Kindergarten cramming: Schools pushing kids beyond naps, crackers

[Rose Siding]

snip>
Driven by an era of accountability, curricular requirements have teachers and students moving at a more demanding pace, one that can overwhelm many children - especially those who lack preschool experience or enriching home lives.

The changing environment is setting off alarms. Educators fear the pressure will turn children off to school at an age when it's crucial to introduce the joys of education. Parents, who for years have debated whether their emerging 5-year-old was socially ready for kindergarten, now fear academic failures and even labels.

"The loss of joy - that's the thing I hear my colleagues talk about. The joy is gone from their classrooms," said Phyllis York, a 16-year kindergarten teacher in Davis. "Kids are not enjoying themselves."
.....
Pressure to have students ready for standardized tests at second grade essentially has shifted curriculum standards up a year. Where kindergarten once accustomed children to socializing with others and preparing them to read and do math, it now has them learning complex concepts, teachers say. The days of "graham crackers and naps" are gone.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/education/story/12686398p-13539181c.html

[ret5hd]

1. The RW's premier goal: "The joy is gone from their classrooms..."

You better get ready young, cause we're gonna be screwin' you for the rest of your life.

[callous taoboy]

10. Third grade teacher here-

I can vouch for the "joy is gone" claim. What's doubly maddening is that we have people from the state visiting our school to tell us we need to be doing more hands-on projects in math. WE DON"T HAVE THE TIME. The amount of material we have to cover to get them ready for the math test is staggering. I have to do skill and kill, and it has to be test-formatted so that the kids can sit right down and plug into the test on the day.

I used to really enjoy teaching, felt like I was tapping into some serious creativity both personally and professionally. That is gone.
I am spent.

[LuckyTheDog]

99. Kids have to be allowed to be kids

Finger-painting should be part of all standardized tests, IMHO.

[WindRavenX]

2. Yup, standardized testing has serious f'd up the education system

I cannot tell you how deeply this disturbs me. Kindergarden and early years in school are so crucial for developing social skills. Instead of nurturing kids to love learning and develop their minds, we're teaching them how to fill out "A" "B" "C" or "D". It's bullshit, and kids aren't learning.
Keep in mind, I am not against benchmark testing- but simply the way that NCLB and most other ideas of using benchmark testing to determine a school's funding; it's inherently racist and will only keep the worst schools (usually poor, rual or urban areas that have high populations of minority students).
Fucking hell. I am so angry. Kids aren't allowed to be kids anymore.

[jedicord]

3. "Kids aren't allowed to be kids anymore."

My son was in kindergarten seven years ago...

His teacher was upset because he would scrape shoe scruff marks off the floor while sitting in line in the hallway. And he took a bow out of a little girl's hair.

Silly, 5 year old kid stuff drove that woman crazy!

She said he couldn't count past 18 because he paused after that number every time. Paused. Maybe he needed to breathe every 18 seconds?!

Seven years ago I said exactly the same thing that article said "What happened to naps and cookies?"

[WindRavenX]

4. I see this all the time...

...I want to teach HS, but I'm also very involved with younger kids- tutoring, babysitting, camp, etc- and it amazes me how fucking uptight some parents are.
YO! Let them be kids- they'll grow up to realize the cruelty of the world soon enough.
Until then, I want them to be free to just...finger-paint, eat cookies, run around...shit like that.
Honest to god, some days I feel like screaming. Kids are NOT mini-adults and the idea of testing 5 year olds for NCLB is depressing to no end.

[jedicord]

7. I'm right where you are with this.

Unfortunately, because I allow my son to be a kid and to use his brain for more than just rote learning, he can't conform to the behavior and learning norms which the school expects. The problems that have entailed are endless. But I refuse to turn my son into a clone of Everykid.

As an excellent teacher (2nd grade) said, my son will struggle through his school career, but one day she'll read that he has discovered the cure for cancer, written a brilliant book, or caught the #1 Most Wanted criminal.

And the public education system as it stands can bite my ass.

[Beausoir]

8. Fantastic!

I agree with everything you've written. My 2nd grade son is in the exact same boat. Fortunately, his teacher recognizes his strengths. She told us my son would be a very famous scientist someday.
Kids these days, little boys especially, are forced into this cookie cutter mode of conformism. If a little boy dares act like a little boy he immediately becomes a candidate for medication.
Time for parents to say enough is enough.

[callous taoboy]

12. I allow kids to be themselves:

Kids love me as a result. There are quite a number of teachers like myself out there, I suspect.:)

[jedicord]

13. I have, but only as an individual.

Unfortunately, the majority of parents want their children to conform and be like everyone else. It's crazy here (Texas, duh).

With the first sign of a problem, they jump on the ADHD wagon. All I hear are complaints that doctors in the area are starting to refuse diagnosing ADD or ADHD, and won't prescribe medication. Parents are having to take their children to psychiatrists, who apparently are also steering away from prescribing. No statistics, but to me that shows how bad it is getting out of hand.

Another thing that drives me nuts is my son's school is giving parties for the children who excel on the TAKS test. All the "average" kids, who did well but not terrific, are left out. What kind of message is this sending to the majority of the kids there? What kind of self-confidence could they be gaining?

[callous taoboy]

15. THAT is totally inappropriate.

You need to voice this to the principal.

[KaliTracy]

58. the principal is probably supporting it.... n/t

[xxqqqzme]

23. I had a pediatrician try to medicate

my son 27 years ago because he was all over the exam room. Was his hyper-activity bothering me? she asked, (clearly it was bothering HER). Understading the code, I said, 'No, someday he'll grow N2 his nervous system.' When she asked, 'Have WE started potty training yet?" I said, "oh, R U going 2 help?'

WE were not among her favorite patients.

[flygal]

21. There are studies that prove your point

The Millionaire Mind stated the average GPA of Millionaires - by wealth, not flash in the pan rock stars - was under 3.0.

[KaliTracy]

52. that was a GREAT thing to say to you! If we can get beyond the

everyone being on the same page at the same time thinking the same thing (not a very good start for a democracy, is it?) we can survive.... whether this be by giving encouragement to a child who may "go to a different beat" or finding alternative education opportunities, our children need our support in a world that is going crazy.

This is a great resource site (even if just for books, etc.)
http://www.educationrevolution.org/demschool.html

[Missy Vixen]

93. Former child care professional checks in

>YO! Let them be kids- they'll grow up to realize the cruelty of the world soon enough.<

I was experiencing this 20 years ago at an upper crust daycare in downtown Seattle. At that time, I remember reading a headline story on the front page of USA Today stating that five-year-olds were suffering from PTSD as a result of being pushed by their overambitious parents. I'm only sorry that I didn't write a book similar to "The Nanny Diaries", because I lived it for several years. It's not necessary for Conor/Ashley/whatever trendy name is popular this week to learn French and do flashcards if the child is still in diapers well past potty-training age and biting other kids because he or she is so stressed out.

There are people that don't seem to understand that kids' play, even in the early years, is their work. They learn to use their imaginations and to get along with siblings and other kids. The adults around them have a huge responsibility to show them a world that is theirs to learn from, and that is age-appropriate. (Maybe they need to try the low-tech stuff like story time at the local library...) If learning is a thing to be feared, it will follow them for the rest of their lives.

IMHO.

Julie

[insane_cratic_gal]

5. Sad

My 7 year old is in first grade, she already is disliking school. She detested the week long worth of testing she had to endure for all of the morning hours 9-12.. for a week! 15 hours worth of testing for a 7 year old.

