full day kindergarten

[karen]

What a difficult decision we as a community have to make.  It is a hard time for many of us and unfortunately this is the time full day kindergarten has been presented.  With anything in life there certainly are pros and cons.  As a kindergarten teacher myself I would like to add my two cents worth.  I have been teaching kindergarten for 18 years, the past 4 in full day kindergarten.  I have been part of the discussions in two other communities and have seen much research.  As far as I have seen all research has been positive or neutral.  I have seen no research showing any negatives to full day kindergarten.  My own experiences have been overwhelmingly positive and I would never go back to teaching a shorter day (unless standards and curriculum were to lessen- and that won't happen!)  Kindergarten is not what it used to be.  The expectations are more like what I did in first grade myself.  Kindergartners are now required to be reading some simple text independently, not only identify letters and colors.  They need to add, subtract, pattern, sort, problem solve, and so very much more.  Take some time if you care about this issue and go to the state department's website and look at Vermont's standards for kindergarten.  The pace is hectic and it is impossible to fit it all in.  Time is rushed and many kindergartners are stressed and there is not time for explore time for students to practice the academic and social skills they are learning.  Full day kindergarten allows for the pace to be slowed and for curriculum to be implemented in a more developmentally appropriate manner.  Kindergartners are not first graders and full day kindergarten is NOT the same.  We as a community must insist that it still be treated as kindergarten with explore time (play IS a kindergartener's work) and outside time and even a rest time where kids can listen to chapter books read aloud.  I believe this is what our fabulous kindergarten teachers are planning on.  Our teachers do an amazing job within the constraints they have now, let's give them the time they, and the students, need!  Many other communities have moved to full day kindergarten and are seeing benefits - current benefits - 5 and 6 year olds having time to be five and six year olds.  Yes, they could play at home after school but it is not the same as practicing and developing skills with a group at school.  It does not allow for the slower pace.  Some children have the opportunity for full day her in Fairfax this year but ALL the children in our community deserve to have the opportunity for the best education possible. (Not only "at risk" students)  I believe that full day is what is necessary for that in our current society.  Let us do what is right for our kids.  Support our school budget, and full day kindergarten!!  Thanks for reading my opinion!
Karen Seaman ~parent, teacher, and active community member

[Mummy]

Karen, you say it all in your first sentence  .... What a difficult decision we have to make as a community!  However, there are many folks struggling just to pay for their heat this year!  Everything you just described is something that could be done through Success by Six.  I truly believe if there is a Full-day Kindergarten, as a community we are "robbing" both the parent of their job of parenting and the child's opportunity to be a CHILD through creative play.  As for your last comment  ... do what is right for the kids.... Well, I can only tell you this community gave over $200,000 just to the Building Fund last year that you may not know!  I am not a teacher by profession, however, I have taught my children the meaning of "R" for RESPONSIBILITY which is not the TAX payers of Fairfax's job at this "difficult" time.  This community would offer, if they could afford Full-day Kindergarten.  In fact, this town has always been extremely supportive of their School Budget! 

[CJB]

Karen

Thank you for your post.  It is well composed and represents your committment to our children and our community.  I think that it is important for our educators to present their opinions on these issues as they have the education, background, and experience to provide valuable and objective perspectives.  I think that Armando, his staff, and the School Board have wisely managed the school budgets in the past.  I expect that they can easily incorporate the costs to support a full day kindergarten into the buget with minimal impact on the taxpayers.  Maintaining a proper building fund and planning for the future demonstrate responsible leadership in our community! 

[YouAnnMos]

A tough decision, certainly. It seems this issue has really raised a bunch of discussion in this community. Both sides of the debate have their merits--
Times are tough. There are people struggling in the community and times are going to get tougher before they get better. Do we really need an additional financial burden at this particular time? I say no. This is not the year for ANY extras. It is my hope that the board takes the current tough economic times into account when they are planning their budget for next year and work hard to keep the spending in check.

Yes, our community's children deserve the best education we can afford to give them. I have yet to seek out the research on the subject myself. But my feeling on research is you can find a study somewhere to say anything you want it to say. If you support a full-day program, you can probably find data that will show that it's a good thing. If you don't support the full-day, you can probably find some data to show that there is no benefit. Like I said, I haven't done the research myself.

My opinion is, let the educators at the school do the research and decide which is best for the kids of our town. But then let the tax payers decide if they can afford it with all the costs of the program on the table. It seems the only way to fairly do that is to put it up for a vote on its own as an article. If the town supports it, the taxpayers will let the school know.

[SusieJ]

Thank you for sharing your perspective, Karen,  as I find teacher's input on this topic extremely valuable while I come to my own conclusions. It is also valuable to our town and residents to have an active parent that is also a kindergarten teacher by profession that has years of experience in both full day and less than full day teaching. I trust your judgment and feel that full day is reasonable request, given the state of our education systems and the expectations on both children and educators, and I would like to see it implemented -- I also respect the personal choice of parents to decide whether a full day is appropriate for their own kiddo. My kiddo is one that may be considered "at risk" being on an Individualized Educational Plan for a speech delay and would perhaps already benefit from a full day program -- but I think that option should be available to his peers. As many have mentioned, kindergarten is not mandated and parents have the complete right to keep their child at home until age 6/first grade if they so choose. They also have the right to reduce their child's day in a full day program.

