Frustrated with Kindergarten, and It Hasn't Even Started Yet!!!

That is so carzy. you sould tell the people that you want him in full day. My daughter is starting kindergarden this fall as well and they told me that kids have to go full day. My son's kindergarden teacher from 2 years ago told one students family that she wanted their daughter to switch from half day to full day. Also if you get assistance from dshs which I do then they can fill out a form for you which is a waver so you don't have o pay. I really don't think that he will get as much out of a half day as a whole day. Sorry that you are going through this with the school district. Good Luck

Hi, L. -- as a retired teacher ( preschool, special ed') I can PROMISE you that teachers are just as frustrated as you are ----- I have heard each and every point you raise and you are exactly correct-- it is ridiculous. You need to know - but the districts ( in some ways understandably) - in order to shut down in July--- need all the time they can muster in August to deal with students who move in. Yes, it is true - you need to sign up your child for Kindergarden WAY ahead of time--- February is not unheard of. Many districts offer a lottery for full-day- and almost all now require tuition for it. ( DON"T get me started - the children who need full day the VERY most are apt to be the ones' whose parents can't possibly pay-) I can only tell you to continue what you are doing -- being a persistant- pleasant- polite and completely determined advocate foryour child could eventually ''win'' a sympathetic ear ---. I apologize for the sytem- it needs to remember who it serves. ( my frustration with some of the knuckle headed parts of public school are why I have such excitement about the Lily Pad- the preschool we open THIS NEXT MONDAY --- oh my the butterflies--

Blessings -
J.
aka- old Mom

It is amazing how early you have to sign up for everything these day! I had to sign my daughter up for preschool in March for goodness sakes! She wasn't even 3 yet! I had no idea what would be good for her in September! It's crazy! AS for kindergarten, as someone else said, only 1/2 time kindergarten is funded by the state (at least in WA), so if you want to pay a teacher for the other 1/2 of the day, the students enrolled have to pay for it. It is interesting (and I am not sure why this is) that full day kindergarten costs different amounts depending on what school and/or school district you are in. It can be the difference of hundreds if dollars a month!
As for the differences between 1/2 day and full day, in our school, all academics are the same, 1/2 time kids miss out on a few library times a week, a recess, lunch time at school and more free time in the classroom. I am sure that what they miss out on is different in every school, but the basic academics have to be covered, just in less time!
Teachers have no say in who is in full day and who is not, so bringing it up to them will not help! If you are the first on the waiting list for full day, you might get in. It just depends on how many people move in and out of your school's service area. If there is a lot of movement, you have a good shot. If families move in and stay put, it is unlikely that anyone will leave.
I am surprised that you don't know it you are am or pm yet, in our district it is based on where you live, so that they can use fewer buses and the kids don't have to ride the bus as long. However, they may not have enough kids to do both an am and a pm, or aren't sure if they will have enough, so they are waiting until August to decide. You would be surprised how many people come into school offices and sign their kids up in the 2 weeks before school starts! If there are not enough kids for 2 sessions, it is almost always am only. If they are close to having enough kids to open up a new session, they don't want to tell people and then have to go back and change their times. Talk about making people mad!

Most school have an assessment time before school starts. All kids come in with different skill levels. Some have never held a crayon and some are reading, some don't know their abc's and others are writing full sentences. It is helpful for the teachers to know where each individual child s at and what that child needs to work on before school starts. That is a good thing! If your child is reading, do you want him to be sitting there learning what sounds a makes? If your child is struggling to learn their abc's do you want his teacher to hand him a book and say, "go to it!" Trust me, this is a good thing and I wish all grade levels got a chance to do it! Good luck in getting your child into full time kindergarten.