All I can give you is the opinion of 1 child who after that, said "school is nothing more then Work, work, work, it's not fun anymore."

If NCLB is still in effect by 3rd grade, I shudder to think how she will view school then.

Mind you her school barely passed for NCLB, not because of testing but because of attendance. You need 90% attendance to qualify for NCLB. They had 90.6, no child is allowed to miss more then 7 days of school. Even with excused absences, doctors appts. or illness or leave to see family out of town. It still counts against them.

Since it's under funded, and places an undo burden on states, parents and children, and teachers, shouldn't the whole program be scrapped and revisited?

[KaliTracy]

59. yep... but it's not going anywhere soon....

Susan Ohanian has done a great job in capturing all of the atrocities being done in the name of education.

http://www.susanohanian.org


I have a website about high stakes tests (gives history of Ohio's proficiency tests and No Child Left Behind and contains More resources than anyone could ever read.... so bookmark it for future reference)

http://www.stophighstakestests.org

[n2doc]

6. The sad thing is..

Most of the crap you hear from the RW'ers is how they learned so much "better" when they were kids. Yet all we can do is move away from the slower paced learning style that was accepted as normal in the last century to this test based crap. Testing is easy and requires no real effort on the part of the educators to adapt to each student- just run the same info down their throats until they can rote memorize it. No wonder kids are hating school so early.

[Blue Diadem]

9. I see unhappy and tired kindergarteners when I pick up my

granddaughter from school. Even her teacher looks exhausted.

The amount of work crammed into a 1/2 day of school (2 hrs and 40 min) is ridiculous. On top of regular classwork, these kids have music, gym and library days. Homework is common and on weekends, they are required to read two books sent home by the school. When children are learning to read, they like to try to read the books themselves..unfortunately, most we've had, are not age appropriate for kindergarten/1st grade reading level. They're lengthy, which creates frustration and loss of interest.

[E-Z-B]

11. Graham crackers and naps?

I went to kindergarten in 1982. Our school had morning and afternoon sessions, but don't know if they still do that or if kids have to go the whole day. But I never got snacks nor naps when I attended the afternoon session. And I remember learning to fill in those dotted letters A, B, C, etc when I would write my name.

However, I do remember that we weren't pushed to read more complex books until 1st grade though. It's good to expose young children to more abstract thinking at an early age, but yes, they should not be drilled or anything like that.

[MissMarple]

28. It began changing in the 70's. It's become educational malpractice.

Some :shrug: might even call it abusive, knowingly abusive.

But kindergartners are different now. So many now go to day care and preschool their skill levels are a bit different. I wonder, though, if the educational changes begun earlier didn't play into more kids going to preschool so they would "be prepared" for kindergarten, or if the educational expectations began changing because more kids were going into kindergarten from day care because more and more mom's needed or wanted to work. Probably both are somewhat interactive.

However, setting expectations too high at this quite variable stage of development leads to behavioral and academic problems. Some have posited that trying to teach a child to read too early developmentally may lead to learning disabilities. I think developmentally based, highly individualized learning programs are better especially in the early years. But no one wants to pay for that. ...for the want of a nail...

And, yes, we used to have graham crackers, milk and naps during half day kindergarten. :-)

[RaRa]

63. I went in '74 I think

and I recall nap time, graham crackers. My teacher played the piano and we learned how to skip. The biggies for us were knowing our address and phone number and how to write our first names by the end of the year. Guess it's not like that anymore.

[Arugula Latte]

14. I was so lucky.

My son had the most wonderful kindergarten experience, and the teacher specifically mentioned a few times that she put an emphasis on joy.

That kindergarten year will always stay with him, and my daughter will experience it come fall.

[southlandshari]

60. Me, too.

My daughter is in public kindergarten in our small (college) town in Alabama, and it is terrific. She is learning so much, but also having a great time. She has a very creative teacher who goes the extra mile to make every day interesting and fun.

And the school seems to handle problems - when they do arise - well. A student teacher told my daughter that "John Kerry kills babies" in response to my daughter's comments about why "we" voted against Bush. I and another parent whose child was present when the comment was made spoke the principal the next day and the young woman was immediately dismissed.

I feel so very lucky, especially reading so many of the other posts on this thread.

[Xithras]

16. That's been the case for a while here in California

I was shocked when my daughter entered kindergarten six years ago and I discovered that it was nothing like I'd remembered. Kindergarteners are now expected to have rudimentary reading skills, basic math, abstract thinking, you name it. Kids can even be FLUNKED and have to take it twice, which several of the kids in her class had to do.

When I asked about fingerpaints and naptime, I was told "Oh, they do that in preschool now."

[Skittles]

18. that's the way it was for me as a child in England

no freaking way did we take naps!

[Daphne08]

17. Children need time to be children!

[Zgrrl]

19. I opted out of this nightmare...

I am the mother of a 4-year-old (soon to be 5) who is most definitely NOT ready for the academic part of kindergarten. Oh, he can count to 20 and knows the alphabet, knows his shapes, colors, etc...but his fine motor skills are lagging, which means his writing is not where it "should" be with regards to kindergarten readiness. Also, he has a short attention span and needs more work on his "imaginative play." After carefully examining all my options in the area where we live, we have chosen to send him to kindergarten next year at a Waldorf School, a private, non-sectarian school. The focus of kindergarten at Waldorf is PLAY. Kids go outside every single day, regardless of the weather, and do a lot of songs, oral stories, finger plays, painting, drawing, bread baking. They even have a "nap" time! There are no academics whatsoever. It's going to cost us an arm & a leg, but otherwise we fear our child will be doomed by having a label slapped on him that he doesn't deserve, and forever be turned off to school and learning.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

25. I've given violin lessons to several Waldorf students...

I've found them to be more articulate than many adults, and always always interested in what they were learning.

I have a six year old who reads well above grade level. He's fascinated with words and word games, so we just go with it. He hasn't been as interested in math, but I'm not worried about it. When he can find a direct application for his math skills, I'm sure he'll find himself more interested. We're currently homeschooling using the Calvert program.

[KaliTracy]

62. BINGO! Children (and adults) learn when they are vested in the subject

granted, we can introduce things -- or even force students to "learn" all sorts of material (to only forget it after the test) -- but for them to really "own" it, to take off and run with it, they have to be vested in it!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

69. If I had children, I would send them to a Waldorf School

(Minneapolis has a Waldorf option in its public system.)

It sounds ideal.

By the way, remember bad old Soviet Russia, which was going to wipe us out because of its prowess in math and science? They didn't start teaching reading and math till age seven. The Scandinavian countries still don't.

Years ago, there was a fad for teaching children to read at age five. However, someone thought to do comparative studies, and they discovered that by age ten, you couldn't tell which kids had started reading at five and which had started reading at six.

I learned to read at five, but that was because 1) I was sick that year, sick enough to stay at home but not sick enough to be bedridden most of the time, and I was really bored and driving my parents crazy, and 2) both my parents had been elementary school teachers in their previous lives and knew how to teach reading. I had an advantage till about third grade, and then everyone else caught upl.

[KaliTracy]

61. I like the fact that Waldorf recognizes that Reading development can

take time, and they work on a child's developmental level. I opted for Montessori for my son (he turned 5 in November) -- and have not regretted it one bit -- he had been in a nice preschool, but was starting to "shut down" already because of the group things they often did (mainly in art) -- just didn't want to draw a smiley if others were drawing a smiley...

[LibDemAlways]

20. Full day kindergarten is becoming

increasingly common, too. How many five year olds can handle cracking the books for six hours? Insanity.

