A kindergarten parent's observations after the first year of school life.

[RandySF]

1. It's important to build an alliance with teachers and not be afraid to cross swords with the principal.
2. School administrators love to cling to the status quo no matter how negative. This is especially true at schools at which parents are predominately poor and come from immigrant backgrounds.
3. School choice and the Internet are a parents' best friends. They can be the tools with which you can make positive change when the above administrators don't want to budge.
4. Poverty and lack of stability impact younger students more than older kids because it's the time they seem to need the most help developing good learning skills.
5. After-school may have a greater impact on getting kids on the right track than the regular school day.
6. A child's right to attend school should not supersede the right's of others to a safe learning environment, regardless of age. Bullies should not be stigmatized, but no one should be bullied.
7. Parents SHOULD be accountable for their kids' behavior.
8. Foreign language classes should begin at 4th grade.

[msongs]

1. the best place to teach basics to a child is in the home, school is only secondary nt

[NYC_SKP]

9. And when not done at home then school becomes primary. nt

[handmade34]

2. it has been a long time

since I was the parent of a Kindergartener, and I am curious about the events that have led to your observations/conclusions??

[RandySF]

3. It's a long story.

I had an ongoing "relationship" with our principal over bullying in the yard and recess. She was prepared to do nothing until I posted criticisms on Yelp and other sites. Had SF not had a system of school choice, I'm sure she would have still done nothing. My kid wasn't the only one getting bullied, but I was the only parent to step forward and it may have been because others were a little intimidated by the overall school system.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. How do you know you were the only parent who complained?

I would be surprised if any principal would discuss that with a parent. I know I don't talk to parents about what other parents discuss with me regarding the students. That's confidential.

But if you are sure you really were the only parent complaining, then that should tell you something.

[southernyankeebelle]

4. My granddaughter is in kindergarten and she likes it. I will tell you she even gets homework.

I am so surprised they are learning to read, math and computers. I was even surprised she had to learn puncutations already in kindergarten. They get site words they have to learn and even spelling words. I just think its alot for a kindergarten to learn and retain. I have gotten her on my laptop and she plays on Zoodles.com and the games are really educational and free. You can pay for it and they will let you know how they are doing. I plan to get her abcmouse.com for the summer so she won't forget. Hopefully we will help her learn to read better. She has a pretty good teacher.

[knitter4democracy]

5. Second/third language study should begin in kindergarten.

Sorry, the data on that is too strong to ignore. Plus, my own kids benefited from it mightily.

Poverty hits older kids very hard, too, and honestly, it's often worse because the school stakes are higher. Homework's longer and harder, more extracurriculars have to be given up, etc. It's hard on all ages, period.

I agree with the rest.

[roody]

12. Yes on second language in kindergarten!!

I teach it.

[kwassa]

7. I wouldn't draw general lessons from one specific school experience.

There are all kinds of school administrators in this world. All kinds of parents, too. There are some parents who think they see a problem where none really exists, and will never give up that perception.

It sounds like you have a specific problem with a specific administrator.

Most of your post I agree with. Though, for many children in this area, foreign language instruction begins in kindergarten in ESOL, as the foreign language is English. Most learn to speak it pretty well in about a year, and end up translating for their parents.

[mzteris]

8. Be Careful of those Principals

they can ruin your life. Or rather your kid's.

I know. One tried her best to ruin ours. And wound up doing us a favor because we withdrew him from school (initially temporarily until we could find another) - but homeschooling was like water to a duck for that boy.

She abused her teachers. She abused the kids. She was "oh so sweet and charming" - until you crossed her. And then, there was HELL to pay. We weren't the only ones. I had teachers tell me they feared her and her retributions. Early morning playground duty. Every day. Not granting you a day or your time off (No unions in the south) if you needed it. Assigning all the troublesome kids to your classroom. Demanding long ass reports on some trumped up something or other. Requiring you to stay late - repeatedly - for some bs meeting.

She actually told one of my son's teachers NOT TO TALK TO HIM unless absolutely necessary. Oh I could go on and on.

Just be careful. Principals weld more power than you realize and some of them are really sneaky.

BTW - Foreign language IMMERSION should begin in Kindergarten for every single child. Too bad we don't have the teaching pool to pull THAT off! For brain and language and math skill development, it exceeds every other method. Doesn't matter which language. Any will do. Of course, Spanish and Chinese would be the most useful in the coming years, but that's just me. Bilingual people are just "smarter" than they would have been had they not learned the 2nd language.

[RandySF]

11. I don't think she would try it with me.

She knows that I know my way enough around the district to make her life miserable and there is a strong union here as well. On the other hand, I have a good relationship with the teacher and realize that, in some things, her hands are tied.

[NYC_SKP]

10. K/R!

Keep up the great work, daddy-o!