Alan Grayson: “My amendment would require the Secretary of Education to conduct an assessment of the impact of school start times on…”

“My amendment would require the Secretary of Education to conduct an assessment of the impact of school start times on student health, well-being, and performance. It is supported by the National Education Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Sleep Federation. In my district, some schools begin the day at 7 a.m., and others begin at 9:15. I am sure we see similar disparities all around the country. As the father of five school-age children, I believe that 7 a.m. is probably too early to get the best out of the developing minds and bodies of our young people. That being said, I want to make it clear that this amendment does not mandate any change to school start times in the least. It simply seeks a national study on this topic. Maybe that study will prove me right, maybe it won't. Either way, localities will remain free to continue to choose the start times for their schools that make the most sense for them, hopefully being better informed by this study. My amendment, should it be accepted, will make those decisions possible with more information than is currently available.…”