Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, Author of Calif. AB 5 X6, pushes Mandatory Preschool on our children.

I had the ill pleasure of listening to Sharon Runner on 960 AM radio on Saturday, Jan. 24.

In her self-named radio program, Ms. Runner glorified her upcoming Assembly Bill 5 X 6, that will change the mandatory age for kindergarten to 5 years old and begin offering funding for preschool to disadvantaged or poor families.

Runner insisted that there is no opposition to her bill and that everyone is in support of making sure all children are school-ready for kindergarten.

She acknowledged that kindergarten has become increasingly academic in the past years, and instead of changing this trend, she wants to create a Pre-K program that would prepare children for kindergarten, in much the same way kindergarten was created to prepare children for first grade.

Runner admitted that this bill, and the funding provided for parents who can not afford preschool will lay the foundation to increase taxpayer support for a mandatory preschool law in the coming years.

One of Sharon Runner's argument strategies was to acknowledge the failure of kindergarten to prepare young children for academics, especially apparent for many young boys. She agreed that boy tend to have trouble with academics if they enter school at too young an age.

Instead of realizing that children would benefit from beginning school at 6 years-old (the current mandatory age) she wants to take away one year from children by changing the law to 5 years-of-age, and on top of that, make public education mandatory for Pre-K children as well.

This means that children as young as 4 would be subjected to mandatory education when Runner herself admitted that many children are not developmentally ready for school.

Sharon Runner's radio program amazed me in that she didn't even try to hide her true agenda. She tried to stress the tax savings by having only 5 year-olds in kindergarten, but failed to mention the increased cost of providing preschool at taxpayer expense.

Some children do presently begin school younger than 5, because of the December eligibility date, but families can still make the decision to wait until there child is 6 to send them to school.

Under AB 5 X5, presented in Special Session, parents would lose this option because school would become mandatory at age 5.

She also requested that all those in support of her bill write members of the assembly and write letters to local newspapers.

"Sharon Runner, Who are you working for and why are you desperate to take our children away from us? Public education has already proven to be a failure, and yet you ask that the taxpayers now support mandatory preschool.

Why not return kindergarten to it's former glory and let kindergarten teachers get children ready for school? Will the new preschool teachers be any more prepared than the befuddled teachers we see in our present school system?

You know . . . she may be on to something -- especially in California where the teachers' unions and bureaucrats impede all efforts to improve the education system.

Youngsters aren't ready for kindergarten? No problem, start a pre-K program. But she needs to expand the program. Youngsters aren't ready for first grade? Start a pre-first. Pre-second, pre-third, pre-fourth, whatever it takes. Holding teachers and parents responsible ain't right . . . just add more PRE- classes.

I keep reading that high school graduates can't read. Hey, this probably won't help because it'll be managed by the same idiots who couldn't teach the children to read in the first place . . . but at least the high school graduates will be thirty to forty years of age before they start standing on the street corners and those responsible for them being dumber than a pet rock --(see teachers and parents) -- will have to deal with them twelve years longer instead of expecting society to carry the burden.

Now, seriously . . .

Every nonsensical program like this makes my blood boil. Our education system needs one thing and it'll be the best in the world . . . accountability. That's it, that's all.

The parents must be held accountable when they've raised heathens. The teachers and administrators must be held accountable when their students don't learn. Then, finally, despite what the "bleeding-hearters" think, the students must be accountable for their grades and demeanor -- when they've graduated from high school, they've just tiptoed from "puppy status" into the real world of adulthood.

It's a sharp whack to the face, but easing this transition with touchy-feely nonsense does the new adult nor society no good. The student must be equipped at this time to take the leap into adulthood. If they're not, someone's head needs to roll.

Liberals have ruined our education system just as they've ruined everything else. And it's just as much our fault . . . yours and mine . . . as it is the liberal's! We allowed it to happen.

Another point, inspired by your post!

The art of teaching has been lost.

Everyone wants their classroom full of children to be
reading so that they can toss worksheets at them and go-go-go. You can't expect these educated "professionals" to be expected to TEACH reading skills!

So, now the obligation to "teach reading" will be put on the heads of preschool teachers who are dealing with children who have no understanding of what is expected of them.

True education is possible when the student understands
that something is expected of them, and the student can
cooperate with the system.

What can willy little children of only 4 years-old do intellectually, when all they want to do is spread chocolate pudding all over their faces and play and explore their surroundings?

I agree with your point. The teachers and the teacher unions are trying to shift blame.

The colleges and teachers credentialing programs are focusing on theory and political brainwashing and the fruit-of-their-labours is showing...

Our children, and our families should not
have to pay the price for this failed system.

How about starting mandatory education at age 8, when
children are ready to learn and WANT to learn.

Studies have shown that the best reading progress happens after age 8. Is anyone listening?

Something is wrong in our schools.

And it's not the children's fault.

I think the goal here is to take children away from parents at the earliest age possible.

That is it in a nutshell.

IMO that is why the liberals want to keep funding unmarried Mothers. When they are supported by the government they are watched very closely from the minute they are born.

If they get their way the new generation will belong to the state.

I remember years ago that the State wanted the parents to be partners in raising kids. Like they already belonged to the state, and they would graciously let the parents help bring them up...

This Post from last week is interesting, take a look.

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