CommentstotheRedClaySchoolBoardonKindergarten

Goodevening,BoardmembersandDr.Daugherty.Idliketothankyouforhostinga
Boardmeetinginmyalmamater,CabCalloway.Theworkontheauditoriumisbeyond
impressiveanditsnicetoknowstudentswillhaveastateoftheartfacilitytoproducewhatare
trulyspectacularshows.
Icometoyoutonighttosharewithyousomeconcernsthathavebeenbroughtto
RCEAsattentionbyaveryvocalandlargegroupofeducatorsourkindergartenteachers.
Duringmyschoolvisitsthisyear,Ivemadeitapointtoaskkindergartenteachershowthings
aregoingintheirschools.Iveheardahostofinterestinganswersfromourmembers.WhatIm
hearingalmostuniversallyfrommembersisthatRedClayismovinginthewrongdirectionwhen
itcomestoworkingwithouryoungestlearners.
Iveheardstoriesaboutclassroomsbeingstrippedoftheirdramaticplaycenters.Ive
heardstoriesaboutthekindergartencurriculumbeingspedup,allinthenameofincreasedtest
scoresandrigor.Iveheardstoriesthattheressomuchemphasisonstandardsand
curriculumthatteachersarentabletohelpouryoungestlearnerswithmoresocialand
developmentallearningthatSHOULDbeoccurringatthisage.
Idheardenoughstories.Itwastimeforaction.RCEAcalledtogetherafocusgroupin
whichallDistrictkindergartenteacherswereinvited.Nearly30teachersshowedupandwhat
fascinatedmethemostisthatthedividesthatoftenexistbetweenourneediestschoolsand
moreaffluentschoolsactuallydidntexist.Kindergartenteachersfromourcityschoolsshared
thesamestoriesastheteachersinoursuburbanschools.AndtheyallfearourDistrictis
headeddownadangerouspathofdevelopmentallyinappropriatelessonsandactivitiesforour
youngestlearners.
Amongtheconcernsteachersshared:

1) Academicsarepushedtoohardonstudentswhoarenotdevelopmentallyready.Asone
teachersaidinthefocusgroup,Youcannotteachasixmontholdtowalk!
2) Rigordoesnotmeanspeedup.RedClayhasfortoolongemployedawordthat
shouldbebanishedfromoureducationlexicon:Rigor.Itsawordwhosetextbook
definitionshouldprobablyneverbeusedwhentalkingaboutworkingwithchildren.
KindergartenteacherssaytheDistricthasmovedfoolishlyinspeedingupthe
curriculum.
3) Theteachersagreeduniversallythattheremustbemoreopportunitiesforstructured
play.Ifstudentsaretaughttoplayandsocializeappropriately,thenperhapsfuture
behaviorconcernscouldbeblunted.

Thereweremanyotherconcernsshared,buttheteachersalsocametotheforumreadytooffer
solutions.Amongthesolutionsoffered:
1) Kindergartenshouldhaveascheduleseparatefromothergrades.Kindergarten
shouldntbeexpectedtodo90120minutesofELAand60minutesofmathlikethefifth
gradersdo.AscheduleshouldbedevelopedcollaborativelyandshouldgrowWITHthe
child.
2) InstituteaHANDWRITINGprogramandNOTaWRITINGcurriculum.Studentsneed
moretimetodeveloptheirfinemotorskillsthroughhandwritingandlesstimerequired
answeringtextdependentquestionstheyrenotreadytoanswer.
3) Kindergartenspecificprofessionaldevelopmentplannedcollaborativelywith
kindergartenteachers.
4) BringbackKindergartenCouncil
5) BringinhalfandfulldaysubstitutessoteacherscantestandDIBELtheirownstudents.


RedClayisonthecuttingedgeofmanyeducationinitiativesinDelaware.Wehavemany
peopleontheoutsidetryingtogetintoourschools.Itstimewelistentoourkindergarten
teachersandmakemeaningfulchangestotheprogramsothatwecangetbacktodoingwhats
bestforkids.Thetrickledowneffectthiscouldhaveonallstudentsincomingyearscouldbe
quitedramatic.Thankyou.