Education News and Notes: To sleep, perchance to learn

Surprise! Our kids aren't getting enough sleep, and it's affecting their school work! According to an NPR report, high school seniors average just seven hours of sleep each night - actually, that's more than I get - but they need over nine each night.

When a teen's propensity to fall asleep later is coupled with the early-to-rise school start times, most high school students end up accruing a "sleep debt" of five to 10 hours by the end of a school week.

However, they shouldn't worry about falling asleep in class too much because their eventual undergraduate degree doesn't require as much effort as it used to. They read less, write less, and study half as much as students did in the 1960s. Colleges and universities spend more on keeping students comfortable instead of improving academic rigor.

The situation reflects a larger cultural change in the relationship between students and colleges. The authority of educators has diminished, and students are increasingly thought of, by themselves and their colleges, as “clients” or “consumers.” When 18-year-olds are emboldened to see themselves in this manner, many look for ways to attain an educational credential effortlessly and comfortably. And they are catered to accordingly. The customer is always right.

In other words, colleges are the new high schools. Choice matters. Why challenge when you can coddle?

But there is some good news: One of my MSU classmates, Arelis Diaz, was interviewed by Michigan Radio this week to discuss how she helped improve the overall educational environment at North Godwin Elementary. Read about it here.