Have you heard the saying “Spend our money on students with bigger shoe sizes?” What this means is we are spending our money on middle school and high school students and not on Pre-K and K-6. Districts are so concerned with graduating students, that most of their time, money, and effort are spent on older students and their teachers. Why are we waiting?
What about the Head Start program, pre-kindergarten classes or even kindergarten classes? Would our money be better spent on the young children? Starting from birth, children are learning social skills, relationships, and trust. Younger children are learning the skills that will help them through life. This is the time to build on these skills. If we put more focus on them when they are young, we won’t need to spend all of our money on them when they are in middle school or high school because they will already have the skills and knowledge foundation to learn. We would be eliminating a problem before it was formed. Young children are like sponges, waiting to soak up any information we provide for them. Once they get older, there are many more distractions and issues to compete with other than school. By the time they reach middle school and high school, students are in extra-curricular activities, they have a social circle, some have jobs, household chores, and they are preparing for the real world. Where does education fit in? If they already have the skills and knowledge to build upon, that won’t just be another item on their plate.
Some can argue that if we start concentrating on students in their early years, the focus, attention, and self-esteem they would gain, would in turn lower the number of students not graduating. This would mean we would be graduating more students, our initial goal. So, if our districts are concerned with graduation rates, would focusing on the younger students not benefit this cause as well?
Which direction should we be heading in the 21st Century? Should money be evenly disbursed or should we concentrate on a specific age group?
Please feel free to comment or answer any of the questions below:
Are your districts supporting Pre-K initiatives?
What do you think of spending more money for Pre-K and K programs in the state of Texas?
Would you rather see budgets spent on Pre-K and K or for older students in middle and high schools?
Upcoming Texas ASCD Events:
January 2009
January 5th, 2009
Secondary Reading Comprehension : Removing the Fluency Barrier
Eric Walker
Corpus Christi ISD
DISTRICT EXCLUSIVE
January 22nd & 23rd, 2009
Curriculum Leadership Academy
First Session of Three
Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD (Dallas Metroplex area)
May 2009
May 7th & 8th, 2008
Maximizing Student Success
Tim Westerberg
Keller ISD
July 2009
July 14th & 15th, 2009
Curriculum Leadership Academy
Second Session of Three
Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD (Dallas Metroplex area)
August 2009
August 13th & 14th, 2008
Maximizing Student Success (in collaboration with ASCD International)
Tim Westerberg
Sheldon ISD (Houston area)
Rescheduled from a Previous date
October 2009
October 27th & 28th, 2009
Curriculum Leadership Academy
Third Session of Three
Embassy Suites - Frisco (Dallas Metroplex area)
