I’ve read a lot of news articles which discussed the need to provide additional preschools so that students are prepare for Kindergarten.
So the federal government gives funding so that more schools are available to our young students; which is a great idea.
But, they are not taking the time to make sure that the students are getting quality care. Then they wonder why test scores are going down whether than increasing.
They can open 100 preschool centers around the world, but if they are not taking the time to make sure the students are getting quality education, then it probably wouldn’t produce the results they intended.
They need to make sure that the teachers are getting the training that they need, so that they understand what it means to be an Early Childhood Educator.
Increase the qualifications, provide a competitive salary and benefit package, otherwise there is going to be a revolving turn-over of teachers which does not benefit the students in their care.
Nor the teachers, because we lose them to the Unified School District, which puts us back to where we started, trying to get qualified teachers.
Classroom ratios need to be adjusted so that the students who need more help are getting it. One classroom structure will not benefit all the students; someone will always get left behind.
I’m not a Politician, and I don’t know much about policy making, I also know that there is a Director of Education that I am sure they refer to upon making these laws, but if he/she knows nothing about Early Childhood education and its function, it doesn’t do our sector of education any good.
I do however know that each situation has a foundation, and if that foundation is not attended to and adjusted, the building won’t stand.
I believe that Early Childhood is an entity within itself, and when the government realize that, and approach it from that aspect, then the better the results will be for us. If there is a Director of Education there should also be a Director of Early Childhood Education.
Providing money for additional preschools is a great idea as I mentioned before, but the problem is not more preschools, its quality preschools that should be designed to meet the needs of the children in that center, since each group of children require a different teaching structure.
In closing this out, I hope that we can provide our young students with the quality care that they deserve and the federal government will stop spinning their wheels when it comes to Early Childhood education .
Great blog as usual! I must say I agree with you 110% regarding the need for a Director of Early Childhood Education…we are often forgotten or just completely overlooked in all decisions that are made regarding the quality care and education of our youngest learners. I can’t help but think that the system of checks and balances regarding early childhood education is being checked with a broken scale. Many changes have to be made, opening additional preschools under the current structure will just add to the problem unless we fix what is already broken..
Thank you for your reply, and very well said. I agree the scale seems like it has been broken a long time.