negative impacts on our course offerings, class sizes, or extracurricular activities, I will not be able to support it.
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As an NHS teacher and the parent of three children in Northampton's public schools, I do not support cutting existing programs at the high school to allow for a later start time.