Do you pay to send your child to public school kindergarten? Some
parents who want full-day kindergarten programs do. Parents in Seattle
may be next.
The Seattle (Washington) School District is planning to hold public
forums in November to discuss expansion of the district's full-day kindergarten
program. A
new proposal to charge parents whose children attend the program is
being considered by the school board.
Many schools in the district now offer both full-day and half-day kindergartens.
The full-day program is popular and demand for it is high. But not all
students whose parents choose the program can be accommodated as the program
now stands. If Seattle does move to charge parents for all-day kindergarten,
it will join other districts in the area that are already charging. The
present proposal would provide "scholarships" to children from low-income
families. Other parents would pay.
Asking parents to pay for full-day kindergarten is occurring in other
parts of the country as well. Parents whose children attend full-day programs
in Milford, Massachusetts, also pay.
WHY FULL-DAY K?
Over the past 15 years, many school districts have implemented whole-day
or extended-day kindergarten programs that replace or run parallel to
traditional half-day programs. The implementation of full-day kindergarten
in districts where half-day sessions were traditional has often been controversial
but, once started, the full-day sessions have been popular.
But why the change to full-day K?
More young children than ever before are entering kindergarten with
prior experience in group situations (nursery school, day care center,
or day care homes, etc.). In some states, kindergarten entry ages have
been raised, so children are older when they enter school. And teachers
know that developmentally appropriate education for young children requires
time and space for children to explore, create, and construct their own
knowledge.
Beyond those considerations, many parents want full-day kindergarten!
PLANNING FOR FULL-DAY K
Successful full-day kindergarten programs follow intensive planning,
teacher and parent education, and careful consideration of the costs involved.
Increased staffing is often necessary. Space and materials are needed.
And transportation costs could change.
As a result of planning, some school systems have instituted extended-day
(more than half-day, less than full) programs instead of the full day.
Kindergartens exist today in many variations.
Children attend kindergarten all day, five days a week.
Kindergarten children attend school all day every other day and on
alternate Fridays.
Kindergartners begin their year with a half-day session and move to
a full day in steps over the school year.
Some kindergartens operate a staggered-day program. (One format involves
a teacher meeting with one group of kindergartners at the beginning
of the morning; a second group would arrive at school later to join
the first group for the middle part of the day; and then the first group
goes home while the teacher meets with the second group.)
Children attend school every but have different teachers in the morning
and afternoon.
Schools offer parents the option of full- or half-day kindergarten
classes for their children.
FULL-DAY K IS AN ISSUE IN MANY PLACES: NEW YORK,
CONNECTICUT, WASHINGTON...
State support for kindergarten varies. The state of New York encourages
local districts to develop full-day kindergarten programs by funding full-day
kindergartens at increased levels. The New York State Department of Education
reports that 451 districts have full-day kindergarten while 179 offer
half-day programs. Fifty-six districts offer parents a choice.
Some parents in West Hartford, Connecticut are currently asking for
the expansion of full-day kindergarten program in their city. Full-day
programs are currently located in schools where a high percentage of children
qualify for free and reduced-price lunches. The parents are requesting
full-day kindergartens in all schools.
Whether Seattle extends their full-day kindergarten program and begins
charging parents or not, the expansion of programs for kindergartners
will continue to arouse interest and controversy. I would enjoy hearing
about full day kindergarten in your district and how it is funded. You
can write to me at akguig@compuserve.com
Related Sites
The
Great, Frantic, Kindergarten Chase (Seattle Times; March
10, 1997.) Reporter Carey Quan Gelernter shares her adventure in finding
a school for her 5-year-old. "Wherever my son ends up in kindergarten
this year, I have had one wild and illuminating ride on my way to the
decision…"
Kindergarten
All Day? (Seattle Times, March 3, 1997.) It's harder to take
field trips, work on ambitious art projects or learn the names and sounds
of letters when the school day lasts less than three hours. That's what
kindergarten teachers say about half-day kindergarten. And that's why
the Bellevue (Washington) School District may expand its all-day-kindergarten
program to all of its elementary schools, then give its neediest families
a tuition break.
Full-day
Kindergarten Programs From a May 1995 ERIC Digest: Changes in American
society and education over the last 20 years have contributed to the
popularity of all-day (every day) kindergarten programs in many communities.
Research also suggests that many children benefit academically and socially
during the primary years from participation in full-day, compared to
half-day, kindergarten programs.