And this accelerated learning continues on up through the grades. My 6th grader has 3 to 4 hours of homework every night and has to tackle math problems I wouldn't have been able to figure out in high school.
It's a formula for burn-out and failure.

I volunteer over at my daughter's middle school and the other day was asked to help address envelopes that would contain letters sent home to inform parents their kids aren't doing well and need to go to summer school. I addressed over 300 envelopes - in a suburban "Blue Ribbon School" with a 900 student enrollment. Something's very screwy.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

27. My 1st grader couldn't handle full-day K

His reading skills are well above 1st grade level, his math skills are right on grade level.

He doesn't work well in a large classroom setting. I had him in a small 1/2-day Kindergarten class with 12 kids and 3 adults supervising/teaching. Even with such a small group, he sometimes felt overwhelmed, and would withdraw.

We decided to homeschool him this year, so he could continue academically in the environment that was most secure and comfortable, and receive the benefit of the extra attention we can give to helping him develop his fine motor skills, which aren't as advanced as most kids his age. We've gotten him involved in activities with small groups of kids, to help ease him out of his social anxiety.

If he was in the local public school, he'd be eaten alive.

[MissMarple]

29. Full day kindergarten can be a good thing. If done responsibly.

Some populations of disadvantaged kids respond well if the day is organized for their needs. In one school I am familiar with, the first grade teachers had to change their curriculum to accommodate for better prepared students. And, I have read that kids go through a down time for learning just before we send them home but rebound if given a rest and quiet, or, yes, TV time.

My daughter's kindergarten was 8 to 4. It took a couple of weeks for her to adjust, then it was fine. But there wasn't the frantic push for grades and "achievement" that seems to be going on now. This was a rural area and the school district went to a 4 day school week to save gas money and all ages rode the same buses. It worked out well. Much to the surprise of many, including moi. :-).

How you do something makes all the difference in the quality of the product. Process can define outcome.

[KaliTracy]

64. I've chosen to put my son in a full day Kindergarten next year, but

half of the day will be Montessori and the other half will be a little more traditional, because a lot of students go on to traditional school after the Montessori pre-school and Kindergarten (the school is preschool to 8th grade, and I intend to keep him in it if at all possible).

They have a Spanish enrichment one day a week in the second "half" of the day, and he has been exposed to Spanish since he was a baby, though he doesn't speak it often. Mother-in-law is from Ecudor though she also speaks fluent English. She purposely used only Spanish when he was younger, and he understands it quite well. They continue this throughout the elementary grades.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

73. So much depends on the individual child

I'm glad it's available for those who will benefit most from it. I think the key to success with our education system is dependent upon having many options available and professionals who can help guide parents to find the choices that will really be best for them.

[politicat]

33. I have no problems with full day Kindergarten, IF it's really Kindergarten

One of my sibs was in a full-day kindergarten. The class had two teachers, one morning, one afternoon. They did some academics, like reading readiness and writing skills, basic math, etc. But they also did a lot of physical games, art, building-block time, stories, naps, etc.

She was in an experimental class and did really well. She was well prepared for school without getting stifled.

Her teacher was a Montessori trained teacher; the schools were trying to incorporate Montessori methods in the public schools.

The funding, however, dried up a couple years later.

Full day can work, but it can't be a clone of 5th grade scaled down for little chairs.

[KaliTracy]

65. Yes, something is wrong when a third of the student population isn't

"doing well" - and it's NOT the students!! It makes me so sick to hear what is happening all over... I quit teaching because Ohio started high stakes tests, and after several years of trying to make it work even though I was thoroughly against them. I just got sick of going to work everyday with knots in my stomach knowing something was very wrong with the system....

Susan Ohanian tracks educational atrocities all over the country

http://www.susanohanian.org

and I have a site about high stakes tests (meant to be bookmarked and used as a reference source, Susan's site has the most up-to-date articles, I have all kinds of other sources as well...)

http://www.stophighstakestests.org

[LibDemAlways]

72. I'm in California and whoever determines curriculum

at the state level does so without any regard for what one could realistically expect a school age child to comprehend.

The material consistently flies right over the heads of the kids. The ones who are the best at memorizing and regurgitating do the best on the tests and therefore get the best grades. After the inevitable chapter test, the material is quickly forgotten as the teacher moves onto the next state mandated "grade level standard." It's all a big joke.

Example: In 6th grade some policy wonk decided the students need to study ancient cultures. So, the kids are given a big list of the names of Egyptian Pharoahs and gods to memorize. Keeping them all straight was a nightmare, but my daughter managed to pass the test. Then the next week Egypt was forgotten and we were on to ancient Chinese dynasties. Whatever this is, it isn't learning. The kids are given no chance to develop an appreciation of the cultures. It's all about taking tests. And people pay big house prices to live in this district because of the "award-winning" schools. What a load of bs!!

[xxqqqzme]

22. anyone teaching young children

knows play is fundamental 2 learning.

[KaliTracy]

66. Yet Schools are being Built WITHOUT playgrounds because administrators

think that children need more "academic" time. In states all over the country this is happening.

See "What Happened to Recess and Why are Our Children Struggling in Kindergarten" by Susan Ohanian.

her newest is "Why Is Corporate America Bashing Our Public Schools?"

terrific website -- (though sad, too)

http://www.susanohanian.org






http://www.stophighstakestests.org

[Karmadillo]

24. More and more kindergarten kids are being held back a year.

http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/escalating.kinder.p.k12.2.html

The practice of kindergarten retention is increasing dramatically. In some districts, as many as 60% of kindergartners are judged to be unready for first grade. These children are provided with alternative programming: developmental kindergarten (followed by regular kindergarten), transition or pre-first grade, or the repeating of kindergarten.

An extra year before first grade is intended to protect unready children from entering too soon into a demanding academic environment where, it is thought, they will almost surely experience failure. The extra year is meant to be a time when immature children can grow and develop learning readiness skills, and children with deficient prereading skills can strengthen them. When parents are asked to agree to retention or transition placement, they are often told that with an extra year to grow, their children will move to the top of their classes and become leaders.

Advocates of kindergarten retention are undoubtedly well-intentioned. They see retention as a way for the school to respond to children's enormous differences in background, developmental stages, and aptitude. They view retention as a means of preventing failure before it occurs.

What Research Says About Retention
The research on kindergarten retention which we conducted from 1984-88 led to three major findings:

*Kindergarten retention does nothing to boost subsequent academic achievement;

*Regardless of what the extra year may be called, there is a social stigma for children who attend an extra year;

*Retention actually fosters inappropriate academic demands in first grade.

We have located 14 controlled studies that document effects of kindergarten retention. Six were included in Gredler's (1984) major review of research on transition rooms, and eight were newly identified empirical studies. The dominant finding is one of no difference between retained and promoted children. Gredler concluded that at-risk children promoted to first grade performed as well or better than children who spent an extra year in transition rooms. In another study, retained children were matched with promoted children. At the end of first grade, children in the two groups did not differ on standardized math scores or on teacher ratings of reading and math achievement, learner self-concept, social maturity, and attention span (Shepard and Smith, 1985).

more...