I understand your frustration. Has your son been in preschool? Our district doesn't have full day. For my first daughter she would have thrived in full day having been in preschool for 3 years full time before. However, my second daughter was overwhelmed at times with kg for the half day. She did do preschool for 2 years but for 2 hours 2-3 days per week.
I am a certified teacher and am a firm believer that it's not the amount of time in school but the amount of quality time in school. Trust me, if your son is not used to full day preschool-even if he gets into full day KG he most likely will be overwhelmed with a full day.
It is frustrating because you don't want him to miss out but other than a longer break for the parents, I don't think full day kg is necessarily the best for the young children unless they are already transitioned to a full day.

Bless your heart and welcome to the public school system.
First of all please do not let your pride get in the way of what you've worked so hard for and are OWED a most excellent education for your darling son.
If you qualify for assistance for goodness sakes take advantage of it. There are privacy boundaries in place and people should respect yours. If they do not that is their problem NOT yours.
I have had to take advantage of government assisted insurance programs for our boys because we are self employed, work our butts off but health insurance is out of our reach. It is not easy to swallow my pride but I will move heaven and earth for our boys.
In kindergarten my brilliant son brought home an "art project" entitled "My favorite color" I said honey that is not your favorite color. He said "My teacher said Black can't be my favorite color."
His teacher would not let him share "Calvin and Hobbes" for VIP show and tell because she felt it was inappropriate and over the rest of the kids heads...
Needless to say she and I butted heads quite a bit...and it goes on. The principal at the High School probably hates me, but he knows Mama Bear is not afraid of a big burly football coach. My husband says sometimes I need to curb my honesty. I believe it is my right and privlege to stand up for our sons.
You are your son's advocate and Mom, eat your Wheaties, Kindergarten is just the beginning.
Our oldest son did whole day Kindergarten and he was fine with it. He was 5, he'd been in preschool, he was a kid of a stay at home Mom but he was very social and done with naps. He could already read and write at 4 and he did not learn much that year. I'd already taught him everything K had to offer.
I saw kids who'd never been away from Mommy cry and melt at nap time during full day Kindergarten. They were not ready and it did not work for them.
Basically all Kindergarten does is teach them to sit down, shut up and wait their turn, that they are not the center of the universe (our son did not learn that, still has not...) and turn out cookie cutter projects and work sheets.
Unless you have an excellent teacher, and God bless those. They are few and far between.
Our second son did half days and the most awesome Missy Kitty who was BORN to be a K teacher. She just loved kids expected the best and was so surprised when they did not act as they were capable of, that the children scrambled to self correct as they adored her.
I have found if I was willing to be the squeaky wheel, meet the teachers, volunteer in the classroom (in middle school my sons asked me to stop) and talk to the principal, secretaries, teachers and all support staff that I was known and listened to if not always popular. It worked for me, but it was a lot of work.
Our oldest graduated this year.
3 years to go with the youngest.
Best of luck to you and yours. Listen to your instincts, trust your heart. It is hard work, but I guess that is why they call it work. The public school system does work if you insist upon it.
Blessings on your family,
L.

I personally believe it was best for your son to not have started kindergarten last year. Many parents believe that just because they know the academic stuff that they should be in school. But, you have to think long-term. He would always have been the youngest, smallest, last to start puberty, last to get driver's license, last to turn 18. Especially for a boy, it will be good for him to be one of the oldest in his class.

I do love all-day kindergarten but it won't be the worst thing for him if he has to do half-day. I believe the teachers make the class. Some older kids do better in half day because their day is more concise and there isn't a lot of downtime. For some kids, that could mean causing trouble. My daughter seemed to have a lot of "extra" time while her classmates were finishing up their work. Luckily she was perfectly content to color or practice her writing but some kids need more activity.

I think the hardest thing for you will be having to "pick" him up when he gets home since you are at your other job. But, also cherish this extra time with him. They grow up so fast!

Hi L.,
I taught kindergarten for 4 years in the Seattle Public Schools. I can understand your frustration at having to pay for K, but unfortunately full day kindergarten is currently not funded by the state. Thus, the school districts have no money set aside for kindergarten teacher salaries. Governor Gregoire is trying to change that and I think they will start phasing in free full day kindergartens soon. However, that won't help you this year.

