BUSHISM of the Day

"I want to thank you for taking time out of your day to come and witness my hanging." ---At the dedication of his portrait in Austin, TX; January 4, 2002


Uh...I'm not saying a word.

Teens Aren't Getting Enough Sleep

A team of researchers in Evanston, Illinois have determined that adolescents get as much as two hours more sleep on the weekends and during summer vacation than they do during the week while schools are in session. The research suggests that teenagers need 8 - 9 hours of sleep each night, but most only get 6 1/2 - 7 hours of sleep during the school year week. According to the study, the students were getting 8.7 hours sleep on average during the week in the month of August before the start of school.

Advocates argue that school systems should begin school later in the day, perhaps 9:30 AM, while continuing to end school at about the same time each day. The researchers and others make a compelling argument for starting late; however, the school year would inevitably need to be extended in order to make up for missing hours. Alternatively, a school could begin at 9:30 AM and end at 4:00 PM each day with a thirty-minute lunch break and continue to have six hours of instruction each day.

Seems possible to me...

U.S. Student Population Highest Ever

According to the AP, 49.6 million students attended U.S. public and private schools in 2003. That total is nearly a million more (48.7 million) students than attended school in 1970 at the peak of school enrollment for the baby boom generation.

Honestly, the 49.6 million figure comes as a surprise to me.