ALL DAY KINDERGARTEN...IS IT TIME?


On Tuesday, January 31 2006, I attended the Special Board of Education meeting at JFK Middle School. At this meeting Elementary Administrators and Educators were invited to come and share with the BOE what they see as important needs for the children they teach. This is part of the Board of Education preparing for the budget they will present to the Town Council.

One area that took center stage was the possibility of having All Day Kindergarten added to the educational plan in the future. This was a brief presentation and more investigation and study will have to be done, before a decision can be reached.

So, let's begin the discussion of the merits of implementing this program for Enfield. I believe that we must put some effort into researching whether there is value in having four and five year olds spending a full day in school.

Now, to start we must look at a few areas to see if it can work in Enfield. The biggest issue is money, and this always is the main focus on evaluating any program. Then there is the area of facilities and space for increasing the time these children will spend at school.

Also there is the issue of phasing in the program, or just going all the way and offering this to all families. If it is phased in, then there must be a lottery process, which will leave some wanting this opportunity, behind. Not, the best way to begin any program. Either it is the best choice for all, or not at all.

But with that said, what should be the main question? What should be the guiding factor in bringing All Day Kindergarten to Enfield?

The answer is simply, does it work? Is there data that proves that children will benefit from spending all day in school from the day they begin their educational journey?

So many times we base decisions on adding programs on money, space, and public desire. All these play into it, but the most important question and the only one that matters is "will our children be better and have more opportunity if we add All Day Kindergarten?"

Now, I know money is tight and must be spent wisely. But, education is not a gamble, but an investment. If the proof of higher achievement is in the data, then we must look seriously at this, and any program.

Education is about working today, for tomorrows results. Programs should be implemented based on providing the greatest opportunity for our youth.

But, it does come down to the ability to pay for this program. With property taxes being the main source of funding, this and other possible endeavors will have a difficult time making their way to implementation.

Sooner or later we are going to have to hear from our State Legislators. The welfare and success of Enfield's educational institutions need the support of our leaders in Hartford. It is vital to our children that the State begin to discuss programs, such as this.

The Enfield Board of Education, after a detailed investigation, may conclude that All Day Kindergarten is a worth while program and that it will give our kids an added advantage in their educational journey. But, they may have to shelf the idea because of the cost, and their responsibility to balance spending with the ability of the Enfield Taxpayers to fund new programs.

Therefore, if we are really going to look into All Day Kindergarten the process must include, along with our BOE, our State Representatives and State Senator, our Town Council, Administrators, Teachers,and Residents.

If we can create a special committee and task force to look at the athletic fields (and I supported and voted for the new fields), we can sure approach this with that much commitment. If we can have a special joint committee on technology, I believe having a Special Task Force for All Day Kindergarten needs to be considered as well.

Greg Stokes