Some Brief Specifics

By Lee Hamovitz

A Few Small Ideas to Give Voters A Sense of Some Possible Changes

STEM and Technology Programs
- Enlarge the STEM program so that it's available to more than 60 students. Likewise, actually support the IT program, and MSA also.

Special Education
- Many parents feel that the Novato school district treats their special education children as second-class students. It's hard to deny when the Kindergarten special education class doesn't even have a sandbox to play in. We MUST pay attention to all students, and do everything possible to give them the best possible education.

GATE
- District staff still refuses to explain who instituted the recent unpopular changes to the GATE program or why they were made over the opposition of so many GATE parents. This lack of transparency is troubling, and unfortunately indicative of the close-minded way the district operates.

Carpooling
- With climate change, and traffic congestion, both pressing issues, especially here in Novato, the school district should act as a central point to help facilitate carpooling, across schools and across grade levels. The district should do everything possible to encourage students and parents to carpool. In fact, maybe the district should have a greenhouse gas audit done so we have a better idea of how much pollution the district contributes to our area.

Increase Citizen Participation Let's help increase citizen participation in government by moving NUSD Board meetings to Wednesday nights, so that local citizens have an opportunity to attend both NUSD Board meetings and Novato City council meetings. We shouldn't force people to make a decision as to what's more important to them. Other cities and districts in Marin meet on separate nights, so should we.

Increase Citizen Participation The Board should request that PTSA groups schedule their meetings for weeks the Board does NOT meet. That might "loosen up" some busy schedules and allow parents a chance to attend both Board and PTSA meetings.

Start Middle and High schools later in the day From the American Academy of Pediatrics:

"Chronic sleep loss in children and adolescents is one of the most common + and easily fixable + public health issues in the U.S. today," said pediatrician Judith Owens, MD, FAAP, lead author of the policy statement, "School Start Times for Adolescents," published in the September 2014 issue of Pediatrics.

"The research is clear that adolescents who get enough sleep have a reduced risk of being overweight or suffering depression, are less likely to be involved in automobile accidents, and have better grades, higher standardized test scores and an overall better quality of life," Dr. Owens said. "Studies have shown that delaying early school start times is one key factor that can help adolescents get the sleep they need to grow and learn."

See more at: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/Let-Them-Sleep-AAP-Recommends-Delaying-Start-Times-of-Middle-and-High-Schools-to-Combat-Teen-Sleep-Deprivation.aspx#sthash.6sr60zEg.dpuf