Henry Raymond
Fairfax News => Political Issues/Comments => Topic started by: Chris Santee on February 18, 2011, 03:00:06 PM
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Do you support the Board adding Full Day Kindergarten ?
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This is the best and ONLY option for Fairfax; that is to add full day kindergarten to the budget and for the voters to say YES.
Comment Posted by Jean Shea using David Shea's Account.
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This is the best and ONLY option for Fairfax; that is to add full day kindergarten to the budget and for the voters to say YES.
Thank you, Dave. I wholeheartedly agree.
-Sandy
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I'd be psyched for BFA to have a full day kindergarten.
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I think it goes without saying that yes, I wholeheartedly support the implementation of Full Day Kindergarten.
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Absolutely and without a doubt in my mind. No i do not have little ones nor will I ever again but social skills are a big problem for kids that stay at home. Mine had a hard time when they entered school and it was very obvious to the teachers. That is just as big a distraction to the classroom than anything else. That should be obvious to most.
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NOT AT ALL! I think we already push our kids too much & this is just going to add more to them. Let them be kids as long as they can; let them play as so much learning comes from play. On the financial end, if a parent chooses to pick up their child @ noon, it has been said the child will not miss academics, so why should the rest of us be responsible to finance a program to have kids play, eat & rest; that's what parents sign on to do when they become parents; that's what daycare providers sign on to do when agreed to provide care.
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My son went to kindergarten at age 4 (oct baby), the afternoon session (cranky, slow to wake up in the morning), isn't a genius, but he graduated from high school, joined the guards, is now in college majoring in Business and has made the Dean's List. He's very bright and responsible for his age. He has a plan and is now an early riser.
I don't think a full day in Kindergarten would have done anything to improve upon that. All we can ask is to have our children be productive citizens. Mine is on track to being that. I wasn't a full day advocate then and I'm not now. I think it's for the convenience of parents more than benefit of children.
Research is going to show a "new" discovery that young children learn best through free play. Wait and see, it's coming. I've already read something on this amazing new discovery in the NYT. Left to their own devices to initiate games they automatically learn about leadership, cooperation, fair play & so on.
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I can't speak for BFA Fairfax, but I know Fletcher Elementary is going to full day Kindergarten in the fall. My oldest daughter who will be 5 in June, currently attends there 3 day pre-school morning program.
I know I can't speak for other parents or children, but she absolutely loves it and would go 7 days a week if it was available. When either my wife or myself picks her up, she always says "Do I have school tomorrow?". I don't know how she is going to be this week with no school!
I know things can change with a child, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that she will enjoy school and learning through out her education career.
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I agree with Mirjo completely....
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I am with you MIRJO!!! Sometimes we daycare providers DO know what we are talking about in regards to things like this....especially as we are with these little ones most of their waking hours & we are the ones whom greet them when they come home exhausted after a 2/3 day program!....Add on the longer day & the bus ride dealing with "olders" & you've got a good chance for a disaster!
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I wonder if the daycare providers have a vested financial interest here... hmmm.....
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Disaster? Not to be redundant but.... Really?!?
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In answer to your question about "a vested financial interest" papi, not in the way that you think. Many in home providers may give a reduced rate to a kindergartner to begin with, some may not. The state allows us only 6 full time & 4 part-time kids; full time is any child in care over 4hrs. per day. I think most providers are just going on what we face when our "k's" get off the bus after 2/3rds day; many are exhausted & in dire need of "down time"; many that have a longer bus ride home fall asleep on the ride after 2/3rds day in school. As a provider with 3 children of my own, all older now, I have cared for many "k's" over the years; also Early-Ed was my major in college so I do speak both with personal experience & education background. As we all know, many can have lots of education & be very booksmart, but still lack common sense, which to me, this choice of full day lacks LOTS of common sense in many ways: what's best for the kids, we already have a very good 2/3rd day & our school hours are increasing next year regardless, & $$$$$ as it WILLL cost us no matter what.
As for the vested interest, personally speaking it doesn't affect me as there are lots of people looking for daycare always. But it may affect the parents looking for care for their child as many providers may choose not to enroll a "k" into their program as through the state it's a "full time" spot if that child will need care during summer/vacations so therefore a parent may be paying full time care or at least a higher rate for the day. Childcare is a business no matter how you look at it; if you are trying to support your family, will you take a job for 2 hrs a day or 10hrs or more a day?
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stay home with your children save yourself alot of headache ,your basically working for the daycare,have you seen their prices ,wow
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I think that this bears repeating. We willingly pay our ENTERTAINERS millions of dollars. Albert Pujols reportedly wants upwards of 300 million dollars. Carl Crawford and Adrien Gonzalez are paid upwards of $250 million combined. We now pay WAY to much money for date night at the movies, yet we balk at paying teachers and Daycare providers a reasonable wage. What appreciable skill does an athlete provide his community AFTER their playing days are over??? Virtually none. They take their/our money and run.
