Just When I Thought Public Education Couldn't Possibly Get Any Dumber...

They go and publish an article like this:

Some educators pushing for required preschool, all-day Kindergarten in Utah

By Mary Richards

"SALT LAKE CITY -- Countless studies have shown the benefit of preschool and all-day Kindergarten, but neither is required in the state of Utah. Some educators are saying they should be.

Some opponents say it's a funding issue, others argue it's too much schooling too soon. But many educators believe preschool and all-day Kindergarten programs would benefit every child.

Karen Sterling is the director of student advocacy and access for the Canyons School District. She says there is plenty of evidence that those early education programs provide opportunities for children to develop and increase their vocabulary.

"We know from research that it is engaged learning time that makes the real difference in what kids will ultimately master," she said.

Sterling says students need to get an early start on literacy and vocabulary, or the gap widens every year.

"High school seniors near the top of their class knew four times as many words as their lower-performing peers," she said.

Socioeconomic status also plays a role. Sterling says some children go into first grade knowing two times as many words as those from lower socioeconomic circumstances. One report shows the impact of preschool and all-day Kindergarten is greatest on children from low-income families.

Sterling says the school day has stayed constant over the years, but that we've changed the expectation of what children need to learn. She says it's good for even higher-achieving children to get that extended learning time."

I was pleased to read all of the people's comments after the article though, it seems like most people (at least out of the ones who commented) still have their heads screwed on straight.

Everyone has a right to their own opinions about the value of preschool and all-day Kindergarten, but the government should not be allowed to REQUIRE anything. And to Karen Sterling, whoever you are, engaged learning is not equal to sitting in a school desk for an entire day. Not that you can't learn while sitting at a desk, but you can be an engaged learner just about anywhere. What you should be supporting are programs to help teach parents how to be more involved with their children, and teaching families how to be more involved in their communities. Then everyone is engaged, children are learning vocabulary and socialization through real-life interactions, and no one is forced to send their kids away to all day school against their will. It's not necessary, it won't produce the results you're hoping for, it will probably produce a lot of negative results you weren't planning on,  and it will cost a TON of money which the government does not have. THINK. Mandatory sitting in a class room does not guarantee anything. In fact it hinders the ability to explore and be a kid. In my mind a class room setting for such young children takes away from the style of engaged learning that they need. They need to be outside. They need to be running around. They need to be observing family life and being a part of it.

Ok, enough of my rant. But I was appalled by this article. But I shouldn't be surprised, this is the same school system that wanted to cut out the Senior year of high school. Completely delete 12th grade, because most kids play around their Senior year anyway, and they'd save a lot of money by cutting it out. It's the same school system who wants to encourage students with low grade point averages to drop out and attend a trade school instead, all the while "not leaving any child behind". Right. Well, like I said, I shouldn't be surprised.

Thanks goodness for home school. :)