Poll: swine flu out, pre-K in
Last week, we asked what you thought the Department of Education should do if the swine flu continued to spread. Most voters agreed that the system should keep running, with 36 percent of voters advising that only children and teachers with symptoms should stay out of school and 30 percent of voters suggesting that individual schools with confirmed cases should be closed. Twenty-two percent of voters, however, thought that the whole school system should be shuttered until the threat passed. See the full poll results here.
This week we are wondering about pre-K. After the news leaked that the Department of Education might close pre-K programs at some overcrowded elementary schools, parents began debating whether pre-K in elementary schools is a right, privilege, or drain on elementary school resources. What do you think? Add your comments here.
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I think pre-k used to be more optional back in the days when kindergarten was used for learning ABC’s and learning to share and play nicely. Now, however there is little time for play or learning the basics in most public school K classrooms. Sadly, kids are expected to come in practically reading! And then there’s the push to start testing at lower grades. Given those trends, pre-k IS now a necessity.
Comment by Bronx mom — May 8, 2009 @ 3:34 pm
I can’t vote for any of your options. I do feel that every child should be able to go to pre-K somewhere reasonably nearby. However, given how overcrowded many zoned schools are, I don’t think they should be guaranteed a spot in their zoned school. Many zoned schools were not built to include pre-K and it would disrupt the functioning school to add one in. It would be good if new schools that are founded do include pre-K and that some freestanding pre-K’s be launched.
Comment by a parent — May 8, 2009 @ 4:32 pm
I think that pre-k is a good choice.Because parents work and need a place to leave there 4 year olds .Also they can learn many things.
Comment by BX mother — May 8, 2009 @ 9:45 pm
I don’t think pre-K is academically required to survive K BUT it would be nice to have full day pre-K programs as enrichment for the children (and free child care for the parents).
Comment by Anonymous — May 9, 2009 @ 6:12 am
I believe Pre-K is now essential as Kindergarten has become the new 1st grade. Pre - K is a great introduction of structured time and socialization that Kindergarten used to provide before it gave way to sight words and basic math.
Lack of foresight on the part of the DOE does not mean we should abandon good programs that will benefit children. Last year we clamored for more pre-k seats as many, including my own daughter were rejected from their zoned schools attended by their siblings erroneously.
Will we call for Kindergarten to be axed next year in the wake of this year’s mess!
Comment by BRKLN MOM — May 11, 2009 @ 2:26 pm
DOE and the state pay lip-service to universal full-day pre-K, but the reality is we simply couldn’t approach it without an astronomical increase in capacity. My daughter was in one of seven kindergarten classes in a school with two half-day pre-K classes–that’s 140 kindergarteners to 38 kids in pre-K, and that’s in an already overcrowded school. Respondents are right that kindergarten has become so academic that no kid could survive it without some preparation; it’s also well known that kids who have some early childhood school experience benefit a lot from it later on, so public pre-K is a necessity in communities where families don’t have access to private nursery school. But if the city and the state are serious about it they are going to have to build a lot of classrooms, and that’s certainly not something we’ve been seeing. We don’t have enough space to house the kids we’ve got, much less meet class size targets, so how can we talk about pre-K, which isn’t even a legal mandate? The city and the state have to put their money where there mouth is, for pre-K and for decent accommodations for everyone else.
Comment by Ann Kjellberg — May 11, 2009 @ 5:44 pm
My twins were in PreK at their older sister’s school. The principal repeatedly told me that the school wasn’t responsible for PreK as it was separately funded and administered. I found this disconcerting as it seems no one is really watching the shop. Just as the publicly funded early childhood centers will no longer serve Kindergarteners I think they should now house public Prek (4s). 4 y.o.s would be better served in an environment where play and addressing behavioral issues are the focus of the day and social workers and other professionals can be consulted.
Comment by Anonymous — May 11, 2009 @ 7:48 pm
I think that pre-k programs are essential as soon as a child is able approach that level. both my kids went to prek in a nyc public schools they were able to read and write so well and are still doing so. They not only color and had nap times they had a regular curriculum that prepared them for kindergarten in which they excelled so much one of the teachers in kindergarten actually said my daughter was ready for first grade and not kindergarten she read and write so well. Give them a break its just that the only thing they need in pre-k is a para as u r aware they are still toddlers and one teacher is not enough especially if the class is overcrowed and parents if they hve the time they need to volunteer at the schools.
Comment by mom in queens — May 13, 2009 @ 8:29 am