Posted on 04/08/2009 8:33:49 AM PDT by Selkirk
It was reported today that several states are considering making cuts in pre-Kindergarten programs as a result of the budget problems faced by the states and localities under the current economic conditions.
Seems a little strange right now, given that a considerable chunk of the Recovery Act was devoted to funding pre-K programs, but I can't enough about what a good idea it is. As a father of two young children (one in Kindergarten and one in preschool), I can appreciate the value of preschool. My own anecdotal observation, which is backed up by empirical studies (not to mention common sense), indicates that preschool does an excellent job of preparing young children for Kindergarten.
So why do I think that pre-K programs are good candidates for cuts? Simply stated, because Kindergarten isn't the end game.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.politicalcastaway.com ...
[So why are parents and taxpayers so willing to shell out big bucks for preschool? ]
They figure the sooner they can dump childcare expenses off on the Gov’t the better?
Yes cut funding for education programs whose funding comes from taxpayers, and all the while increase spending for educational programs for those here illegally who pay no taxes and for some reason seme to refuse or find it offensive ot learn the existing national language....
this makes sense
This is one of his pet programs for a reason: it's another program to "spread the wealth around". We've known for a long time that Head Start doesn't work. But it does provide taxpayer-supported daycare to a lot of people who would otherwise have to pay for it.
The reason the first “cuts” in spending are always to education or police and fire services is that it affects the most people and thereby creates a tolerance for the tax increase the pols are really trying to get. It is all about getting more of our money and more votes from the ignorant electorate.
You are partially right but the big deal is that the government wants to get them early for their indoctrination.
Because the real purpose of government schooling is to provide government jobs for white collar workers of very modest ability.
Also....Does any institutional school “work”?...Or...Is learning and achievement really due to the parents and child's efforts in the home?
I contend that **all** academically successful children are “afterschooled” or homeschooled. Little real learning happens in the classroom.
It is the parents who are creating a learning centered home. The parents are the people turning off the TV and controlling the video games. The parents knowingly or unknowingly teach their kids phonics and make sure math facts are memorized. In the early years they check homework for completeness and neatness. In the later years it is the child who memorized the capitols of all the states, does the projects, writes the book reports, studies the examples in the math book and does the problems.
Parents of academically successful institutionalized children are doing **everything** I did as a HOMESCHOOLING mom!!! So?...Who is really responsible? The school? I don't think so!
In essence institutional schools are sending home a curriculum for the parents and child to follow. Institutional schools administer tests and grade projects.
Anyway.....If disadvantaged children are not doing well because their parents are doing a rotten job of “afterschooling” ( homeschooling), then continuing to apply the same failed government school model **will** continue to yield poor results. Hey! If the government school is merely sending home a curriculum for successful students and parents and children to follow, it is **insanity** to expect that dysfunctional parents will adequately “afterschool”.
A new model is needed for disadvantaged youth. The KIPP schools seem to have the right idea. KIPP schools are essentially duplicating in the school, what would normally happen at home in a functional family.
so, rile up everyone out there who is using pre-K for free child care, and set the stage for the Obama-Hillary massive Federal Pre-K program to ride to the rescue. (is it too non-PC to start calling that The Harlem Shuffle??)
Yeah, but sticking your child in gov’t funded pre-k is, at this point not mandatory, so parents are willingly sticking their children in these programs.
Excellent point.
I heard on the radio this am that the “gubmint” wants to put our kids in school SIX days a week for ELEVEN months of the year. That sounds like taking our kids away from us!
(Course I can hear the NY Teachers Unions howling NOW at the extra work!)
Exactly. It's more perks for welfare families. I used to think that maybe it was good to get these kids out of their home environment a few hours a day and, as a bonus, they might learn a little. I work with the schools so know the vast majority of these kids are still lagging behind and are causing discipline problems up into high school.
I'm not against pre-school as a whole. Of course, a lot has to do with the child's home environment but some preschools can be very good. Mine went to a 6 hr/wk church preschool and then on to public school. I still find it amazing after all these years that the kids (with the exception of less than a handful) who attended that small church preschool have ranked at the top of their class, been in the National Honor Society, and have excelled in their extra curricular activities.
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