Quote Originally Posted by Lady's Human View Post



2 years of preschool prior to Kindergarten? Not only no, but hell no. Leave the creche to diploma "education" to the countries which already practice it, thank you. China has a wonderful system, kids learn to sing the praises of Chairman Mao before they can read.

I spend enough time as it is removing and challenging politically biased teaching in the classroom as it is, and my children are 5 and 8. The sole advantage to starting them in classrooms earlier is to get the programming started earlier. Ain't happening. Prior to the election I was listening to how great it was going to be to have a black man as President. Why in hell is that crap in elementary school? Then I heard how wonderful President Obama was.....before he had done anything. Then they learned about his Nobel gift..........and add to that to all the junk science being foisted on children in school. Speaking with other parents in other districts in NY state, it's not district wide, it's state wide.

Nope, 5 is early enough.
LOL, politically biased teaching? J must not be getting his fair share! He will have spent 3 years in preschool, before he enters K this fall (as a 6 year old). His first 'year' was 2 days a week, for 2.5 hours, each. Not exactly rigorous by anyone's standards, I am sure. He then went to 3 days a week, again, 2.5 hours, the following year. Both of those years were less than the traditional school calendar, with a little extra at Christmas break time. They were both in a church based program. So, no politics, but some religion.

Now, he is in a 5 morning a week program- at his public school. He is in a 3-6 aged grouping, (Montessori). It is about 2.75 hours a day (with 35 minutes either outside or large muscle room).

He has done remarkably well, and frankly the shift from NO school to full day kindergarten (what our district offers) would have been pretty tough on him. I am in his classroom every other Friday. I have never heard anything 'political', no junk science, etc. Every child is different, and my child was one that benefitted from a graduated progression into school.

My final thoughts- as I feel we were ganging up a bit on our resident teacher, is that I firmly believe teaching to be one of the least regarded and most important professions there are. I also think that there are horrible teachers out there (we have all had them, seen them, etc). Those teachers should be removed. The current system doesn't really provide for that. There is little accountability.

I know ALL professions have bad apples. But, most other professions bear the brunt of the market influence. If someone doesn't do their job, they are fired. f a company isn't making money, people are let go, shut down, etc. That just doesn't happen in education. It is rare that a school district closes down, even though many of the markers are deemed unacceptable.