Universal Pre-K in Seattle: Reasons to be cautious
I was looking through a memory book that I had put together when my daughter was a small child and came across her pre-school schedule. It goes like this:
8:30-9:00 AM: Free time: Blocks, books and coloring
9:00-9:30 AM: Circle: French, Spanish, German and sign. (The children and teacher would sing songs in different languages and one teacher would sign while she spoke to the students. They would rotate languages each day.)
9:30- 10:00 AM: Outside: In the garden.
10:00- 11:30 AM: Classes: Art, Listening Comprehension, Music, Large Motor Activity, etc.
11:30- noon: Lunch: Manners and Language Development.
The children in my daughter’s pre-school also learned the alphabet, their numbers and how to write their names. The rest of the time they were absorbing new experiences, exploring their world, learning how to work together and get along with each other and having fun in the process. Having fun at school during that time was very important to me. I wanted my daughter to equate learning and school to a positive experience.
Is this the same experience that Burgess and other fans of Universal pre-K envision for all children?
First, let’s take a look at the money. Funding for the Universal pre-K program in Seattle is to come from the levy that recently passed and by way of an increase inUniversal Pre-K in Seattle: Reasons to be cautious | Seattle Education: