Well, reality has finally hit! It's pretty much a done deal that Em will be in full day kindergarten, as our elementary school seems fully committed to the switch for next year. To say that I'm disappointed would be an understatement, really, but I'll be a big girl and live with it. Other parents are starting to rumble, though, because the circumstances will be rather dismal for next year.
Our particular building has only two kindergarten classrooms and at least three will be needed. The school just had a major renovation construction proposal approved by the board which has caused them to halt all plans to renovate one room just for kindergarten. I'm not sure when that will begin, but it's pretty apparent that the ending date will be far past the opening day of school next year, meaning our kindergarteners will be separated from other classes. The older grades will be relegated to trailers, which is a bit of a concern for me, as Kt has asthma and these musty, mildewed carpeted trailers pose a health problem for her. Once again, the push is for the school to exceed the requirement for all Kindergarten to be full day in Maryland by the 2007-2008 school year instead of meeting the needs of all students.
I'm a little cynical about issues such as this. We had a situation last year where we were basically forced to move our daughter to another classroom because her reading level was drastically above where they thought it was. We disagreed, met with the new principal, vice principal and classroom teacher. The case was presented to us as a "must move" or we would not be doing what was in the best interest of our child, basically that we, the parents, would be neglectful of the needs of our child because they could not provide the appropriate reading group in the class in which they placed her. It was totally absurd. I was completely insulted as a parent, former teacher, daughter of two teachers, that they would suggest that I didn't have a clue what was best for my child. They further stated that their primary concern for my child was meeting her academic needs, that social, emotional and physical needs were secondary if at all considered. I think they understand now how I feel about that! What I saw, as a greatly insulted parent, was that my child would pay the price for my unwillingness to comply with their need to even out the class number for an entire year, thus making our lives miserable. So we went along with this plan and will not do so again.
That being said, I ask this school administrator, are we really doing what's best for these children academically??? by forcing a drastic change before we a physically capable??? Here are some facts:
1) The ratio of students to teachers will be 22:1 - That's insane for full day kindergarten! and I'm worried the chances of that happening are slim. Kt had 60+ students in her K in three 1/2 day classes. When they bumped up to first grade, 36 new students appeared whose parents had sent them to full day K to meet the needs of their family. What if, and it's highly likely, more than 66 children register for free full day K next year? I doubt they will hire another teacher AND there wouldn't be anyplace to put the class if they did!!
2) The original date for our school, Clemens, to be full day was projected for the 2007-2008 school year - Why? because we aren't equipped for this change. Our building isn't physically ready. We don't have enough classroom space and we aren't a priority school for construction. Last fall, somehow our school was pushed ahead a year - and that entire year passed with no significant progress to in solving the space problem. I think that's outrageous. Anytime I asked either the kindergarten teachers or the principal about this, they would reply that they didn't know anything. WHAT?
3) Other county schools in more affluent areas have never had to use trailers, have significantly more classroom space, are newer AND have had new classrooms added to them already and have much smaller student to teacher ratios. T and I discussed this, with his ranting about that's how middle class is, no benefit of having mountains of money and influence, no benefit of being so low on the totem pole that we might qualify for grants or government money. We are the forgotten middle.
Our particular building has only two kindergarten classrooms and at least three will be needed. The school just had a major renovation construction proposal approved by the board which has caused them to halt all plans to renovate one room just for kindergarten. I'm not sure when that will begin, but it's pretty apparent that the ending date will be far past the opening day of school next year, meaning our kindergarteners will be separated from other classes. The older grades will be relegated to trailers, which is a bit of a concern for me, as Kt has asthma and these musty, mildewed carpeted trailers pose a health problem for her. Once again, the push is for the school to exceed the requirement for all Kindergarten to be full day in Maryland by the 2007-2008 school year instead of meeting the needs of all students.
I'm a little cynical about issues such as this. We had a situation last year where we were basically forced to move our daughter to another classroom because her reading level was drastically above where they thought it was. We disagreed, met with the new principal, vice principal and classroom teacher. The case was presented to us as a "must move" or we would not be doing what was in the best interest of our child, basically that we, the parents, would be neglectful of the needs of our child because they could not provide the appropriate reading group in the class in which they placed her. It was totally absurd. I was completely insulted as a parent, former teacher, daughter of two teachers, that they would suggest that I didn't have a clue what was best for my child. They further stated that their primary concern for my child was meeting her academic needs, that social, emotional and physical needs were secondary if at all considered. I think they understand now how I feel about that! What I saw, as a greatly insulted parent, was that my child would pay the price for my unwillingness to comply with their need to even out the class number for an entire year, thus making our lives miserable. So we went along with this plan and will not do so again.
