Democrats make pitch for all-day kindergarten

[The Straight Story]

Democrats make pitch for all-day kindergarten

By JENNIFER WHITSON Courier & Press Indianapolis bureau [phone] or [email protected]
January 6, 2006

INDIANAPOLIS - Senate Democrats unveiled an education plan Thursday centered on committing future lawmakers to funding optional full-day kindergarten.

The plan would phase in optional full-day kindergarten programs by first requiring Title I schools to offer them at a cost of roughly $81 million per year. Then by the fourth year, all schools would be required to offer all-day kindergarten at a statewide cost of $139 million per year.

"Indiana can't afford to wait any longer," said Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary. "Today we're challenging our colleagues and the governor to make the commitment this year."

Backers said the longer kindergarten days are the most effective tool to shrink the achievement gap, the difference in scores on tests between whites and minority groups.

http://www.courierpress.com/ecp/news/article/0,1626,ECP_734_4367631,00.html

Ok, what am I missing in that statement?

[rodeodance]

1. letting kids be kids?

....Ok, what am I missing in that statement?

[SharonAnn]

6. Here, the majority of kids are in poor or low-income families. They

get little nurturing and learning support at home. Perhaps the parent (usually single-parent) not only didn't finish high school, but is functionally illiterate. They don't learn colors, numbers, alphabets, schedules and are ill-fed. They enter school so far behin that it's a wonder that anyof them ever catch up.

If they are in school, there a few things that happen:
1. They get fed.
2. They get learning support.
3. They learn about schedules (time to play, time to study, time to sleep).
4. They get lots of attention, they get read to.
5. They interact with others and learn social skills.
6. They're in a safe environment for a few more hours every day.

Yes, these are things that we'd like parents to do but if the parent(s) is not home, is not educated, is not literate, etc. the child suffers.

We know some things about ill-fed, ill-educated children. They have a much higher than average failure rate in school and at work. They have a higher rate of crime and imprisonment.

I'd rather spend some money on children early and give them a chance for a better life than pay the societal and much higher financial cost of adjudication and imprisonment at a later time.

For one tenth of the amount we spend on prisons, we could provide a superlative education system for all the students in the United States.

[Poppyseedman]

2. Horsepucky

Backers said the longer kindergarten days are the most effective tool to shrink the achievement gap, the difference in scores on tests between whites and minority groups.

I wish people would actually read or listen to what some of these people say.

How about be just being freaking honest about why they want to have longer kindergarten days. It helps to lower the cost of daycare and makes mommy and daddy easier to manage their busy lives if little johnny can stay in school all day.

Longer kindergarten days is not the most effective tool to shirk the achievement gap. Not even close.

What the hell does having longer days for kindergartens have to do with race??? Black children need longer days to do better ???

I could list at least ten other tools or ideas that would be more effective.

[The Straight Story]

3. thank you

pretty much what I was thinking, just thought maybe I was missing something...

[Poppyseedman]

5. If I was a minority, I think I would be pissed by the

implied statement.

I can understand that test scores might improve overall for all children, but just what does it have to do with race?

I would assume they would improve equally across the board for all races?

[rucky]

15. they were probably using districtwide stats

as opposed to stats by race within a single Title I school.

[ulysses]

9. I'd like to hear them.

I could list at least ten other tools or ideas that would be more effective.

[cmd]

4. Childhood, freedom to explore

Kindergarten has become first grade. The kids no longer have time to play, imagine and socialize. I taught Kdg. until I retired under the worst possible plan. My kids went all day every other day and alternate Fridays. We had to do two days of work in one day. All day would be better if we continue to insist on five year olds doing pencil and paper work for half of the day. However, I still believe that kindergarten should be a joyous time in a child's life with lots of stories, music, art and movement. Half day kindergarten addresses their attention span and still gives them freedom to be a child.

[madmom]

7. my daughter went to all day kindergarten, every other day...

(she's now 22) it made for smaller class sizes therefore better teacher to student ratio, I don't see a problem with it. She had plenty of play time 2 recesses plus lunch break plus gym. She is as close to normal now as I think she could be.

[snowbear]

8. The first sentence says =OPTIONAL= full-day kindergarten

When working parents have to consider their options, what's what with a choice of an OPTIONAL full-day kindergarten?

:shrug:

[Telly Savalas]

10. That's really fucked up.

I can't believe Democrats have the audacity to want to expand our educational services to include an optional all-day kindergarden. We should be following the lead of the Republicans and pushing for cuts to education.

[The Straight Story]

11. well I don't think anyone was suggesting that :) but read on

to the bold faced area. And btw - title was not mine....

[ulysses]

12. where's the problem?

:shrug:

[The Straight Story]

13. Honestly, post #2 says it better than I could right now :) (nt)

[rucky]

14. I've worked at several Title I schools & I think this is fantastic.

There IS an achievement gap. It's more between rich & poor than black & white, but they go hand-in-hand way too often.

Contrary to popular belief, poor people don't sit on their asses all day. Most likely they're working their asses off trying to scrape up a buck and raising kids. Most likely there is a single mom - or if both parents work there is one or no cars between them. You get a kid in half-day kindergarten and a parent's entire day is shot - 12:00 pickup, and the bus drops them off at home - not aunt or grandma or whoever can watch the kids on any given day. On those days that it doesn't work out, they save one round of transportation that day and just drop them off with the sitter for the whole day. Absences are MUCH greater as a result.

So while the stay-home parents are spending time with their kids, the working poor are navigating through a crazy daily schedule because of the lack of childcare resources. Not much time to spend on the ABC's once the day winds down.

So between absences and less support at home, these kids go into first grade unprepared. They are supposed to go into first grade knowing AT least which letters make which sounds. By midterm, the state assessments have them reading paragraphs.

I'm administering reading assessments to 1-3rd graders as part of an in-home after school tutoring program. I go into these homes and see the connection between wealth and achievement firsthand. Anything the public schools can do to make things easier on the parents will improve their home life, and their achievement.

All-day kindergarten is long overdue, and I've been whining about the need for universal DAYcare being nearly as important as universal healthcare. BTW - New Mexico just launched a public pre-K program.

As for race, the schools I work with are over 50% black. The districtwide numbers for Title I will show most of the black population in the district are in Title I schools (that's probably where the assumption of race comes in). But if you look at the stats within a single school, you won't see a real achievement gap between black and white students.

Hope that helps shed some light.

[MercutioATC]

16. Having a friend in that situation, I couldn't agree more.

1) It's an economic rather than a racial issue, although race and economic status do have a definite tie.

2) Many of the people who have their children in daycare are trying their best to improve their situation...often with the goal of being able to spend more time with their children. Their primary goal, however, is FEEDING their children, which sometimes is at odds with getting them adequate schooling, either at school or at home.

3) Universal preschooling and daycare (done intelligently) would not only help "poor single mothers", but would benefit society and the economy as a whole by giving the next generation the basic building blocks they need to succeed and contribute.


Great post!