Governor Mitch Daniels proposes a 3 year phase in for full day K beginning with students on free and reduced lunches. The second year he proposes all students in schools above the state median for free and reduced lunches and the third year he proposes all students in the state receive the option of full day K.
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When I first heard of this proposal, I was self righteously outraged! But, if it is fully funded and not another unfunded mandate maybe we all should look at the big picture. My understanding is that it is trying to make education a more level playing field. Is this so wrong in the land of opportunity? Just because my children have educated parents, enjoy multiple cultural opportunities (dance, music, zoos, museums, vacations, etc.); this isn’t the case for many children, probably even a few here in Syracuse. Not all families are created equally with regard to education or money (duh), so why not offer it to those kids and as long as I have the opportunity to opt out, let’s give ALL children the best education possible.
I have had a daughter in full day KDG and the benefits are bountiful! Great time for the academics with time still for some of the KDG fun we remember!
Some food for thought...if you truly take a look at education right now and reminesc...well you'll see what I see. What we learned in let's start at 3rd is what they are now learning in 2nd, what they learned in 2nd, now in 1st which leaves us with what we learned in 1st now attempted to being learned in KDG and only in 1/2 a day. NO longer are the days of milk and cookies and naps. Think this way too...KDG goes to school approximately 3 hours. In that 3 hours they also have 1-2 20minute recesses (closer to 30 when you factor prep and travel time!), music, PE, library and sometimes Art...don't forget those specials! So how much time are the kids getting with the core subjects? (OH...and don't forget about the days we have delays! What even gets done then!) We happen to have incredible teachers, they need more time.
Look back at what education USE to be as a whole and look at what the state is now expecting not only from the students but also from the teachers and what they are to accomplish in the school year. The first grade is one of the hardest year with all that a teacher has to teach and a student has to take in. Going to full day KDG would help to alleviate that. On a different side, think too of how it would help some parents out...no more child care for 1/2 a day, no more worrying about picking up or taking at half a day.
I taught first grade here in Indiana for a few years and have ALWAYS supported full day kindergarten. When kids come to first grade, the transition to a full day is a difficult one. We spend the first month or so just getting them into a routine and teaching them things like lunchroom rules and bus dismissal procedures. They must adjust to the physical side of making it through an entire school day! And in first grade, the curriculum starts IMMEDIATELY. A lot of time is lost just getting them acclimated! I have also taught elementary school in a state where the children do go to school for a full day in kindergarten and what a difference a whole day makes! The kids are so much more prepared to come in and get going right from day 1!
I was at the Indiana Youth Institute Presentation where Governor Daniels spoke. Based on the information presented, FDK sounded like a great thing on the surface, but when we took a closer look at studies done on FDK, we saw some interesting results. Information presented stated that there is no statistical evidence showing that gains made from FDK are actually retained past first grade. Are the sacrifices made by each individual school system worth it, when there is no proof of long term advantages?
I believe we need full day kindergarten and can understand why the govenor wants to implement it slowly but offering it only to our neediest children would be discriminatory. Also, it would become public information as to who qualifies for free or reduced lunch.
Studies have also shown that FDK benefits children socially--they have a greater opportunity to develop the necessary social skills to be successful in school. Lack of social development can lead to difficulties in learning in the classroom--not only for the student, but for the rest of the class. I would hope that by the beginning of second grade, students are no longer simply making it on the gains made from kindergarten, but on the knowledge and development gained from a successful year in first grade--a grade that is CRUCIAL in the realm of reading and writing. A grade that was successful DUE TO the benefits gained from FDK. Education is like a lasagne--each layer is necessary to make the whole dish work!
Full Day Kindergarten is only being used as a Day Care for two working parents. There is no concrete evedence that kids benifit from FDK beyond the 2nd or 3rd grade. In a state that doesn't even require kindergarten, why on earth is valuable taxpayer money being used for this purpose. Our state is still hundreds of millions of dollars in debt due to the mandatory coverage of the teachers pension! That's fine-but we don't have the money to fund FDK contrary to our Governor's statements.
Kids have to start full days sometime. Good preparation by parents and enrollment in a quality preschool will prepare kids for 1/2 kindergarten and then full day first grade!
Our 3 kids were well prepared for 1st grade after preschool and 1/2 day kindergarten. The state and more taxpayer money is not the answer!
Parental responsibility will do the job!
Ah . . . parental responsibility. If 100% of our parents would be responsible, we'd be in heaven!
Mr. Ragland
Do You have any k-2 children at home? 1st grade is expected to know way more than the teachers have time to teach them in k.....I help out every week in my childrens classes and I know they would benefit from going all day in k.....For a community that seems take pride on helping why dont you think about helping the children
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