Teachers, daycare providers etc. work long hours and MANY long years and HOPE to retire with a livable retirement income. Me thinks our priorities are WAY backwards if we feel the need to continue to complain simply about salaries. There are reasonable issues to discuss here, however, salaries are not most significant amongst them (IMHO).
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". . . social skills are a big problem for kids that stay at home. Mine had a hard time when they entered school and it was very obvious to the teachers. That is just as big a distraction to the classroom than anything else. That should be obvious to most."
Many home schooled kids are very social. My financee was home schooled (never attended an institutional school - public or private) prior to college. She (and her home schooled siblings) are all more social and make friends quicker and easier than I do after attending public school my entire life. Some people are more inclined to be social and fit in socially than others. I think MOST parents who have the ambition, time and compassion to home school their kids are very conscious of the need for social interactions. Many involve their kids in community volunteer activities, and other events to ensure time to work on social skills with other kids and adults.
" . . ONLY option for Fairfax" ?????? REALLY ????? Everyone should be immediatly suspicious anytime someone states that one option is the "ONLY" option.
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How did going talking about full day kindergarten to about wages and in comparison to entertainers/athletes? Counselor, I suspect just about everybody in the town of Fairfax could compare their salary to theirs with the same frustration...........
I applaud the teachers & administration for their dedication and work; however I also applaud the town road crew, the local bakery, local stores & businesses, the power crews who work crazy hours to restore power lines, and the list goes on. We all have our "calling" so to speak in life and it is important not to lose perspective.
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Yeah ed, if we are lucky we make $3.00 per hour; add on a 2nd child in the family & we get a little over $4.00 per hour......LOTS less than what you charge!!! :) plus out of that, take out what we pay for materials like crafts, art, paper products, juice, milk, food, extra water & electricity, let alone the wear & tear on our house...oh yeah & then there's the night classes we have to take to keep up our registrations/license.....yup we are rolling in the dough
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i never met you before why do you have it in for me? ,im just saying what other people have told me it costs for daycare it would be better to stay at home and save the money
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"How did going talking about full day kindergarten to about wages and in comparison to entertainers/athletes? Counselor, I suspect just about everybody in the town of Fairfax could compare their salary to theirs with the same frustration..........."
Sorry, I was harried by a predator in the hen house and then "life" just took over and I hit "Post" before completing my thought. I only wished to point out, in response to Rod/ Ed indicating that Day care providers charge exorbitant fees for their services. Not to mention numerous posts earlier, in another forum about the money teachers make that our issues should not lie with these individuals and their salaries. It seems to me our salary distribution is way out of whack. I do not see the people who truly make this world go around, get their due. In my book, just about anyone who puts in an honest days work, be it fixing my furnace, repairing my roof, taking care of my child, or picking up my trash deserves to be paid more than someone who can hit a ball. Don't know if this clarifies things for you, but needless to say, I do think we agree...
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Ed, I certainly do not "have it in for you", but was responding to your previous comment of "saving the headache....keeping kids home...working to pay daycare rates"; sorry I snapped back but sometimes your comments do not come out so kindly & I just fired back. I have tried to give you some credit, like talking about furnace cleaning, yet you just seem to be a little negative @ times; guess we all do as life is very challenging for everyone of us. I am sorry.
Counselor, I agree with somewhat...except I do not pay entertainers, athletes.... I feel they are way over paid......but so are many of our government leaders to which I have no control over either...I surely didn't vote for the 1 in Washington!
As far as the "K" issue, I just heard where govt officials are trying to make it a law that "k" is offered in every school; again, I think we are over doing it for a full day "k" & that's why I am still voting "NO"!
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karen i didnt even know you were a daycare provider but i do now, so sorry- but if you had 2 kids in care it could be 500 a week from what i understand ,correct me if im wrong .so most people are gonna want kindergarder for that reason not for educational purposes
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Ed, thankyou & maybe some places charge more but I currently have 2 here (under 5 yrs) full time, from same family now, potential hours of 7:00am to 5pm & get $225.wk. I know other rates here in town are higher, maybe some lower. Burlington rates are higher also.
My son lives @ Cape Cod & has said rates there are about $225 wk for just his daughter; family in NO. Carolina said 1 place they checked was about $1100. a month; guess I live in the wrong area, but am happy here just fine.
I agree with you on why some want full K for only the savings in daycare; one forum member had posted that @ the beginning of all this, but removed his post as the heat turned up!
Thanks Ed & have a good day
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Cedarman--Bravo and Thank You
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but if you had 2 kids in care it could be 500 a week from what i understand ,correct me if im wrong .so most people are gonna want kindergarder for that reason not for educational purposes
I didn't think it would happen in this century, that we would be in agreement on anything. ;-)
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now see that wasnt so bad was it?