[nonconformist]

26. I had to hold my youngest son back a year

He went to an extra year of preschool because he just wasn't ready for Kindergarten. Several years ago, he would have been fine. I have an older son though, so I know how demanding early elementary school is these days. He just turned 7 and is in Kindergarten. He's doing very well, but I don't know how he would have handled it had he went last year. He's doing 1st and 2nd grade curriculum in Kindergarten. And it just keeps getting more demanding - my oldest son is in 4th grade and I just can't believe the kind of pressure they put on them sometimes. 4th grade is a stressful year with the tests and portfolios. And homework these days.. oy. When he was in 3rd grade, he averaged 2hrs of homework a night. It's ridiculous! People blame video games and society for the lack of kids playing outside after school... and that's part of it, but in my experience it's mostly the massive amounts of homework that keep them indoors. Thanks NCLB!

[MissMarple]

30. Some schools tell parents to enter their kids a year later.

At least they have the integrity to admit kindergarten isn't appropriate for most 5 year olds anymore. We did that for our son and his friends are all his age. They were all started a year later than the state law allows.

And I'll tell you, his school did that work, work, work thing too. And by senior year you can't tell the difference between kids from different elementary schools. High school is developmentally appropriate for 2 hours of homework, maybe middle school for the academically motivated. In high school they do need to learn time management and study and writing skills for college. But it is hard to see some kids juggle 3-4 hours of homework and participate in a rotating round of sports. We didn't do the sport merry go round, but many parents encourage it. And many have kids who have no idea what to do with free time. And that is just too sad.

[nonconformist]

31. Agreed. In my experience, most teachers do not like this stuff

But they're forced to do it because testing is all it boils down to.

I can't really complain about my sons' school, they're actually wonderful there. But they have to do what the law requires them to do now. In the case of my youngest, his fabulous preschool teachers were the ones that suggested we might want to consider another year of K-4. In fact, both teachers had held one of their own children back for an extra year of preschool.

Now that early elementary is as demanding as it is, I wouldn't be surprised to see this happen quite often.

[kath]

40. We did virtually NO homework in grade school (1960s) and we turned

out OK. What the heck do they do for 6-7 hrs in school and why should the kids have to do a couple hours more at night?

This is terrible (and yet another reason I'm glad we homeschool.)

[nonconformist]

46. I started grade school in 1978

And the only time I ever remember having homework was when I was absent.

[all.of.me]

32. and you wonder why we choose to homeschool!!!!!!!!

[MountainLaurel]

100. Amen

If I had a child, I would seriously look into the possibility of that or something like Montessori -- too big a risk that the child won't learn well using the canned formats teachers are forced into or that they might *goddess forbid*be above or below the curve to which teachers must focus their efforts.

[cmd]

34. From a retired kindergarten teacher's point of view

Yes, kids are being pushed. There are a lot of reasons behind it including NCLB. When I taught kdg. in the late sixties my kids went to school half days. We had milk and cookies breaks, a rest period when I read stories to the kids and lots of art and music. We had one workbook that had visual recognition activities in it. My main goals were to teach the kids to recognize and write their letters and numbers and to enjoy school. None of my kids went to pre-school.

I left teaching for nine years when my children were small. I returned to teaching (third and first grades) to find the kindergarten teachers bogged down in math, handwriting and pre-reading workbooks. The kids still came half days, but had less time for art and music. About half of the kids had gone to pre-school at least one year and had learned their letters and numbers there. The other half of the kids had no idea what a letter and number was.

In the early nineties, a kindergarten position opened up and I moved to the grade level I loved. How it had changed! The superintendent of our district came up with the brilliant idea of saving money by having children come all day every other day with alternating Fridays. Wow! 5/6 years old and expected to do two days of work on one day! This is the worst possible situation for kindergartners - and their teachers. There were periods of time during the year when I would see one class 9 days out of forty-five this period of time occurred every year between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. My kids never knew when they were coming to school. There was no continuity to their education. Most of my kids had been in pre-school and knew their letters and numbers. Other kids had no idea what a letter and number was.

Since most of my kids had those early learning skills, and since NCLB was coming down hard on public schools, the administration decided to kick formal reading from first grade down to kindergarten. If you know anything at all about child development, then you know that not many children are ready for formal instruction at this age. That didn't matter to the powers above. We had to get the kids ready for testing. Big vocabulary words appeared on our walls: estimate! compare! contract! evaluate! There were fifty words altogether that the whole school was supposed to focus on at different times of the year. Milk and cookies? Only if someone brought a birthday treat. The kids could bring a snack from home to hold them until lunch time. They could have milk then.

We had reading books and handwriting books. Math was taught in a sensible hands-on way. We had a science curriculum, a computer curriculum, a whole language curriculum, a phonics curriculum and if you had time you could do an art project. My kids left the classroom for 20 minute art, music and phys. ed classes one day a week.

Now, keep in mind that this is the first time that all children of all different abilities and backgrounds come to school. The kindergarten teacher has the developmentally delayed, the learning disabled, the behaviorally handicapped, the average students and the gifted students in the classroom.

I never had a classroom aide. My room was half a block away from the restrooms and a block away from the office. My kids had to remember to bring a lunch or buy a ticket in the morning before coming to the room. The stress level was always high for my kids and for myself.

Now, I know that some of you are going to say, "That's why I homeschool!" You are not doing the public schools or your children a favor. The Republican party has set the schools up to fail so that they will be rid of them and their need for taxes. Every time you take one child out of the classroom, it takes away from all the other students both financially and socially.

If you want to kill public education, homeschool. If you want to make a difference, get involved in education. I don't mean by gossiping with other parents and picking apart schools and teachers. I mean by serving in the library, as a teacher's aide, as a school bus aide, on school committees, at the local library or a scout leader. It takes a village to raise a child. We are all responsible not only for our children, but for all children.

As bad as I described life in my classroom, I would still send my children to public school. I would, and did, "red shirt " my kids and sent them when they were older and able to withstand the stress. Public education is the foundation of our country. Don't let the Republicans take it away from us.

[LeftyMom]

35. I guess I want to kill public education then

I'm not naive enough to think that helping in the library is going to fix a fundamentally flawed system and I'm not willing to subject my child to a developmentally inappropriate education. (FWIW, this article is about my town's schools.)

[cmd]

36. And that's why I recommend red-shirting children

There is no greater gift than an extra year to grow up before entering the system as it is today. Please don't kill our future.

[LeftyMom]

38. It's no less developmentally inappropriate for six year olds

I'm not "killing our future" :eyes: I'm giving my child the best education I can. That's my job as a parent. :)

Why would I choose an overcrowded, one size chafes all, here's your workbook education when I can give LeftyKid something better?

[cmd]

42. I'm glad you are able to do that

However, one day your child is going to have to live with all the other children who do not have that advantage. If public education disappears, you child's future is not going to be very bright. Kid Lefty is going to be out there with a lot of uneducated people around him. That is the future I'm talking about. We have to look out for everyone, not just ourselves. Make a difference, get involved in the school you decry. Make it a better place.

[LeftyMom]

47. The school is the problem

The thirty kids learning at the same pace model doesn't work. Some kids get lost, some get bored and only the kids in the middle get much out of it (and most of them are still bored.)

[cmd]

51. Baby meet bath water

Watch out for drain. When Lefty Jr. is ready to retire, he is going to be cared for by an undereducated group of workers. Too bad, he could have had a better life if the people around him knew what they were doing. Unfortunately, they didn't all have parents who were able to individually educate them. They used to have public schools that did a damned good job. Now those schools are gone.

[LeftyMom]

53. Yep, I'm singlehandedly destryoing the system

If only MechaLeftyMom hadn't stomped all the schools, somebody'd know how to read. :eyes:

Public school advocates act like homeschoolers are all-powerful. It reminds me of the freepers and thier fear/worship/fascination that causesx them to reflexively blame everything on the Clenis.