That being said, I ask this school administrator, are we really doing what's best for these children academically??? by forcing a drastic change before we a physically capable??? Here are some facts:
1) The ratio of students to teachers will be 22:1 - That's insane for full day kindergarten! and I'm worried the chances of that happening are slim. Kt had 60+ students in her K in three 1/2 day classes. When they bumped up to first grade, 36 new students appeared whose parents had sent them to full day K to meet the needs of their family. What if, and it's highly likely, more than 66 children register for free full day K next year? I doubt they will hire another teacher AND there wouldn't be anyplace to put the class if they did!!
2) The original date for our school, Clemens, to be full day was projected for the 2007-2008 school year - Why? because we aren't equipped for this change. Our building isn't physically ready. We don't have enough classroom space and we aren't a priority school for construction. Last fall, somehow our school was pushed ahead a year - and that entire year passed with no significant progress to in solving the space problem. I think that's outrageous. Anytime I asked either the kindergarten teachers or the principal about this, they would reply that they didn't know anything. WHAT?
3) Other county schools in more affluent areas have never had to use trailers, have significantly more classroom space, are newer AND have had new classrooms added to them already and have much smaller student to teacher ratios. T and I discussed this, with his ranting about that's how middle class is, no benefit of having mountains of money and influence, no benefit of being so low on the totem pole that we might qualify for grants or government money. We are the forgotten middle.
4) The bathroom issue - I had always been under the impression that kindergarteners were to have their own bathroom contained in the classroom for safety reasons. Next year, one class will not have this benefit and will have to not only enter the hallway to use the shared restroom, they will likely have to pass through three 4th grade classes because of the ridiculous pod set up. I'm not sure what the policy is one this particular issue, and while it's not of great concern to me, some of the parents are really "freaking out" on this particular issue.
I am, from a teaching standpoint, against full day kindergarten. I don't feel that children at this age need a full day of school. Developmentally, there is such a wide range of ability and this range changes at different rates for each child that I think optimal class size is 15:1. That is utopian, but anything over 20:1 would require full time aid if all the needs were to be met for each student at this level. The purpose of kindergarten is to introduce children to the idea of school, to develop social skills and to introduce academic material. It was never meant to be competitive or overly academic, until now. (An interesting read about this subject here.)
My big question is really why rush this? Why not wait until we are better equipped for this change? I've gotten interesting responses, like "watch out who you vote for next time!", or "NCLB is forcing us to do this" to "because we have to." Last time I checked, George Bush wasn't forcing Clemens to change to full day kindergarten a year before schedule, NCLB didn't have a Clemens clause and I don't remember hearing anyone say we HAD to do this early. I'm guessing someone at Clemens "offered" to do this for visibility - I could be wrong! It just seems so poorly planned, or thought out.
My even bigger question is for the state of Maryland, who is "forcing" all counties to comply with this full day kindergarten initiative or else be left out of the extra funding for it: why is this so important? Why not offer parents the option of full OR half day kindergarten? More and more often parents are being treated as though they do not understand how to meet the needs of their own children, power is being stripped from parents in making educational decisions for the children they have poured their lives into. I'm being a little dramatic, but I'm really tired of teachers and administrators snickering at me, as a parent, like I don't know what I'm talking about. There's always that collective groan when I reveal that I'm one of them, an educator, and I have a pretty good idea what I'm talking about. I want to know, why don't I know what is best for my child or at least better than the State of Maryland does?
I am hearing conversations, even joining in on some, about what we are going to do next year. People are talking homeschooling, private schooling, complaining, petitions, and even compliance! (haha) It will be interesting. I have thought this through, in fact, I've been thinking about it longer than most of these parents. I had been told when I was in the hospital delivering Kt that she would among the first Maryland students to be in full day kindergarten. Yes folks, long before President George W. Bush and NCLB there was a full day kindergarten agenda and I'm assuming it was driven by a child care need, not an educational one! Being a teacher, I had already decided, before Kt even breathed her first breath, that I would seek alternate education before sending my child to full day kindergarten. (So dramatic, I am!)
The truth is, if it were to be done properly, adequately, with the best interest of my child being of utmost importance, I wouldn't have a problem with this plan. I just don't see that happening, so I'm concerned. What am I left with? I guess I just have to pray and leave it up to God because right now, I'm feeling quite helpless.
If interested, read this blog about this very subject. Very interesting...
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