Chicago Public Schools’ Post

🚍 Solutions for Smarter School Start Times I understand the transportation challenges have been INHERITED, but early start times (7:00 AM high school, 7:30 AM K-8) hurt students and families. Instead of short-term fixes, can we: ✅ Seek state funding for more buses and drivers? ✅ Partner with FDOT to optimize routes and reduce inefficiencies? ✅ Increase bus driver pay/benefits to fix shortages without harming students? ✅ Adjust schedules within research-based guidelines to protect student health? 📢 Let’s invest in real solutions that work for everyone—without forcing 4:30 AM wake-ups on children, teenagers, and families. ⏰💡

Subject: Concerns Regarding Proposed Early Start Times for Lee County Schools I am writing to formally express concerns regarding the proposed school start times for the Lee County School District, particularly the 7:00 AM start time for high school students and the 7:30 AM start time for K-8 students. While I understand that this proposal is being considered in response to the district’s bus driver shortage and transportation challenges, I am deeply concerned that these start times conflict with both scientific research and the intent of Florida’s 2023 school start time mandate (SB 1112), which requires high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 AM and middle schools no earlier than 8:00 AM by 2026. Key Concerns Impact on Student Health & Academic Performance Studies from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the AMA all confirm that early start times cause chronic sleep deprivation in adolescents, leading to poorer academic performance, higher anxiety and depression rates, and increased safety risks (including drowsy driving accidents). A 5:00 AM or earlier wake-up time for high school students is unrealistic and dangerous for their well-being. Supervision Issues for Working Parents before and after school hours. Rushed & Unrealistic Morning Routines A family with students in high school, middle school, and elementary school would need to wake up around 4:45-5:15 AM to get all children ready and out the door by 6:00-6:30 AM. This is not a sustainable daily routine for families, especially with young children who may struggle to wake up that early. Why Is the Bus Driver Shortage Being Prioritized Over Student Welfare? The district has acknowledged a shortage of at least 67 bus drivers, yet instead of aggressively addressing this issue by offering competitive pay and recruitment efforts, the proposed schedule pushes the burden onto students and families. Why has the district not prioritized hiring additional bus drivers rather than forcing students into an unhealthy and counterproductive schedule? Why Florida’s Mandated Later Start Times (8:30 AM for High School, 8:00 AM for Middle School) Are Better ✅ Teenagers Get More Sleep (Healthier, Happier, Higher Grades) ✅ Parents & Kids Wake Up at More Normal Hours ✅ Kids Arrive Home Closer to Parent Work Schedules (Less Supervision Gap) ✅ Less Rush in the Mornings & Evenings The only advantage of early start times is that students get out earlier, but this benefit is overshadowed by the severe harm to sleep, academic success, and mental health. The Lee County School District is trying to solve a bus driver shortage at the cost of student well-being, which is an unfair trade-off. The real solution should be hiring more bus drivers, not forcing students into an exhausting and unhealthy schedule."

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Any free continuing education offer with Jennifer Gonzalez, let me be the one to tell you if you don't know already -- Clear your schedules! Don't miss it :) When I was getting my credential, it was Jennifer who first helped me understand the critical transition between learning to read and reading to learn. As I began teaching, I discovered there is a parallel discernment we as #EduCreators (love that word, genius Christel Guillen!!) make daily between thinking to write and writing to think: there are editing ("thinking to write") moments, and there are creative moments ("writing to think"). In all classrooms, there is room to support both at differentiated levels for all students--we just have to keep equipping ourselves and pushing education further, higher, and wider. I hope this is a packed house -- excited for this!!!

The LLT team recently engaged in the WEOC’s Fall Job Fair, a valuable event organized by the University Center for Academic and Workforce Development (UCAWD) at the State University of New York (SUNY). This initiative offers a range of free academic and vocational training programs to individuals. At the fair, we interacted with a diverse group of bilingual students possessing varied training, work experience, and CDL B driver's licenses. Our team actively promoted both part-time and full-time opportunities, aiming to support students in their career pursuits. Many attendees expressed interest in discussing their chosen fields with us, seeking insights and guidance. We welcomed their inquiries, providing our expertise and assistance to aid in their career development journey. It was a fruitful experience connecting with motivated individuals at the event. 

We asked employers at the Summer & Part-Time Job Fair what advice they have for students who want to stand out for summer jobs! Look out for part 2 for more advice on how to make you applications stand out!

The standard school job fair offers opportunities for students to learn about local employers and careers. But what if the students were the ones doing the pitching? This was the question asked by leaders of the Garrett High School Career Development Program in Garrett, IN. Can other skilled trades programs and students benefit from this model? Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gwdX_5ZW

So you attended a DAV job fair and made meaningful connections with potential employers… what now? DAV’s Ryan Burgos is here with some tips and best practices to ensure you know the proper way to follow up after a day at the job fair. Visit jobs.dav.org to learn more.