Extra Credit: Hopefully You get a Head Start...

Howdy!!!

Thanks for stopping by today! Well, the topic up for discussion is the possible closure of early childhood education centers in San Antonio Independent School District. To give you a little background information on this situation, follow the link below to read the article from San Antonio's News Homepage.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/SAISD-rethinks-pre-K-closures-1048980.php


Now that you're up to speed, let us hit some main points about this issue. The topic at hand is the possible closure of early childhood education centers. Why is this such a big issue? Well, children tend to have an easier transition into elementary school if they attend some sort of pre-k program. I personally attended pre-k for half of a day, the year before I started Kindergarten. It was not as much of a shock once I made it to elementary school and by then I was use to a class atmosphere with other children. More importantly, I got a head start on learning the basics of the alphabet, numbers, and patterns before kinder. This is the main point of early education centers.

This particular issue hits closer to home for me because my sister teaches a Head Start class through an elementary school in San Antonio. Her program is not at risk for closure, but I know this situation will affect her and all the other teachers in the district. If these four centers are closed, parents will then be forced to consider Head Start programs for their children. Now, these programs are great for kids, but there are limited spots for children in these programs. I can confidently say there will not be enough spots for everyone to join. Another issue at hand is that if these current education centers remain open for another year, there program will likely change to half days. Like I stated before, I only attended pre-k for half of a day. At the time I did not realize the conflict this might pose to some parents. We were fortunate enough to have grandparents to watch us until our parents finished work for the day, but what about those who don't? Again, this makes Head Start programs look even more enticing since they are full school day programs, but there would not be room for everyone. If these centers close, I'm sure Head Start would have to create some sort of interview criteria for membership since so many people would probably apply to enroll.

• These early education centers are truly needed in SAISD.
• If they close, Head Start programs will be overwhelmed with enrollment applications.
• There is not enough room for all these younger students in the district to attend the Head Start programs around the district.
• If these centers remain open for the next year, they will be cut down to half days, leaving inconvenience to some parents.
• Proposed that parents could pay fees (like tuition) in order to keep students for full school day.
• We need these programs to kick start the learning of our youth before they are formally introduced to elementary school.

Overall, the district needs to come to some type of middle ground to continue these programs for younger students. Enrolling 3 yr. olds into early childhood education programs is very beneficial in that they learn to work with other children, they begin learning the basics of kinder before they get there, and it makes for a better transition into school, in comparison to daycare. What are your thoughts on this situation?!

Thanks for your time & I hope you return for my next lesson :)
Miss Crystal

Review Topic: Integration in the Schools?

Welcome Back!!!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by again! The topic I will be touching on today is a proposal concerning integration in schools. Integration you ask? Yes, this issue is still prevalent in schools. An article from the New York Times sparked this post and I wanted to share my thoughts on it. If you are not familiar with this article, please feel free to click the link below and it will direct you to it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/education/28winerip.html?_r=2&ref=education

The Wake County Public System in Raleigh, North Carolina has brought this issue to the attention, which has raised many questions. The overall concern of the public system is the criteria for integrating their schools. First this system consisted of socioeconomic integration, mixing poor and rich children. The next plan tried was to assign children to schools closest to their neighborhood. This was unsuccessful because children in poor neighborhoods were all together, while children in rich neighborhoods were grouped together. Recently, it has been proposed that schools in the districts be integrated by achievement. The suggestion was to mix 70% of students who scored exceedingly well on tests with 30% of students who were below satisfactory levels.

• This particular plan would be beneficial to all students involved.
• The above level students would still be receiving an exceptional education with other students at their level to strive off of.
• The lower level students would get the opportunity to improve their skills by receiving an exceptional education, as well as gaining confidence from working alongside more advanced students.
• All the schools would average out in test scores, eligible to still receive government funding.
• There would be no schools extremely low in academics.

Overall I think this integration plan would work well for this particular school system, as well as any school districts. It is fair to everyone and all the children get an opportunity to succeed in great schools. How do you all feel about this proposal? Do you think it would be a positive change for all the children involved? Leave comments please & I will see you next time!!!

Miss Crystal