Each year that I taught kindergarten, I had at least one child who was enrolled as a half day student either because they couldn't afford full day or because their parents decided half day was enough for them. They attended in the morning and left before lunch. They missed a lot of the fun stuff: P.E., music, free play, etc. but got most of the academics. They do miss out, but it doesn't have long-term repercussions. They did fine in first grade and in the subsequent grades. I often gave extra work for them to do at home, if the parents requested it.

The kindergarten teachers are required by the district to do one-on-one testing and many schools choose to have their teachers do so before school starts. It helps teachers plan, because, for example, some students come in reading whereas other students still need to learn capital and lower case letters. It also helps teachers get to know the students and see if any students have special needs that have not yet been identified.

At my school, teachers had no control over whether or not a child could be in a full day program or not, it was up to the principal. I think it would be a good idea for you to make an appointment to meet with the principal to discuss your concerns. Most principals are at school off and on during the summer.

Good luck and I hope your son has a wonderful kindergarten year :)

My advice may not be appreciated but I wanted to share. I had a daycare for 7 years and am a mom to 5 so I have some background in what I am going to share. I think boys starting kindergarten at 6 is a good thing. I also feel that 1/2 day is a bonus. It is there first exposure to school (it is different from preschool) and that is what they can handle. I worked in my daughters class and would watch the kids in full day kindergarten and I would not recommend putting kids in there. Full day kidnergarted is usually kids who's parents work full time so those kids are more "rowdy". They are more experienced from learning things in daycare and I know this is not popular, but I am just sharing my experience. Let him stay a kid as long as he can. Enjoy this time, he will be going to school full time before you know it.

Blessings,
S.

As someone else suggested, you could contact the district and see if you cold variance him into another school that has openings in full day. The only problem with this is that you will have to transport him to a different school. Also, you may be able to apply for financial assitance through the district to help with the cost of full day if you find an opening. Lastly, you could always find a little supplimental program that he could do at home to help fill in the gaps from his only being in school half day. Good luck!

I understand, and was in the same boat four years ago with my daughter. What we ended up doing, and I am not sure if this is an option for you in your district, was taking her to a different elementary school that had openings for full time Kindergarten and that was considered an open school in our district so that she could stay there for 1st thru 6th. We got luck and the school that was just a little further from our house but still close had full time openings and we got her in. It meant that we had to drive her to and from school but it was only a 10 minute drive and that was easy with my husband and my schedule. This may not be an option for you but it worked well for us. Like the other mom said if you qualify for assistance use it, and that may be the only way they get him into full time.

I understand your frustration. The reason why you have to pay for full day kindergarten is because federal law doesn't even require kindergarten, you legally don't have to send your child to school until 1st grade. Because it is not required, the government does not supplement kindergarten, so the burden to pay for it completely rests on the individual state. In fact, each state does it differently, I have lived and taught public school in two and this will be my third. California only offers 1/2 day, there is no full day even offered. Texas is state required to provide full day for every student. And here, there is an option. After having my oldest daughter in full day kindergarten I am a big believer in it. She knows so much more than her peers who are in half day, we have friends her age in both Ca and Wa. The school districts here say that students get the same education in 1/2 day because they do all the academic stuff in that time period and that the extra is enrichment. My older daugter did go to pre-school and full day kindergarten took about 6 weeks for her to adjust. We had a lot of after school meltdowns because she was so tired! So, if your son hasn't had pre-school before you may be really thankful for 1/2 day. Good luck!

Carin

Sounds like you're in the northshore school district (bothell, yes?)...so it's really too bad, because they're reputed to be very good. In fact, as I hear, they're the best in the state. (:P Here's my bias...that sure tells us something doesn't it?)

We were in Shoreline SD last year, and even though we DID pay over $3,000 for full-day kindergarten, and we DID have one of the "good" teachers...we've pulled our son out of public school permanently, even through we've changed districts. I'm willing to fight for my son's education. I AM NOT willing to fight with a *SCHOOL* over it. Humbug.

