Did anybody catch 20/20 last night?

[BCFD]

John Stossel did a story on free universal preschool. I just thought it was cool that they were at a Montessori school during the interview and all the clips were at a M school.



http://abcnews.go.com/2020

Click on the video "free pre-k a waste of money"

Did you catch this line? "I don't want to have to answer to the government. Our programs are so far superior!"

[MattBronsil]

Why aren't there more people seriously scared?

[jeliphish]

Big, free government sponsored/ but required preschool will be the end of quality preschool as we know it. I work for social services and at least around here the government sponsored preschool and daycare programs are horrible.

[freistms]

But why would government preschool be required? Wouldn't you still be able to choose private preschool the same way you choose private schools for grade school? Sorry if this is a stupid question. I didn't watch the video yet and I'm not familiar with the proposal.

[BCFD]

Originally Posted by freistms

But why would government preschool be required? Wouldn't you still be able to choose private preschool the same way you choose private schools for grade school? Sorry if this is a stupid question. I didn't watch the video yet and I'm not familiar with the proposal.

I don't think it would be required and you could still choose a private preschool. I just brought up the clip because I thought it was cool that they picked a Montessori school to go to and film.

[Rose-Roget]

Originally Posted by freistms

But why would government preschool be required? Wouldn't you still be able to choose private preschool the same way you choose private schools for grade school? Sorry if this is a stupid question. I didn't watch the video yet and I'm not familiar with the proposal.

I haven't watched the clip either, yet, but I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that many parents will choose free anything over pay (for good reasons, sometimes). This could run the privates out of business - especially the lower-middle income private. I see this with my M. Since the school up the street went to full-day kindergarten, parents send their kids there and are running the M kindy program out of business. Sad.

It is cool that they used an M. in the spot!

[MattBronsil]

Not only that, but once government starts funding schools, guess who is in control of the curriculum and design? Not the educators, but the politicians.

There was a law that fortunately didn't pass in California's legislature recently about not allowing preschool and kindergarten to be together in the same day care setting. Talk about a blow to Montessori if that passed...luckily, it did not.

There's also the problem raised by the report---it's a waste of money. Like the lady said, you don't go to a party, buy a dress for the party, and buy a dress for EVERYONE else at the party.

[Qbear'smama]

I'm not quite clear on how government-funded preschool would mean an end to quality. In Quebec, there is subsidized daycare so that there are many spots in a variety of daycare centres (or home daycares) that cost $7/day regardless of family's income, and there are standards that have to be met to get the subsidy and of course families can choose to send their kids wherever they want, including a non-funded daycare/preschool. It means more choices for quality, affordable daycare for people who may not be able to afford a good place...I agree that if the government ran the cirriculum that could be a problem, but in this case, they don't; just standards, like regular time outside and some basic educational components for a certain age, caregiver/child ratios and that sort of thing. Daycare/preschool full time here can cost upwards of $1000/month if you don't get one of those spots and it is a godsend for many families who otherwise would struggle.

[MattBronsil]

Originally Posted by Qbear'smama

I'm not quite clear on how government-funded preschool would mean an end to quality. In Quebec, there is subsidized daycare so that there are many spots in a variety of daycare centres (or home daycares) that cost $7/day regardless of family's income, and there are standards that have to be met to get the subsidy and of course families can choose to send their kids wherever they want, including a non-funded daycare/preschool. It means more choices for quality, affordable daycare for people who may not be able to afford a good place...I agree that if the government ran the cirriculum that could be a problem, but in this case, they don't; just standards, like regular time outside and some basic educational components for a certain age, caregiver/child ratios and that sort of thing. Daycare/preschool full time here can cost upwards of $1000/month if you don't get one of those spots and it is a godsend for many families who otherwise would struggle.

We have a lot of that in America as well. The problem is that the government DOES dictate curriculum in these instances. Our public schools are a mess because of it.