If I sent LK to the local school, LK'd be miserable, I'd be miserable, his teacher would be miserble from trying to deal with me and the schools wouldn't be any better.

[kath]

39. Yikes, but then kids are in school until they're 19 (or nearly so). Who

the fockity-fock wants to be in high school until they're 19?! jeebus.

The kid across the street will be turning 16 the end of May and is just a freshman, because he "flunked kdgn" and had to do "Develomental 1st Grade", as they call it here. Poor kid.

[LeftyMom]

no kidding

I was barely 17 when I graduated high school and I was so ready to be gone. It felt like purgatory, I was just hanging out marking time before I could get on with my life. I can't imagine how I would've felt at 19.

Geez, I had a good job, an apartment, and a life at nineteen. I would've climbed the walls if I was still in high school (or acted out and wound up medicated from the mind-numbing boredom of it all.)

[cmd]

45. Lucky him, he will be the first to drive in his class

The other kids will be so jealous. Plus the Army won't be able to get him at 18. Of course, the kindergarten teacher could have just given him a social promotion and let him fail first grade. He could have had two years of feeling like a failure instead of one.

[kath]

48. BS - if they treated kdgn'ers like kdgn'ers, and didn't try to make them

do 1st and 2nd grade material, they wouldn't have to do all this "developmental 1st grade" stuff. Trying to force 6- and 7- year old material into a 5 year-old brain just doesn't work very well. And studies have shown that the kdgn flunkees who do the extra year do NO better (and often do worse) than the kids with similar "developmental evaluation" scores or what-have-you who go on to 1st grade. A poster above mentioned some of these studies. Some VERY good research on this issue has been done by Lori Shepard and ____ Smith.

[LeftyMom]

49. He could have had 0 years of feeling like a failure

if he'd recieved a developmentally appropriate education paced according to his needs.

It's really sad when people defend the system instead of defending the children hurt by it.

[Dulcinea]

41. You nailed it!

"The Republican party has set the schools up to fail so that they will be rid of them and their need for taxes."

That's it in a nutshell. The cheap bastards just don't want to pay for schools. Pure and simple.

[KaliTracy]

70. I fully feel that parents need to choose the educational path for their

children based on their child's needs and the parents' own belief in education -- their personal pedagogy. Whether it be home school, religious school, Waldorf, Montessori, Sudbury or free-school (not to mention other alternatives) parents should not be shamed into "supporting" the public schools if they do not believe in the education that their particular public school offers.

I am a former educator. I have a BA in English Lit and a Masters of Arts in Teaching. I quit because I am vehemently against tests that judge a child without looking at the whole child, and Ohio started this practice several years before "No Child Left Behind." I sat in countless "team meetings" where teachers tried to get students exempt from the tests (exemption rules have changed now) because they couldn't spell 15 out of 50 words (4th grade), or they wrote messy and sometimes backward (3rd grade), or..... whatever. Teachers were so intent on finding student faults, and labeling students so that their scores wouldn't count. Luckily I, and the psychologist, the psychiatrist and the speech teacher were all on the same wave length, but it made me sick to see students reduced to their "potential failure" on the test instead of relishing and encouraging their strengths. It's not right, and it's NOT education.

I should say here that I never was comfortable as a student, and always had a problem with the institution of school.

That said, I truly feel that there should be more educational alternatives in the public education system (and many systems are trying to do this, but it's a hard battle). However, until that happens, people will continue to "leave" the system. My son is in Montessori (he turned 5 in November), and if at all possible, he will continue there until 8th grade, and continue on into a Montessori high school. I do not want my child learning how to be an automaton, and that is the unspoken agenda of the Standardized Test movement. They don't want students to think critically, or to analyze, even though worksheets are handed out "teaching" these skills. When we have High School students who believe that the government should be able to limit Media coverage and think that the 1st amendment "goes too far" (or students who don't even know what the first amendment is), then we've got problems.

See
http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2005/First-Amendment-Knight31jan05.htm

Susan Ohanian's website is up-to-date on all the atrocities in what is happening in the name of education and her newest book

Why Is Corporate America Bashing Our Public Schools? really names names and tells it like it is -- but more people need to read it (or the website) to really understand the problems, and see the good things that are happening, too.

http://www.susanohanian.org


I also have a website which has many, many resources for, against and about high stakes tests. It was started by a couple of moms mad about the Ohio Proficiency tests, but was in great need of repair. I rejuvenated it last year in order to get the word out to even more people (not just Ohio).

http://www.stophighstakestests.org



edit:typo

[Pikku]

74. I teach 1st grade in the miracle state of Texas

And I'm seeing a test- (and desperation-)driven push to make the lower grades "more academic." What was previously done in second grade is now done in first. First -> Kinder, Kinder -> Pre-K.

So, kids coming to me are supposed to be reading (and writing, adding, subtracting) already. They usually aren't, though, and I'm not surprised, for a few reasons:

1. There is a physical (neurological) maturity requirement for learning to read. Until the brain is sufficiently developed, kids can't read.

2. Kindergarten isn't mandatory in Texas. If a child doesn't attend Kindergarten, they may or may not be on a par with the other students in a first-grade class.

3. Students from middle-class households tend to gain academic and literacy skills over the summer. Students from poor households lose ground during the same time.

This brings me to a basic truth about NCLB and all the attendant "improvement" of education: the new "standards-based" curriculum makes it difficult for kids to get what they need to develop academically. Not only are nap time and half-day classes gone in kinder, but all elementary students at my school have a total of 30 minutes to both eat lunch and have recess. We fired our music and art teachers and hired 2 non-teaching staff that are responsible for all test-related activities* (see rant below). Even free reading is seen by administration as time "off-task," although free reading is one of the best ways known to boost reading comprehension, enjoyment, and (incidentally) reading test scores.

Our budget has been cut every year since NCLB first thrust a tentacle from its leathery egg. In the 8 years I've been at my school, we've increased our population, yet lost one assistant principal position, one counselor position, one parent liaison position, one computer teacher position, one phys. ed. position, one librarian position, one music teacher position, one art teacher position, one reading teacher position, and several classroom teacher positions, as well as cafeteria staff, custodians and security guards (* see aforementioned rant about extraneous non-teaching staff below). I could tell you about our materials budget, but I won't.

Try and tell me that none of this makes a difference in the academic performance of our students. You couldn't, but Bush's hired NCLB mouthpiece could. I heard Margaret Spellings (sec of ed) today on NPR. In the same segment she first crowed that the "data" spawned by testing didn't lie, and then washed her hands of the inequities between rich and poor schools by claiming, repeatedly, that school funding was a state matter. Way to have and eat your cake, Marge.







* We're replacing teachers with non-teaching teachers, thanks to NCLB. Our "academic coordinators" order the test-prep materials (Selling test-prep snake oil is big bucks for anyone with a word processor, FYI), they distribute the tests, they collect the results, they disaggregate the results... they get teacher salaries, they are certified teachers, they lower the teacher/student ratio for the school, but they don't teach a single student. Hope you like it. You're paying for it.