I did not make it to Monday's session but was at the previous school board meeting where the recommendation was offered by the joint teacher/parent committee. I really honed in to a few parents that spoke (not members of the committee) that are teachers by trade and how they believe that full day is the best option for our children. They did cite research as well as personal observations from their own classrooms how children have benefited from the full day program. I remember when my daughter was in kindergarten  - extended day at Fairfax - and how rushed her day was as well as her very competent teacher's day. There were many times where the kids did not make it outside in winter due to time constraints and free play became a hot commodity that the kiddos could only imagine.

This is a hot topic -- I have seen people address hard times, economy, personal choices, tax payer burden, childcare issues, parental judgments stating that people need to take ownership of their child, research and evidence of one being better than the other -- Yes, lots of things to consider. My own philosophy is that it does take a village, in this case, Fairfax to raise our children... I think we can all help one another in this regard -- whether you have children or not... whether you work or stay home... whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, business owner, faith leader, educator etc. -- We ALL have a responsibility to help our youth... they will be the ones carrying our community forward -- how do we want to raise them, teach them so that they can thrive and understand being your brothers/sisters keeper as they become adults. We are in this together, folks. We may have differing opinions based on personal values and beliefs -- but, we all have a vested interest in doing what is best for the community as a whole. It will effect each and every one of us either directly or indirectly.

I am saddened that the anonymous letter was presented that way to both the school board and in this forum -- I do not want to cast assumptions on why that was done although I have my own ideas. I do think that if you feel strongly about something to that degree and choose to put much time and energy into such a letter -- you would want to own it. I agree with our school board member, Angela Baker, when she says she can respond or have a dialogue with anonymity. I am spending some time here today to present my opinions -- I am happy to share my name,  Susie Jones -- I am a parent of children in the Fairfax School system, a tax payer, a member of the Development Review Board, a Success by Six facilitator, the Community Impact Director for the local United Way serving Franklin and Grand Isle Counties during these hard times as so many have mentioned and so on. We all have roles to play and hats to wear in such a small community -- it is OKAY for us to wear our multiple hats and still share our disagreements openly. That is democracy -

With regards to the tax burden of $70,000 for a full day program. I urge people to do the math -- we have roughly 1,700 properties that make up our tax base. Now, when folks mention on here that they don't want to spend their tax dollars on this increase... or that they don't have kids in school so why should they have to... I think about the many children that attend school that live in rental housing -- should we just cast those kids out of school because it is other's tax dollars covering the cost of education in Fairfax??? Is education a right or a privilege?  They are not technically contributing to the tax base so therefore they don't get an education -- I don't think that is fair because again...it is in our, and by our, I mean our whole communities best interest to support EVERY child to the best degree possible. We have a tax payer system that has been set up nationally and locally -- for better or for worse...we all share the tax burden for our own families and that of others; it is how it currently works... so in this town roughly 1,700 properties pay the municipal and educational taxes for the town. The tax rate for residential is 1.527 and nonresidential is 1.871 -- of that I believe 1.1010 goes to education tax. Take your tax bill and property value and let the calculations begin!

Let's let the school administrators and school board do their work and then we'll determine how much each tax payer will be paying for such an increase -- we have been very fiscally responsible as a school, in my opinion, in the past -- I trust that will continue.... and I support the increase in my tax burden if it is in the best interest for our teachers and children. I understand if others feel differently --- although I would hope to have the chance to discuss this in depth before a vote. For those suggesting that this $70,000 be a separate line item... I think if you take this approach with this one category -- we are opening up the case to do the same with every other line item in the school budget... people can decide how that should play out in the end.

Thanks to everyone who has shown passion and energy around this issue. There are many more areas in town where this energy and passion could be directed once this is settled -- I hope to see many of you at town meeting day, volunteering in various efforts and projects, serving in town government and so-on!

Warmest regards,
Susie

[chelseaclark]

Generally, I don't think I can say it any better than Susie.

I am a parent of two pre-k kiddos, and I served on the parent/teacher committee.  I felt that the committee represented many viewpoints (I was asked randomly, as no one knew my position) and took into consideration current research, as well as personal experiences with many variations on kindergarten schedules.  As a person relatively new to Fairfax (5 years), serving on this committee offered me a wonderful perspective on our community.  Our teachers, school administrators, and parents care a great deal about what is best for our kids.  It seemed that each person involved was willing to set aside their own personal ideas and agendas to learn from others in the group.  I am grateful that we have such a competent "team" working in the interest of not only my family but all of the families in our community, and I feel very confident in the school board's ability to do the right thing.

I also would like to mention that to anyone who would like kindergarten to remain as it is, it has been said many times that kindergarten is optional.  It would also be an option with a full day, to pick up your children at noon.  The recommendation that was brought to the board included a schedule that would accommodate those families  by making sure the curriculum was taught in the morning and "specials" and free play in the afternoon.  (Any educators feel free to correct my lingo, I am learning!)

Thank you for your very thoughtful posts!  I too am appreciative of the opportunity to have this dialogue and for all of the passionate voices coming forward.

Chelsea Clark