Speech of the Week: Jennifer speaks: Why Half-Day Kindergarten Must be preserved.

(Ed. note. Jennifer Petruzzello spoke at the Evansville School Board last Monday night. Here is her unedited remarks for those of you who were in the back and unable to hear as well as the larger community. This speech summarizes the essential points of the case for the half-day kindergarten.)

Presentation to School Board: 10/9/06

Good evening, My name is Jennifer Petruzzello. I am the mother of two girls, a 6-year old who had the opportunity to participate in last year’s ½ day kindergarten program, and a 4-year old who I hope will have the same opportunity.

Under the current half day program, the academic curriculum is scheduled for the morning. Students would miss lunch, recesses, rest time, 30 extra minutes of art class, and 35 extra minutes of music and physical education class each week. There is no academic argument for keeping students in this program in school for an additional 4 hours each day.

State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster states that “Full-day kindergarten is not “the answer” for all kids. Parents who are in a position to be home and/or prefer a half day or alternate day kindergarten should be fully supported in that desire. I strongly suggest that the most responsible position a public school can hold regarding kindergarten scheduling is to make available a choice of programming.”

The ½ day option is chosen by a variety of families with various social and economic backgrounds. Parents are making this choice based upon what they believe to be in their child’s best interest.

Some of the documented academic, social, emotional and physical benefits to a half-day kindergarten design include:

● Children attended at their optimal time of day. (Wenger, 1978)

● Children scored higher on four factors considered to facilitate learning on the Hahnemann Elementary Behavior Rating Scale (originality, independent learning, involvement and productive with peers (Hildebrand, 1997).

● Children exhibited the least amount of inattentive classroom behaviors (Hildebrand, 1997).

● Children scored higher on ‘approach to teacher’ (Hildebrand, 1997).

● Potentially less time in structure environment.

● More opportunity for social activities outside of the school setting.

● More opportunity for interactions with people not associated with school (adults, family, peers)

● May offer more opportunity for creative activities outside of school.

● Allows for a greater diversity of activities.

● The shorter period of time away from home, may ease transition into the school system.

● Less fatigue, particularly at the beginning of the year.

● Potentially more time in free play.

● Less classroom time may allow for more time to develop gross and fine motor skills.

Superintendent Burmaster also states that students who thrive in school tend to have strong families, working with teachers to support learning at home and at school. At the same time, schools that support family involvement enjoy a positive school climate, a richer school curriculum, more support from families and the community and better teacher morale”.

I’m sure that you have all heard that parental involvement helps students to succeed in school. There are numerous studies that show the positive link between parental involvement to student achievement. Parental involvement is something nearly all of the parents choosing the ½ day option take seriously. It is my understanding that they are more likely to volunteer at Learning Stations, and the one-on-one contact regarding follow-up to school activities is much easier and more likely to happen when you have the afternoon to work with your child.

The Levi Leonard Elementary School web page states that “Our educational philosophy involves a triangular approach: Parents, students and educators working together to provide a high quality education.” I hope that the School Board takes this philosophy seriously, and will listen to the desires of parents in this district as they explain what is in their child’s best interest.

If the ½ day stand alone option is eliminated, parents will be forced to send their child to school more often for purely financial reasons.

Before you suggest that parents pick up their child at 11:00, remember that this is not a desirable option. You have heard from another parent specifically how this impacted her child. Children will not have a sense of belonging with their classmates. In other districts parents choosing to do this have dropped substantially – this is because it is not a good option. Most importantly, if you believe this is a good option, and if every parent took this option, the district would not see their desired increase in revenue.

The School Board appears to be recognizing the value of quality early education opportunities on our youngest children by studying a four year old kindergarten program. If you are serious about improving educational opportunities, you should recognize that a decision to eliminate this ½ day option will be negatively impacting a group of children (and some of the same children you hope to serve in a 4K program).

If the stand alone program is eliminated, it will not be brought back. The estimated revenue gains this year are minimal, but the result would be permanent. I believe that the revenue gains in future years have been overestimated. If several parents choose not to enroll their children, the revenue gains attached to this program change are significantly reduced or disappear.

I believe there is much community support for this program. I have heard from neighbors, teachers, and parents with children in the full day program that they support this option for families who choose it. I believe the community support would be even stronger if they realized that the additional funding comes from our state taxes and an increase in local taxes.

The 1/2 day option worked wonderfully for my older daughter. She attended in the morning, which was the best time for her to learn new information. Scheduling the curriculum into a shorter time period helped her to stay focused. In addition, she was not so tired after school, that I could work with her on an individual basis to reinforce what she was learning in school. This one on one attention helped her to understand how important her parents feel school is and added to her overall enthusiasm for school. There was more time for free play (building her imagination and problem solving skills), relaxed social opportunities with friends, and more time with family.

I would like to enroll my younger daughter in the ½ day program next fall. Given her personality and challenges she experiences with sensory issues, I believe having a ½ day schedule is critical to her successful transition into the school system. I don’t believe that causing parents to consider enrolling in other districts, private schools, or home schooling will result in a stronger local school district.

In conclusion, there are real educational, social and emotional benefits to the half day option for some children. Research supports the link between parental involvement and success in school. The half day schedule allows for greater parental involvement. Pulling a child out of a full-day class at 11:00 is not a reasonable option. Eliminating this program makes providing a kindergarten education more expensive. There is community support for this program.

You can make the decisions, which will keep Evansville a quality school district.

I am asking the Board to support our decision to make the best kindergarten choice for our children and our family.

Thank you for your time.