[phylny]

95. Wonderful post!

I have three children who are currently enrolled in public education (one at UVa, the other two in public schools) and I agree that the best way to get great schools is to keep great kids and great parents IN public schools :)

[kath]

37. This is why we started homeschooling 8 1/2 years ago - the kdgn

was NOT developmentally appropriate, and the 1st grade was even worse. (And the assholish principal gave me a very hard time for wanting to observe the 1st grade classrooms) I realized that if I wanted my daughter to have a developmentally appropriate education and not have the love of learning and curiosity totally squashed out of her, I was going to have to do it myself. So we pulled her out after kdgn. I was not (and still am not) willing to sacrifice my children for the ideal of "public education as a great democratizing force blah, blah, blah". Young children learn through play and through hands-on experiences, integrated curriculum, etc. To have worksheets in the kindergarten is an abomination. The 5-year-old brain is the same as it's always been, and most 5-year-old brains are not ready to learn to read. Many of the Scandinavian countries do not begin to teach reading until 2nd grade, and they have a very high literacy rate. To put academic pressure on 5,6,7 year-olds only stresses them out and makes them hate learning.

Public ed in the US does a great job of producing sheeple and mindless worker-bees (especially when combined with massive doses of TV. Throw in religion and you've got the TRIFECTA). The current testing mania makes it much worse.

[Dulcinea]

44. Well, if kids love to learn, & think for themselves.....

...they might not want to buy what corporate America wants to sell them.

[KaliTracy]

71. one of the things I hated about teaching is that while I was encouraging

more parent involvement, all of the teachers I worked with (I was a reading teacher for elementary) didn't WANT the parents in unless it was a "party day" -- they didn't want to be observed, they didn't want extra help in the classroom (unless it was a pull-out situation in which the "troubled" students got to read with a volunteer). They were quite vocal in this.

At the Montessori school my son is at this year ALL classrooms (preschool through 8th) have observation rooms, and the teachers encourage parents to come visit it the classroom ANY time, ANY day. There isn't any "secrecy" about what happens in the classroom. Quite a different experience.

[Nevernose]

43. School really WAS better in the good old days

Back when we still had progressive, John Dewey schools.

Now our schools are under siege by well-meaning ignorants and worse-meaning right-wing ignorants who want to return us to some completely non-existant past in which the science of education is ignored and science in general is treated with contempt.

[SujiwanKenobee]

50. I blame the problem on competitiveness

Big concern over American educational system f alling behind, discussions over kids not being ready for the workplace or needing too much remediation for college, about the "superiority of students from India, China, Japan, etc. in comparison to American kids. Many of the 2nd gen Asian/ Indian teens are wiping the floors with the homeboys in the schools because their parents demand it and they want to get into the Ivies and top schools (a failure if they don't) and families demand it. They are setting the new standards to live up to.

On top of that put the manufactured pressure for little Johnny to get into the right pre-school, the right private or premier public school, the right college so that he can have a stellar career and come out ahead of everyone else who didn't have parents looking out for them and the $$ for excess extra-curriculars every step of the way...

Further, back in the 80's, the whole bit with early brain enhancements--pre-natal stimulation to build the super kid. So many people agree that the brain is under-utilized and therefore throw lots of "stuff" at the kid to learn. Parents about kids and ultra-early education: "They LOVE it! My child is already (x grades) ahead of his/her peers!"

How do you let kids be kids and "play" when all these factors are at work. If you remove them from the school environment, they'll be immersed in this mess when they enter society. I really hate all this push to excel since I feel like puppetmasters are pulling the strings...

[Rex]

54. Capitalism hates lazy children!

A more efficient worker cuts down on leisure time and handles high levels of stress for hours a day. The gummit builds happy programs to make children faster, more productive citizens.

Live free citizen!

[RaRa]

55. So where do you all live then?

My kids are 3 1/2 and almost 2. After reading these posts, I'm once again terrified of the future. I don't know if I'm sending my kids to any preschool - probably won't be able to afford it. My oldest is extremely bright and follows his own set of rules; not the makings of a nice little conformist. Are these schools (the scary ones) more prevalent in certain states or areas? I need to find out more about ours. I so wish we could afford Waldorf. My cousin sent her kids there for a while.

edited for spelling.

[KaliTracy]

75. I'm in Ohio. For a List of alternative and democratic schools see

here http://www.educationrevolution.org/demschool.html

from the website:
Democratic schools generally share most or all of the following characteristics, although there is no exact definition or requirement for a democratic school:
** shared decision-making among the students and staff
** a learner-centered approach in which students choose their daily activities
** equality among staff and students
** the community as an extension of the classroom


Many alternative schools will do a "sliding scale" (though some won't at all) -- but it doesn't hurt to ask.

I found the AERO site when my son was 2 yrs old ( http://www.educationrevolution.org/index.html ) - because I knew his learning style did not fit into traditional education (yes, even at that young age). He has flourished with Montessori (he turned 5 in November, and did not go last year) -- but my in-laws are helping while my husband tries to get a business off the ground. I fully intend to make it work though. I didn't find the school he is at from this website (though I've just told the director to submit it) --I found out about it through word of mouth.

Where do you live? If you are near the Albany, New York area AERO is having a conference in June -- for anyone interested in alternative education -- administrators, parents, students. There will be a student panel this year which will speak about their experiences in alternative education.

here's a link to a flier. http://www.stophighstakestests.org/images/AEROmailing2005.pdf


my website is full of resources/books/ information about education (though you'll need to bookmark it and not try to take it all in at once)

http://www.stophighstakestests.org

For the time being you might want to check out a book by Lucy Calkins called Raising Lifelong Learners which talks about learning for the love of learning (which is what kids normally do until they are stifled....)

[BamaGirl]

56. Ahh, my favorite vent lol!

I have a second grader who regularly does 1-2 hours of homework a night and a 3rd grader...well nevermind lol. It's a fine line to walk, between challenging a child and pushing a child. My 2nd grader is way ahead in math and is "average" in the other tested skills. She's pretty smart. Her strength seems to be in math and reading people--not a skill they test for lol. :eyes: My 3rd grader...man...our country is going to hell in a basket, y'all know this right? They throw so much extra crap at her a day to try to occupy her, and still she gets it and all her homework done during the school day. She is so far ahead it's frightening, but they don't let kids skip. :eyes: Puleaze. They are testing this week and part of next, and her stupid gifted class teacher has her stressed out because she told her (dd) that if she didn't test high enough she wouldn't get to stay in the gifted program next year. Hello, you stupid biotch! My kid has like the 3rd highest gpa in the freaking grade!! Do we really need to get her stressed over one freaking test!? Arggg...our priorities are seriously screwed up in this country.

This crap started in kinder. Day long here.

/vent

[bleedingheart]

57. People are getting what they asked/voted for....

[fluffyslayer]

67. I went to kindergarten when I was 4...

Today, who knows how many pre-kindergarten, post-kindergarten, and first grade prep classes I'd have to go through?

It wasn't naps and crackers, but the teacher actually inspired all of us to want to learn. Instead of painting and learning about dinosaurs and the solar system and thinking "learning is fun," these poor kids are being taught that all that matters is tests. It doesn't matter what they're interested in, they'd just better get those numbers down so they can master division for the third grade exam. After all, if we get them acting like machines when they're 5, they'll be the perfect little workers when they're older.

:wtf:

[GreenArrow]

68. and people bitch about home schooling on here

.

[KaliTracy]

76. Districts are also building schools without playgrounds, as "play" gets

in the way of "academics" -- in more than one state -- in more than two states....

See Susan Ohanian's What Happened to Recess and Why are Our Children Struggling in Kindergarten?

Her website is full of atrocities in the name of education Nationwide.

http://www.susanohanian.org




edit:typo

[proud2BlibKansan]

79. Believe it or not

another reason schools don't have playgrounds is liability. The insurance premiums are outrageous.

[KaliTracy]

80. monkey bars, big slides, etc disappeared a while back -- but Susan has

quotes from Superintendents about children not needing "play" -- (I just gave my copy away (again) so I don't have it here to quote -- I keep buying a couple of copies and passing it on....).

