CA: Kindergarten proposal would bar 4-year-olds

Mercury News ^ | 7.12.03 | Joelle Tessler and Jessica Portner

[NormsRevenge]

Kevin Iwai is excited about starting kindergarten at Frank Huff School in Mountain View this fall.

But the state budget crisis might spoil his plans.

Right now, any child in California who turns 5 by Dec. 2 is entitled to attend kindergarten in the fall. But to help deal with the state's financial crisis, lawmakers are considering changing the cutoff date to Sept. 1, a move that would force Kevin and about 100,000 children to wait another year before entering school.

[tuna_battle_slight_return]

ah, who needs school anyway. <<< \ sarcasm >>>>>>

[Support Free Republic]

How we have, and can, change the world

History of Free Republic

Click The Logo To Donate

[nothingnew]

I don't think anyone should enter pubic school until they're 30.

FMCDH

[pogo101]

Cut that spending. Cut it!

It's not even objectively clear that this cut will hurt anyone. Early education specialists have stressed that putting many 4-year-olds in K'garten does them more harm than good, vs. waiting until they are 5. All this "cut" would do is restore what always was the rule when I went, which was: if you're not 5 by Labor Day, then "see you next year." (Heck, many parents held back their boys til age 6 so that they'd be older/bigger in high school for footballing's sake, something I don't approve of.)

[RightField]

(Heck, many parents held back their boys til age 6 so that they'd be older/bigger in high school for footballing's sake, something I don't approve of.)

We kept our son (August birthday) out of kindergarten until age six. Not because of football .... but because he was woefully immature for school at age 5. Little did we know then how BAD the school system was, anyway. We ended up pulling him out after 1st grade, and homeschooling him through 8th grade.

He's now back in school--11th grade this fall. Doing very well ...... playing football, too! But he is the second oldest kid in this class.

[NormsRevenge]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO now I'll have to watch my own kids!

---

You had 'em..YOU watch 'em! :-p LOL

[Hildy]

What you said is the absolute truth. Of course, you won't read it in ANY California newspaper.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Right!

calgov2002:

calgov2002: for old calgov2002 articles. 

calgov2002: for new calgov2002 articles. 

Other Bump Lists at: Free Republic Bump List Register

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Cut the spending is right!

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Four year olds do not belong in kindergarten with 5 and 6 year olds. The socialist libs just want more money for attendance and an earlier opportunity for indoctrination (just wait til mandatory 'government preschool').

[olivia3boys]

No, 6 year olds do not belong in K with 4 and 5 yr olds.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Children who enter kindergarten at the age of 5 frequently turn 6 during the school year. Four year olds should not be in kindergarten period, regardless of when they turn five during the year.

[kmiller1k]

As a teacher, I completely agree with you that 4 year olds do not belong in kindergarten. What many people are not realizing is that these children are a year behind their ENTIRE k-12 experience. That extra time to mature is crucial to the current demands of the curriculum.

[spoiler2]

I entered k'garten at 4 and readily agree that even though you might be able to handle the learning curve as you grow older, there's the simple fact that your body lags behind everyone else in the class.

Parents think that they're giving their smart youngster a boost, but it catches up to them, especially as puberty sets in, making the poor kid feel like an outsider.

One year may not seem like much to an adult, but as any kid knows, a year is an eternity!

[pogo101]

I too was 4 in kindergarten, if only for the first month. But while it is good to end up with an "extra year of life" (or, of post-education life), I probably paid a price in terms of being picked on more. (I was brainy anyway, and being smaller than I'd otherwise have been could not have helped.)

[Pure Country]

Backers say the plan would cut enrollment by roughly 25 percent -- saving an estimated $750 million a year.

Okay, I'm showing my ignorance here, I know, but how is it going to save $750 million a year. Won't that just be the first year that they adjust the age and from then on it will just be like before. Same amount of chilluns in school?

[CIB-173RDABN]

This is the problem. No not 4 years old in Kindergarden, but any proposed cut will be fought as if the world will come to an end if the funding does not stay in place.

The media is part of the problem. Instead of presenting a balanced report on the need to cut spending they go out and find someone, any one, the more pathetic the better that may, (and I say may) be hurt by the cut.

Those that will not compromise now, will not like it later when the taxpayers finally have had enough and change that little item in the state consitution demanding 50% of the budget be for education.

[kmiller1k]

Just keep thinking about the amount of 4 year olds held out THIS year and then the following year and so on...What it would do for the districts is give them some breathing room and boost the scores for the classes that enter as 5 year olds.