After a years worth of debate and committee analysis, the

controversial Late Start agenda finally passed through the school board
and next school year, we can expect 8:05 start times and 3:19 dismissals.
Advocates of the plan argued that the later starts will promote learning at
a more optimal hour and generally enhance student wellbeing. Others
worried that the schedule changes would be ineffective, achieving little
more than a shortened summer break. In the end, Principal Tim Kenney
drafted a solution that generally left both parties pleased. But, as the group
most affected by the new changes, Shorewood students should still have
one unaddressed concern.
Throughout the entire decision process, parents, and even some
teachers, on both ends of the debate were assured by a big idea
committee that the student body was in full favor of the new schedule,
information that indoubtably eased village wide trepidations. However, the
group who will be most affected by the new schedule was hardly involved
in the decision at all. First, we have to wonder how the administration
collected that data. No official survey or poll was ever conducted (yikes
correct me if Im wrong here) and few students were even aware that their
input was welcome. A small number of students have been speaking in
support of the new schedule. Conversely, a another small number spoke
out against it. Neither of their views are representative of the entire
student population, so the committee's claim of approval is overstated. In
my experience, it would seem more accurate to suppose that the school is
divided nearly 50-50 over the schedule change, but whos to say? Not
enough students were asked to form a statistically valid illustration.
Of course, student support in these sorts of decisions isnt
necessary at all, but in this case, it seems like the committee inflated
nonexistent data to facilitate its agenda. To claim widespread student
approval when only an elite few were invited to opine in favor of the issue
is simply misleading and wrong. Theres an old adage that says dont ask
a question if you dont cant handle the answer, and in this case, it
appears that the committee might have been afraid that the answer to their
question would not have fit in with their desired outcome. It is an alarming
insult to the students that more cross representation was sought in
selecting a prom theme than in this important district wide change.
Going forward, if student input is deemed important, it is important
for all students to be represented accurately and fairly.
Im going to France so this is all I got for now! If this isnt long
enough, I can keep going