Kids need fresh air, they need to explore with their body in various ways, they need recess for down time and social time and group play time. Taking that away from them is crazy.

[proud2BlibKansan]

81. There are 50 elem schools in my district

and very few have playground equipment.

We still have recess but no swings, slides, etc.

[KaliTracy]

82. some of the schools mentioned in this essay do NOT have recess -- in

the school I taught at they had one 15 minute recess after lunch. When I was in school we had a 15 minute recess in the morning and afternoon and a 1/2 hour recess after lunch.

[proud2BlibKansan]

83. We only have one recess per day

I can't remember any school where have I worked that had more than one recess daily. We had three when I was in elem school but that was 40 years ago.

Honestly, I would be in trouble if I tried to give my kids more than one recess a day.

[southlandshari]

85. Same here

My kindergartener daughter told me a few days ago that "they were taking the playground away" at her school "but we'll still be able to play on the big hill". She didn't seem upset at all. I've been very happy with her school so far, and the removal of the equipment does not alarm me. I haven't seen any sign at all that this equals the removal of play time, recess or room to run, jump, turn cartwheels, blow bubbles, play hopscotch, jump rope, kick a ball, roll down a hill, or any number of things that children love to do outside.

I noticed the elementary school down the street has a new garden and a large number of birdhouses in the space where a playground used to be (30 years ago when I was a student there).

I see the liability issue very clearly. And, although I loved climbing the monkey bars and jungle gym as a kid, I'm happy to see them go as a parent. My child's school has a fantastic young man who runs the physical education program, and they get plenty of outdoor time (structured and free time) whenever weather permits. There are plenty of great ways for children to get some fresh air and exercise while at school that don't depend on traditional, man-made equipment.

I guess I'm in the minority here, but for what it is worth...

[proud2BlibKansan]

86. Glad you brought up PE class

It is a LOT different than it used to be. When I was in elem school, all we did in PE class was callesthenics. And I went to Catholic school. I can't tell you how funny it was to do jumping jacks with a nun in a habit leading the exercises. Still makes me laugh.

[southlandshari]

89. Great visual!

I don't know if you are saying today's physical education classes for young children are better or worse in comparison to those of our youth, but who cares - the image I've got stuck in my mind now is hilarious!

No nuns at our kindergarten, in fact just the opposite. The PE teacher is mighty easy on the eyes and has personality to spare. Yes, I'm objectifying him, and yes, it makes me feel a bit like a dirty old woman since he is barely out of college, but my little crush is harmless. And hey, it is far more mild than the one my daughter and her female classmates have on him!

Anyway, all that leering aside, it is clear to me that he makes sure all the kids get plenty of fun and games that exercise the body as much, if not more, than the mind.

[proud2BlibKansan]

90. Today's PE classes are much better

They actually have a curriculum. And there is usually a health and safety component as well.

But then, to me, anything is an improvemnent over that nun leading exercises. LOL Didn't Monte Python do a skit about a nun relay?

[proud2BlibKansan]

77. This started a long time ago

back in the 80s kindergarten starting becoming watered down first grade. In my district, we stopped the naps and snacks 20 years ago. Also went to all day kdg in 1985.

And yes, we teachers are not happy about these changes.

It is so disheartening to read all these posts saying this is why parents decide to homeschool. Not only are they depriving their kids of valuable social experiences, we are losing parents whose voices we desperately need.

How are we going to fix these problems if so many walk away with the attitude 'not for my kid'. SOMEONE has to speak up, stay involved and lobby hard. We teachers cannot do it alone.

[KaliTracy]

84. I think we all need to find ways to be active in denouncing what is

happening in the name of education, but I feel that parents should be able to make educational choices that are appropriate for their children. Not all children learn the same, and right now, the push is to keep everyone on the same page, whether it's developmentally appropriate or not.

As for making the problems known -- and trying to get people to understand them --
this is my small part.

http://www.stophighstakestests.org

And the mom who started the site is the Main Activist in Ohio. I can't do footwork right now, but I can do this -- she does the footwork and so much more.

(I rejuvinated it, and increased the scope to more than Ohio last year.)

[proud2BlibKansan]

87. Well there aren't enough parents involved

and realistically, how many parents are going to work on reforming our public schools once their kids are no longer enrolled? How many homeshool parents are likely to run for school boards or even write letters to legislators? I understand wanting the best for your kids. I am a parent too. But we have to speak up and work together or we are going to lose public education in this country. That would be tragic.

Thanks for your great efforts. That is a terrific website. I have visited it before - many times.

[KaliTracy]

96. but how many schools embrace parents? I mean truly want their

input, and ways in which they can help? I agree, parents need to be more involved, but what often happens is that the parents who are already outgoing become the people to do parties or pull-out reading -- or sometimes typing. In the school I taught at (k-6) the general consensus was that parents were "meddlesome" -- yet goal as a Title I teacher was to improve parent involvement and to encourage parents to become involved, (which was a State Goal, and something I *wanted* to do). This was quite difficult to achieve when the teachers didn't believe in it or want it.

Other parents feel intimidated by the teachers or administration, though I'm hopeful that is not as prevalent today.

I know that corporations and others want to deem public ed a failure, thinking they can do better with a business model treating children as products (so they can "take over" the schools) -- but no child is a product. And, so far, the businesses that have taken over schools have not come out in the black yet.

It's a difficult balance -- and it's unfortunate that people are leaving a system that they should be embracing -- but as I said before, as a student I never felt "in place" for various reasons (being 1% of the population according to a Myers Briggs assessment I learned why 25 years later). I became a teacher because I believe in children and wanted to make a difference but the problems I had with the system have only intensified one-hundredfold with the high stakes tests movement. But, then, I also question the intense competition and push for grades, and I tried to learn more about alternative education when I was getting my Masters -- so I really have to say that I just wish there were other alternatives within the public school structure. A lot of schools nationwide are trying to wrap alternative education within a school (a school in a school) -- to give parents and students more choices and to counter charter schools. I happened to run into 2 teachers from Cincinnati (which is where I am) from the AERO conference last year - that was encouraging. There were many other people at the conference who were in public ed trying to find ways in which to open alternative schools within the system. Maybe that is one way to go. I don't know. I don't think public education will totally disappear, but it will change even more if corporations have their way. (and, then, one wonders, is that really public education?)

thank you for visiting my site!

edit: clarity

[proud2BlibKansan]

97. I have taught in 8 or 9 different schools,

both public and private and I can't think of one where the parents were not warmly welcomed. I also know of very few 'meddlesome' parents.

And even if parents do feel unwelcome, my response to that is don't let that keep you away. It is YOUR child, YOUR community and YOUR tax dollars. You have every right to be at that school anytime you want. Any school that doesn't warmly welcome you is making a huge mistake. Your presence there may help turn around some negative attitudes.

[KaliTracy]

101. thanks. in the many schools I subbed at the first year out with my

Masters parent involvement (in Middle and High schools) was not embraced.

In the elementary school I taught at for four years, parent involvement was not embraced. Parents were Welcome on the School's Terms. And great lip service was provided for this, but when parents actually wanted to help, many were blown off (they did help me when they could, but the primary teachers didn't really want them in their classrooms, or to deal with them when they came in).

