ExchangeEveryDay Past Issues

I think we need to be careful in jumping to the conclusion Fuller has is facts twisted. I'm reading his book and am finding it fascinating and covers quite a few different ideas and agendas on the UPK movement. The care needs to be taken in assuming we know all the facts and politics. Fuller talks about Rob Reiner's push for universal preschool. You might be surprised by his focus. I strongly suggest reading the book.

cI am totally and completely opposed to "mandatory" pre-school education. Our state doesn't even have mandatory kindergarten - in the districts that do offer public pre-school education, they offer a 5 day per week program with no part week options. Pre-school children are held to the same attendance policies as the older children. For some children - it's just too much, too soon. Not all children attend child care away from the home, for those that do some are part time programs, some cared away from the home in a child care center setting, some in home settings, some by extended family. WHY are we taking children out of the home "unnecessarily", away from parents, away from the nurturing, loving, "at play" learning environment that is most appropriate at this age, into a structured, stressful setting earlier than necessary? When will our children ever get to be CHILDREN - run free, in a learn thru play environment, in their own time, in their own place?? It's just too much, too soon with long term negative ramifications -in my opinion. Our schools are already struggling for funding for the appropriate age children - and we want to add more programs to fund? Our children are too standardized already - and we want to "standardize" our 3 & 4 year old children's day - even more than they already are for those children who must attend child care center settings?? I would not want this for my children. There are better ways if there are children in need of a better "early education".

I think 4 year degreee qualified staff are essential to provide leadership to early childhood services. They can effectively argue the case for play based curriculum and fight against the push down curriculum.
Early childhood services associated with schools leads to a greater acceptance of the professional knowledge and expertise of teachers in this area. It also promotes understanding between the two sectors of education. We are not that different.
In Victoria, Australia, some schools are trying a play based curriculum in the early years of school. For more information about this go to www.kathywalkeredcon.com.au

I agree with Fuller to a point and detest the idea of the "push down" curriculum that may happen if preschools are part of the elementary school experience. However, more often than not, child day care centers are staffed by inexperienced and unqualified teachers who only make minimum wage. When preschools are housed in elementary buildings, two positive things happen.
1) preschool teacher salaries go up and 2) elementary teachers attitudes and views of preschools and what they can accomplish are heightened.

Professor Fuller, has twisted the facts in his 2007 book. Progressive advocates of ECE never did ask any public education policy maker, to "adultify" young children with so much early academic pressure. Instead, they have advocated that young children learn through games, play, and fun filled activities in a high quality and relaxed environment.
The Bush's legacy of NCLB did have its toxic effects on early childhood field as well. Indeed, for the first time, NRS(National Reporting System) was forced on Head Start community in the name of Public Accountability. The intent was to discredit the public role, in educating our children, and instead shifting funds to selective banks in charge of public education. Look at the mushrooming of the Charter preschools across the land.

Finally, liberals advocated that providing public funds for preschool would help the economy, because parents need a quality child care for their kids in order to keep their employment. At the same time, the liberals advocated that the preschoolers learn through play, fun, and positive parents teacher guidance.

Conservatives, and their think tanks, like the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, advocated that preschoolers are not learning because teachers are not accountable in preparing preschoolers for kindergarten. Today, every public child care in this country looks like a mini kindergarten. The Conservatives guided the national policy with their reps. either in the White House, or across from it in the halls of Congress, or in the church!!