Even though there are completely valid reasons behind the SD's & schools' actions...they're valid only because school districts are bureaucracies with their heads up their collective wazoos...and individual schools only have the power to say "no". A "yes" to ANYTHING requires time & resources & original thought - which is systematically pounded out of them, and denied by policy. There is no such thing as common sense in this bureaucracy...just more and more paperwork and petty tyrannies. All offense to them intended. Bless the poor teachers & office staff who are given these hellish conditions to try teach through and work around...may they hold tight to both their jobs AND their human decency/curiosity/compassion, because so few do.

Previous posters have already given you the myriad valid reasons the schools do what they do...so I won't repeat.

What I will say is this: School does not equal education. Seattle is an amazing city for outside classes...for an entire range of budgets. There's art/music/drama/science/math/sports classes in HUGE abundance in this city...and many of them have reduced rates/tuition if you ask about them...and many are actually free. If you're stuck where you don't want to be in half-day come september...maybe you could consider it an amazing opportunity to jump start your son's real education.

My best wishes that it all comes out for the best, for all of us!!!

~ Z.

It's also a little fascinating that the single best educational model we have -college/university- wouldn't offer 8 hour classes even if you held a gun to their collective heads. The professors would riot & the students would revolt.

Hi L.,

Unfortunately, that is just the way it is. You can apply to have your child tested to see if he would qualify to go straight into first grade- with your son only missing the cut-off date by one day, you could have had him tested last year to see if he was ready for Kindergarten. Check with the school and/or school board for the testing procedure. Full day Kindergarten does cost more because of having to pay for the teacher's time, as our taxes only cover half-days for Kindergarten AND the teacher would only be compensated for a half day of teaching. Both my boys went half-days and then I enrolled them in other activities: gymnastics, music, taekwondo, swimming. We also spent a lot of time at the park and zoo. As I ran my own music school for 6+ years, I also got very frustrated with how late parents learned of whether their child was in morning or afternoon Kindergarten, as that really impacted the enrollment of my classes; however, just take a deep breath and know that it is only this hard with your first, becasue now you will know what to expect!

Good luck!
C.

You aren't alone.

It can get still more frustrating, so take a deep breath and decide what you're willing to do. Most districts have limited classroom space to use for K (amaller tables and chairs, separate bathrooms, access to a separate play area, etc), so with half day they gain the ability to have slightly smaller class sizes and nearly double their capacity. Besides, do you really want to force your child into an already crowded all-day-K classroom?

You are probably too late get a variance to another school district that might offer an all day K program. Even if you are in time, that means you have to provide all your own transportation to the other district and you'll go through lots of gas $$ since you probably can't carpool with neighbors. Also consider that your child will have to get up that much earlier in the morning to do the commute to another district. How will this commuting time-hit affect what time you get to your job as a nanny?

So say you decide you can live with the half-day thing where you'll probably have guaranteed bus service unless you live within a half mile of the school. That's not the end of the frustration story. You get your son settled into half-day, then you find that the schools sometimes switch things around and make your morning child attend in the afternoons(or vice versa) to average out from school conference times, late starts, and early dismissals. Or certain days they have no school at all because it's an "afternoon only" day.

And it's a good thing you watch your own boys, because if you need your child to be in daycare to allow you to work full-time, then some private daycare centers require you to pay the same price for full and half day (because they have to hold the spot for your child and/or possibly charge you for transport to/from school). And if you think your kid can get into a less expensive afterschool YMCA daycare program, well, you would have needed to get on that list back in Feb. when you signed up for school. And because the school calendar has more days off than most women get in vacation each year, working moms have it especially hard.

Hang in there and gather your patience. Many PTAs offer after-school enrichment programs such as for sports, music, and art (even for K) that are no or low cost, and that might be helpful to your son's growth.

-B.