I was required to have monthly parent meetings, I always invited the teachers who had children involved in the reading program, only one showed up in four years. District wide the idea of parents in the classroom was only embraced (and used well) in one school, though many of the teachers complained about it. I was involved in putting together school-wide surveys as our building changed over to a Title I building, and huge numbers of parents were dissatisfied overall to accessibility and communication with teachers -- though one or two teachers did get kudos. But as I disseminated this information so we could grow the program, the number of anti-parent comments simply appalled me. Granted this was one school -- but as I said, I had subbed in a lot of buildings that first year out, and my vision of what I felt education was and what was happening in these schools were vastly different.

The school my son attends (he's in preschool in a preschool through 8th grade Montessori) encourages parents to be there any day -- either as an observer (every classroom has an Observation Room)-- or as participant/helper. Even at school assemblies, etc. Many of the past parents have gotten degrees (and advanced degrees) in Montessori and teach there now as the school has grown. (in '89 they were just pre-school through 1st I believe). And he has flourished in this environment, whereas at a traditional preschool he was at for 2 years (he turned 5 in November) he just didn't get into everyone drawing a smiley face at the same time, and was withdrawing on certain activities. He had good experiences there too, but I could see very early that his learning style was not as suited for a traditional school situation. While there are a few public Montessori schools in areas around us, they are over 30 minutes away (and I work 30 minutes away in the opposite direction) -- and the students are still required to take the proficiency tests, so even on their website they had lists of all of the things that needed to be covered prior to the proficiency tests. The private school we are at still is required to do a test in the "required" grade levels -- but they don't do any test prep -- and they simply do a benchmark test when required (not the proficiency -- the IOWA perhaps), and they go on to their works/projects when they are finished.

[CoffeeCat]

78. I have a 4-year old in preschool...

...and she was expected to learn the following things during the year:

-Her address
-Her phone number
-Recite the ABCs
-Write her name
-Know all of the letters by sight and their corresponding sounds
-Know how to write all capital letters
-Count 1-30
-Recite the pledge of allegiance
-Days of the week
-Cut well with scissors
-Follow 4-step art projects

It's amazing what's expected in preschool!

I remember playing dress up in kindergarten and banging on pots and pans!

My how things have changed!

[lebkuchen]

88. In Germany, kindergarten is devoted to socializing

getting along with others, w/very little academics.

[Valerie5555]

91. I'm sure that Robert Fulghum who wrote "Everything I knew I learned in

Kindergarten," would cringe or :blush: or more likely be x( or :banghead: at this sad or :cry: state of affairs.

[Blue_in_VA]

92. This is so true!

I can offer a unique perspective on this.

I have three children. My son is 16 and a HS junior. My eldest daughter is 13 and in 8th grade. My youngest is six and in kindergarten. All attended the same elementary school and had the same wonderful k-garten teacher. It's a half-day program as our county only offers full-day k-garten in Title IX schools. To be honest, I'm glad my daughter isn't in a full-day program.

This teacher knows me and likes me to volunteer weekly in her class when she has my children. This year is no exception. But it's been eight years since I last worked with her...before the horrors of NCLB.

I cannot believe what a pressure-cooker k-garten has become. Gone are the "fun" centers my older children enjoyed. No more "housekeeping center" (the one with the pretend kitchen and the like). No more Lego center. Gone is the Block Center. In it's place are an overhead projector and dry-erase markers in the writing center. Play-doh can now only be used with alphabet and numeric tools. The sand-table has been empty and replaced with plastic letter tiles. I was stunned when I realized that all the joy had been sucked out of k-garten.

But the absolute worst thing is that my six-year-old doesn't have time for recess!! The PTA spent 40K on a new playground last year and my daughter was so excited to start k-garten so she could use it. Except she's been on it ONCE since September.

It's not the teacher's fault. This all has her completely demoralized. She says that the kids have so many standards to meet that there simply isn't time for the playground, the art projects or the class parties she used to do. I asked if her if there was going to be a mother's day tea this year (as she has always done) and she said no, there simply isn't time in the day for the kids to make preparations for the tea (food, gifts, artwork, etc.)

When my older kids were in this class, developmentally appropriate teaching methods were the rule. Kids were not expected to learn to read until first grade. If they learned in k-garten, fine, but it wasn't expected and there was no pressure. Some kids were ready in k-garten but most didn't catch the reading bug until late-fall or early-spring in first grade. The key point to know is that most kids are fluent readers by the end of second grade, regardless of how early they started.

Today, our kindergartners need to know 35 sight words by the time they leave k-garten. That may seem a reasonable expectation but, without question, if a child is not ready to read there is simply no good that can come from forcing it on him or her. Fortunately, my daughter turned six in November and that late birthday is to her advantage because she has the skills and is ready to read. But those "young fives" are struggling mightily and it is heartbreaking. They are "failing" only because they are simply not ready!

And there are math skills to learn that are way beyond k-garten readiness for most kids. Addition and subtraction up to 12 (eg., 9+3; 12-8). For some kids this is simple; for most, it is hard as can be.

Kids who fall the slightest bit behind start getting pulled out in October for reading remediation. Remediation pull outs are done during center time, which is the only free-play time in the day.

This teacher is literally at the end of her rope. She is a 30-year veteran and has adapted wonderfully to the new learning standards (it's not a case of an older teacher unwilling or unable to change) and I'm thankful that my daughter has her because she does her best to try to minimize the pressure on her kids. Still, the kids are regularly drilled and they are aware of what they don't know. One little boy broke her heart when he asked her what would happen because he can't tell time.

Anyway, that's my rant. I'm a big-time DU lurker but this is one issue that pushes my buttons and I had to get in on this discussion.

A warning to parents of young children: If you have a child (especially a boy) with a late-spring/summer/or fall birthday (meaning he or she won't turn five until just before or after starting k-garten), and you have any doubt about readiness, err on the side of caution and give your child the gift of time by delaying formal schooling for an extra year. K-garten is no longer about meeting children with the skill set the bring to school. Instead, there are demands made upon them from the day they enter their k-garten classroom.

NCLB is ruining our youngest children!

[KaliTracy]

94. thanks for sharing this -- telling time is also developmental and most

5 year olds just don't get the concept of hours/days/weeks let alone minutes and seconds. *shaking head* --- we don't expect all children to roll over, crawl (my son never 'officially' crawled), walk, talk, or potty train at the same time. We don't expect 1 year olds to be able to stack 10 blocks (though, no doubt, there are probably some out there that can) -- yet, we get them in the same classroom, and immediately think that all children will learn the same thing, the same way, at the same time. Since Head Start is Federal, they are expecting Head Start children (pre-school, remember) to be tested.

http://www.susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.html?id=317

But what about those children who aren't developmentally ready? If half of these lawmakers would just volunteer in a Head Start (or Kindergarten) classroom a 1/2 day a week they might see what happens to little kids when they are pushed too much. They shut down, act out, disengage, don't pay attention.... but that's OK, we'll just get them on an ADD or ADHD drug, and everything will be just fine.... :sarcasm:

[Ilsa]

98. I don't think I could handle a second year of Kinder

for my 5 year old if they told us to hold him back a year. The homework load is too heavy!

Seriously, he needed this time for social and verbal skills development, and he isn't getting it in Kinder because they spend so much time on academics. We have him in a YMCA afterschool program so he can play with other kids. (His older brother is autistic and doesn't play the way most kids do.)

The teachers hate it because they have to spend time testing kinders individually and there is no one to watch the other kids. No wonder the other kdis start going bananas when the teacher is testing one kid at a time.

I was told that kids are all over the place developmentally until they hit second or third grade. It isn't something you can rush. This punitive new system sucks because it doesn't take any of this into account. The child can easily become a "failure" in kindergarten.