California admits teens just aren't morning people
What happened
California passed a law making middle and high schools start later. This meant students slept more, felt less sad, and got better grades.
Why it matters
For decades, school schedules were set by bus routes and parent work schedules, not student biology. This paper shows that changing those schedules delivers measurable benefits for student health and academic performance. It suggests that a simple policy change can improve outcomes for hundreds of thousands of students.
The signal
Watch for other states to adopt similar mandates, and whether their results mirror California's academic gains and mental health improvements. Our bet: the willingness to reorganize the adult workday to fit the biology of its children will hit a wall.