Government Funded Pre-School

[Johnboy976]

My wife and I heard a report on ABC that Oklahoma and Georgia have government funded pre-school systems that have proven to be a waste of time and education. Seeing that we might be moving to Tulsa in four months, we were wondering if this is mandatory for kids. If it's a waste of time, and yet required, I may as well fork up the cash to put my kid into a private school during that time.

[pmcalk]

No, it's not mandatory. 

Where's the link to the ABC report?

[RipTout]

My wife and I heard a report on ABC that Oklahoma and Georgia have government funded pre-school systems that have proven to be a waste of time and education. Seeing that we might be moving to Tulsa in four months, we were wondering if this is mandatory for kids. If it's a waste of time, and yet required, I may as well fork up the cash to put my kid into a private school during that time.

Isn't Oklahoma like a model state for early childhood learning?

But I'd shelter that kid as much as you can when you get here.

Damn libs own the Public School System.

[RecycleMichael]

I would trust these experts more than ABCnews...

http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/site/c.kjJXJ5MPIwE/b.2556065/k.E644/Prek_What_the_research_shows.htm

http://www.tecec.org/files/PK_Oklahoma.pdf

http://www.apa.org/journals/releases/dev416872.pdf

http://factsinaction.org/brief/brnov031.htm

Everybody else says it is great!

[Cats Cats Cats]

Last thing you want to do is put your kids in school!  We don't need no book learnin'

But seriously.. we need to kick the schools up a notch.  Make them harder, try to catch up with the rest of the world.

[T Badd]

I'd too would like to see some stats behind the claims that our pre-K program is "proven to be a waste of time and education".  Everything I've read seems to dispute that and my real-life experience with my own son (now 1st grade) has proven the opposite as well. I was very impressed with the non-mandatory Pre-K program and happy that he was able to start at the same school that he still attends (where he reads at a 3rd grade level).

If you have the means to place your child in a private preschool (I didn't), by all means, go for it. But for me, and I'm sure thousands of Oklahomans, the opportunity to attend gov-funded pre-school had a positive impact on my child and our family budget.

"Damn libs" or not, my son is getting a far superior public education than I received as a child, and for that, I'm very grateful.

[sgrizzle]

A lot of school have Pre-K now, private and public. However if you have a fear of books, you can just lock them in the basement.

Here is the story:
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/Story?id=7070646&page=1

Sloppy reportiing as they are haphazardly mixing data on pre-k and educare which is desined to help kids of families in generational poverty scenarios. Educare and Pre-K have different programs and curriculum.

Stossel fail.

[pmcalk]

Should have guessed it was Stossel "everything the government does is bad."

I do think that, for the most part, pre-K should be voluntary.  If you can afford to stay home with your kids, and you actually want to be there with your kids, then that can be the best arrangement.  However, I have no problem paying tax dollars to make sure that kids, whose parents cannot or choose not to be home, have a decent place to spend the day, where they can get a head start on reading & math.  I have worked with families in which the best place for the kids during the day was daycare.  I have seen in-home daycare arrangements that make me shiver.  You can pay to send them to school today, or risk that you will spend it on prison when they grow up.

[RecycleMichael]

What a ridiculous story. Stossell shouldn't be called a journalist.

His story uses a lady who owns a six private preK schools and is upset that the government may compete with her for students. No wonder.

My kids got great results out of PreK. We sent one to Channing and the other one to Eisenhower. We paid for each. I wish there had been a free option, but we didn't have one at the time.

[Johnboy976]

Hey, thanks guys. This clears things up significantly. It was Stossell who did the report, and I know about his political leanings... so it's obvious that the "report" would go in the direction he chose. Something seemed fishy about the whole thing.

[sgrizzle]

Hey, thanks guys. This clears things up significantly. It was Stossell who did the report, and I know about his political leanings... so it's obvious that the "report" would go in the direction he chos.e Something seemed fishy about the whole thing.

Thank you for not being fooled by the pure masculinity of John Stossel.

It's the moustache.

[Johnboy976]

It is SO the moustache! Stossel wreaks of that Magnum PI vibe.

[BierGarten]

For your reference, here is a link to TPS' list of pre-K programs.

http://www.tulsaschools.org/schools1/kgec.shtm

Question: I live in Eliot school district.  Notice Eliot does not have a pre-K program.  Does that mean you are out of luck or does TPS allow your kid to go to the next nearest program?  Anyone know how that works?

Also, why do some have "(with fee)" next to the name?  Why a fee at only some schools?  The next nearest school with a program from me is Lee, which is a "with fee" program.  I didn't think Lee was a language program school.

[sgrizzle]

You can go to a different school, but programs fill up quickly.

Not sure about the fee.