POLL: Redding School Start Times

Redding's school start times won't change, at least not just yet, according to a letter sent out yesterday by Dr. Bernard Josefsberg, superintendent of schools.

Last week, Josefsberg hosted a community forum regarding potentially changing the start times of and John Read Middle School to align them with neighboring Easton.

In a letter written last month, Josefsberg explained some of his rationale for exploring the change:

In brief, such a change would align the start times in the Redding and Easton school districts. Doing so would improve opportunities for faculty communication, collaboration and coordination, as well as create possibilities for more shared after school programming for the youth of both communities. Because it would reverse the elementary and middle school bus runs, doing so also would reduce afternoon pick-up delays at JRMS.

Josefsberg said that Redding's elementary school and middle school start times are a "regional anamoly," hence his desire to potentially alter Redding's start times and not Easton's. 

Yesterday, the superintendent sent out another letter to the community after "considerable opposition" was voiced at last week's forum by parents. Josefsberg said he will not ask the Redding Board of Education to consider his current proposal. The letter reads as follows:

Last Thursday’s Community Forum on changing the daily start and end times of RES and JRMS made it apparent that there is considerable opposition to the proposal in its current form. Much less apparent is the support for the proposal that exists among parents and teachers, but such support has indeed been expressed (outside of the forum) and conveyed to the BOE.

Whatever the ratio of support and opposition across the wider community to this specific proposal, the forum made it clear that Redding parents understand the critical importance of organizing meaningful professional learning opportunities for Redding teachers. I take to heart the truism reiterated at the forum that “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.”

For this reason, I will not at this time ask the Redding BOE to consider this proposal in its current form. Perhaps a better start and end time proposal can be moved forward in the foreseeable future that would secure more of a positive consensus.

I have a variety of thoughts about the forum, but I can say without hesitation that I valued the experience as a reflection of the passion of this community for its public schools. By itself, that passion is a tremendous resource for the good.

Finally, I want to thank Janet Hayman, Allyson Florkowski and Irene Caldwell for their assistance in organizing and moderating last week’s event.

Are Redding's school start times good the way they are, or should they be changed? Tell us in the comments.