half day kindergarten?

[LeonPotter]

Marty is right, $900k MORE in cuts isn't a simple fix. It has to come from somewhere. During last year's school budget discussions I was a proponent of tuition based Kinder. DS was about to enter Kinder and I was more than willing to pay for it myself. DS had gone thru pre-k and we were more than pleased.
This year in all day kinder he has made even greater strides. One may look at "educational entertainment" that could be done at home, and there may be a case for that, however, there is a difference in my ability to do certain things for my child(ren) and professional who happens to be trained and experienced.

I dunno about you all, but my experience with my kiddos is they seem to resist mom and dad more than someone else. That isn't just in education, but all areas of life....
 

I understand the concern about the "haves and have nots", it is a public school system however. As Marty pointed out, there is a financial reality that cannot be denied.

  I disagree with the notion that MUSD "must keep up with the Jones" ala Kyrene and Charter schools' all day kinder. If parents see another school/district as the best option available for their children that is OKAY. Although I'd rather it not happen, there is nothing wrong with a parent deciding to send  their child(ren) anywhere else.

I strongly believe that if MUSD tries to keep up in ALL Day Kinder while making greater cuts in other areas, it will do more harm over all, there are only so many dollars to go around. While not the "ideal" solution, tuition based all day kinder keeps the program in district as well as other programs outside all day kinder.



All in all I think the board/admin(current and recent past) has done a good job with the cards dealt. They(the board) were elected by the population at large. They have an important role that determines the fate of our children. I will respect the board's decision(s).

I understand the budget dilemma, so I don't expect the board/admin to come out a "winner" regardless of what happens.

Side note: I agree with Sam; all day kinder is relatively new, the timing(although not intentional) couldn't have been worse. Darn  "great recession"!   I  count the blessing that my youngest was able to use it.

[Tigg]

Side note: I agree with Sam; all day kinder is relatively new, the timing(although not intentional) couldn't have been worse. Darn  "great recession"!   I  count the blessing that my youngest was able to use it.

All day kindergarten is far from new - it's been around for decades.  I went to all day kindergarten, if I remember correctly, my parents went to all day kindergarten, I have no idea about my grandparents, but it is far from new.

[LeonPotter]

Side note: I agree with Sam; all day kinder is relatively new, the timing(although not intentional) couldn't have been worse. Darn  "great recession"!   I  count the blessing that my youngest was able to use it.

All day kindergarten is far from new - it's been around for decades.  I went to all day kindergarten, if I remember correctly, my parents went to all day kindergarten, I have no idea about my grandparents, but it is far from new.

Oh sorry, I forgot to check with the know all- be alls without adding  qualifiers:  it's definitely new to me. I had half day kinder. My older two had half day kinder.  And if my memory serves it has only been part of MUSD, or even AZ, recent 5 years(or less), as I took Sam's comment to mean.  So again; "Side note: I agree with Sam; all day kinder is relatively new, the timing(although not intentional) couldn't have been worse. Darn  "great recession"!   I  count the blessing that my youngest was able to use it. "

[Sam]

It's new to the parts of Arizona that I grew up in anyway.  The Washington School District, where I went to grade school, didn't have it.  The Paradise Valley School District, where I went to high school and my sister went to both, did not have it.  I never heard of it until just a couple of years ago.

[<3 Amber <3]

I agree with Mallard on the point that children this age NEED to be educated early and I also agree with those who say all day kindergarten is necessary and shouldn't be cut.

However, I also disagree that half day "school" is daycare.  My son has a speech delay and has been in HALF DAY preschool for a year and a half. I have seen him make leaps and bounds in just the short about of time he DOES go to school each day which is 2.5 hours a day, 3 days a week. He LOVES school and his teacher! He also asks me if he can go to school on his days off and on the weekends...lol

Just by his half day (which really isn't even *that*) he gets a lot out of it. Not only is he learning academics (abc's, 123's, etc) he gets the structure and skills he WILL need (such as listening to direction from someone other than a parent, working independently while the teach attends to others, etc.) to start either Kindergarten or 1st grade. And I know what they do in their half day because I have gone and spent time in the class room, just observing (and helping the teacher with random things) on many occasion.

 Children are resilient but throwing a child from your doorstep to the 1st grade with NO idea of what is to be expected of them in 1st grade (which would be their first ALL DAY experience), could likely overwhelm them at first and cause problems you don't want to have to fix.

So while i don't believe that we should cut all day kindergarten, if that is the decision that IS made, it is still beneficial for children to go to half day.

And don't misunderstand what i am saying. I am not that parent that wants to just ship my child off to some stranger for 2.5 hours (or whatever) a day and let THEM do all the teaching. I use what the teacher does with them during their time, and I make my own "lessons" for my son here at home, so that i can follow up what the teacher does and so that he can practice the skills he's developing at school, here at home while he's on his days off. And I have had a few conversations with my son's teacher about what I can do here and he just loves me because I AM one of those parents who concerns myself with furthering my child's education outside of the classroom. He has told me many times his experiences and how some people DO use school as a sitter. It's sad really.

Anyway, I digress.

Oh, and lastly, 25 or so years ago when I was in preschool sorry, I meant kinder, we also did half days. I was always the "PM" class. (I am a night owl and some things never change  ha ha)

[Chunk]

You know listening to some of the responses its come to my attention that to be friends with everyone here you have to make a statement then clarify it 50 diffferent ways to stop people from being offended.  I agree with Amber and am glad that I dont need to think of those things since I got thrown into the parenting mix after "poopie stage"

I'm just sick of all the sandy va jay jays on this forum, and Ambers post below really illustrates what I'm saying.  I'm sure someone will still after all of her explanation find a way to say shes a bad parent or something.

Sorry I know off topic

[<3 Amber <3]

You know listening to some of the responses its come to my attention that to be friends with everyone here you have to make a statement then clarify it 50 diffferent ways to stop people from being offended.  I agree with Amber and am glad that I dont need to think of those things since I got thrown into the parenting mix after "poopie stage"

I'm just sick of all the sandy va jay jays on this forum, and Ambers post below really illustrates what I'm saying.  I'm sure someone will still after all of her explanation find a way to say shes a bad parent or something.

Sorry I know off topic

Thank you for that Chris. It made me smile   

[stephanie7693]

My son has been in preschool for speech therapy for 2 1/2 years.  He will be going to kindergarten next year and is very far behind his peers in recognizing letters.  It's too early to diagnose any learning disability and we don't think that he has one.  The teachers/therapists do believe that immersing him in full day kindergarten will be what he needs to get caught up.  What does that do to him if we don't get full day?  I will probably pull him out and send him somewhere he can be in full day because academically that is what he needs.  I also have an older son in school.  I don't want to change his school but I also don't want my boys to go to different schools.  What choice does that leave me? 
I don't want to have to pay for all day kindergarten but even more I don't want the only option of half day kindergarten through MUSD.  I think at the very least MUSD needs to offer a pay-for full day program.  Even then they will probably lose a lot of students.