I interacted with the principal and the superintendant of our school. I talked with them about our program and the problems of the funding for our program. The superintendent has a daughter in our class and he talked about what he saw in the classroom and how his daughter responded to all of the activities that we did.
Any special learning experiences you may have had or an experience that provided you with insight about children and families including advocacy efforts?
I learned that not all parents are appreciative of the program. Some of the parents feel that it is expected of the state and not a gift from the state. I do not think they understand that the state can pull the program next year and that the families will have to pay for the program. I tried to explain to the parents that I had to pay for Pre-K for my children and they were shocked. It is amazing to think of the people that expect things and not want to pay for them.
At least two insights gained from your observations of, and interactions and experiences with, children’s families regarding advocacy efforts and needs related to your area of interest within the field of early childhood?
One of the insights I learned is that the school likes our program but is not sure what will happen to the Pre-K program next year because of the funding. The parents wanted to know what they could do to help us so that we would have a program next year, we told them there is not much we can do except keep our fingers crossed. It is nice to know that they do appreciate the program and feel that it is helping the children.
I must admit, years ago I didn't know to much about the difficulty of financially placing a child in a pre-K program. When my son was younger, I worked as a lead teacher in a Pre-K program, and because I was employed there, tuition was free. During my time there I experienced many parents ecstatic over being eligible to place their child in our Pre-K program, which was expensive. This "luxury" is something that no child should be without. Those early childhood years, as studies have proven many times, are crucial in their future as adults.
ReplyDeleteOne thing regarding finances and pre-k programs that I think often gets over looked--what about middle class children? Their parents make too much for the free programs, but can't afford the private programs that need to be paid for. I think a quality preschool for all needs to happen sooner than later.
ReplyDeleteI work for Head Start and am also aware of the impact the financial cuts can have on the near future. There are always going to be parents who are unappreciative of the services that educational institutions have to provide. But it is nice to know that some parents wanted to help if they could when they found out the program may not be around next year. It is very nice that parents do not have to pay for your Pre-K program because I know when I was little my parents had to pay for my Pre-K classes.
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