Can you use public Kindy as free daycare? - Page 5

[GuildJenn]

Originally Posted by chfriend

Isn't that how early kindergarten admission is done?

http://dpi.state.wi.us/ec/ec-entr-admiss.html

Not here. So if I read that right, if schools admit kids early they get extra money to equalize them? Ha.

[GuildJenn]

And, just to be clear, OP - I sympathize with some of your thoughts but I really find it off-putting that you seem to be treating public school like something that exists for your convenience. While I'm not really one for just accepting every single rule without asking or talking about it, I tend to take your posts as that you would not be enrolling your child in good faith.

I personally would not enroll my child anywhere I couldn't at least try to enter into it non-belligerently. It's just not fair to any of the parties involved. If every. single. thing. is going to get you going, then find a different solution.

[lach]

Originally Posted by chfriend

Isn't that how early kindergarten admission is done?

http://dpi.state.wi.us/ec/ec-entr-admiss.html

I've never heard of a district doing that. School districts tend to be very strict about their kindergarten cutoff dates. Most schools are also trying to veer away from the traditional practice of having children skip grades, because there are too many cases where it doesn't work out either socially or academically. Some districts even have your child skip kindergarten if you try to hold him out an extra year (a popular trend where people try to give their child an academic advantage by being a year older.)

[amma_mama]

Originally Posted by GuildJenn

And, just to be clear, OP - I sympathize with some of your thoughts but I really find it off-putting that you seem to be treating public school like something that exists for your convenience. While I'm not really one for just accepting every single rule without asking or talking about it, I tend to take your posts as that you would not be enrolling your child in good faith.

I personally would not enroll my child anywhere I couldn't at least try to enter into it non-belligerently. It's just not fair to any of the parties involved. If every. single. thing. is going to get you going, then find a different solution.

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by Altair

I'm a public school K teacher-- no that would not work, for both legal and practical reasons, many of which have been mentioned by PPs. It's also just pretty demeaning to all the hard work I do every day with my kids to be thought of as merely their babysitter. It takes a crapload of work to educate a class full of students, and one coming back and forth would be highly disruptive for everyone. When we have foster students and homeless students who are moved around and pulled out it is really hard on the class and the students who don't feel a real part of the community. We spend a lot of time working on integrating them and catching them up to our current units and we do it gladly because these kids need any measure of stability we can offer. I can't imagine choosing to do that just to get free childcare. What happens when she comes in Monday after not being there Friday and she doesn't have the first half of her story written when we write the second half? What about all of our group projects that she would have a hard time coming in and out of? Good curriculum is integrated day to day and unit to unit and builds on itself.

Btw I fully support HSing, I just don't think public schools are there merely for convenience. If you want to enroll her, you will likely need to follow all of the school requirements, and for good reason.

Yes.

Originally Posted by Barbie64g

Also, let us not forget that public school kindergarden is NOT in any way, shape, or form, FREE. (jumps down from soap box )

And yes.

[Snugglebunnymama]

Originally Posted by GuildJenn

And, just to be clear, OP - I sympathize with some of your thoughts but I really find it off-putting that you seem to be treating public school like something that exists for your convenience. While I'm not really one for just accepting every single rule without asking or talking about it, I tend to take your posts as that you would not be enrolling your child in good faith.

I personally would not enroll my child anywhere I couldn't at least try to enter into it non-belligerently. It's just not fair to any of the parties involved. If every. single. thing. is going to get you going, then find a different solution.

Agreeing with this.

Also, to reiterate: Depending on where you end up moving, this whole conversation may be a moot point. Here, the cut-off is Sept 1 (FL). If your dd's birthday is AFTER the cut-off date for wherever you move, you have no choice but to find childcare. Even then, though... while you may be able to drop her off and pick her up whenever you please, I would personally hate the idea of paying for full-time daycare and only receiving part-time care since (from what I've heard--never actually used daycare or preschool) you pay the whole thing to reserve your spot.

However, most places seem to have a pre-K type of program that is run similar to how ps is run.

[rabrog]

OPer, if you move somewhere that your DD doesn't meet the cutoff date, there will be no fighting over it, she just won't get in. I've never heard of a state where there is any "give' to the cutoff date at all. They either meet it or they don't.

Another idea for you: could she go to preK (assuming cutoff dates, etc.) or even half day K and could you get a grad student (with a teaching degree or working toward elem. ed.) to work with her in the afternoons?

Jenn

[cyberfish]

Well, it's going to be Virginia. And I discovered that since DD will be 5 before the end of Sept., she's required to be enrolled in kindergarten or have homeschool paperwork filed. Not sure which direction I will take. Apparently there's a democratic school in the area where you can pick your hours/days and reduce tuition (which is not as bad as I thought) by volunteering. And there's another school there that takes homeschoolers part time. And I've been told the public schools are "excellent."

I may try to visit a public kindergarten and maybe meet a teacher if possible before moving there. I'm trying hard to think about all the really great early childhood teachers I already know personally (and there are several) and approach with an open mind for my daughter's sake. I really just want her in the best place for her.

[Polliwog]

Where in VA?

[cyberfish]

We'll be in Harrisonburg -- James Madison University. It's a one year position (again) but I'm hoping it can become more permanent.

[ChristaN]

Congratulations. That sounds like a pretty good situation with a lot of options. I hope that you find something that works well for you and your dd.

[cyberfish]

Thank you! I am a bit relieved.

My daughter would so covet your avatar dog.

She asks for a dog every. single. day. And she wants one that looks like that.

[Linda on the move]

It sounds like you have a lot of good options! I hope it works well for you and your DD, and that the position becomes more permanent.

[ecoteat]

Originally Posted by cyberfish

Well, it's going to be Virginia. And I discovered that since DD will be 5 before the end of Sept., she's required to be enrolled in kindergarten or have homeschool paperwork filed. Not sure which direction I will take. Apparently there's a democratic school in the area where you can pick your hours/days and reduce tuition (which is not as bad as I thought) by volunteering. And there's another school there that takes homeschoolers part time. And I've been told the public schools are "excellent."

I may try to visit a public kindergarten and maybe meet a teacher if possible before moving there. I'm trying hard to think about all the really great early childhood teachers I already know personally (and there are several) and approach with an open mind for my daughter's sake. I really just want her in the best place for her.

The shift in the tone of this thread after this post is pretty remarkable! Before this update, the uncertainty of everything did sound pretty scary. But now it sounds like you have good options and concrete details to learn about and develop a plan from.

I am a public school teacher (and I won't bother echoing the sentiments that not buying into your child's school program is problematic--even though that's how I feel) and I just want to point out that, even though I'm sure you know this, public schools in this country are incredibly diverse. People often over-generalize their feelings about public school and end up short-changing the really good ones. Yes, they are all subject to stupid federal laws, but that really doesn't have a huge impact in the day-to-day happenings in a good teacher's classroom. If you do go the public school route and end up sticking around long enough to be subject to standardized tests (in Maine, they start in 3rd grade), know that in some states it is possible for parents to opt out of state testing. The school can't tell you that, but it's something to look into. I have a student who doesn't take the tests and the only reason his mom knew she could say no to them is because she's a teacher in the school.

My public school actually does take homeschoolers part time. It's a tricky arrangement and has taken a few years to figure out how to make it work without disrupting the regular school day, but we have several kids that join specials classes. Their parents are available to drop them off and pick them up for a 40-minute class, so it wouldn't help a working single parent, but it's an example of a public school that can be flexible. If those kids were enrolled as school students that wouldn't work, but since they are homeschooled, as far as the state is concerned, it does.