It's not often that something happens to make you look at life in a whole different way. Most things we experience either support or upend a conclusion to which we've already come. We feel the way we feel about things, and that's basically it.
I've had one of those perspective-altering experiences this week....and it began when the little one went to preschool. Now, I've always been a big proponent of preschool. I think every kid should go. I think it does wonders and can make all the difference on the other side of the educational timeline. Kids who go to preschool do better in kindergarten and, ultimately, in high school. I used to teach kindergarten and the teachers on my team could tell you on the first day which kids had been to preschool. Those kids, invariably, were soaring farther at the end of the year and went on to a better elementary school experience. We put the big one in preschool early and I am consistently amazed at how well she's done.
When we found out we were moving, the first order of business was finding a school. It's a hard thing to do from a distance, and I developed a new sense of empathy for the parents with whom I've worked. We were blessed with the little one's placement in our last home, and knew that he couldn't just go back to playgroups or staying at home with Mom. He needed to go to school.
Looking for a school schooled me. Think there's a chasm between the haves and have-nots surrounding public schools? It's nothing compared to the preschool gap. To find a program that engages your kid, broadens his horizons, teaches him the incidentals vital for school success, and is just plain fun is almost impossible. Now, it's not hard to find someone to watch your kid. Those places abound. But a school? One that lays a foundation? You better have two things - time and money.
Time, because the place will not be open all day every day. The best programs are quite limited and are only available for a limited time during each day. I was amazed. The all day programs weren't much more than I could do in my living room, a glorified babysitter. But those, expensive, half-day programs? Wonderful. Filled with stimulating curricula, well-trained personnel, and well-designed facilities. We walked into the school we ultimately chose, and the little one just lit up. He felt at home and the teachers included him without hesitation. At the end of his first week, he's enamored with lining up, cleaning up and taking turns. In short, he's already learning the important lessons - the things that bring school success. Did I mention he's the only kid in the whole school who looks like me?
Which got me thinking, why doesn't every kid have that chance? We are in a situation which allows for me to stay home. As a result, I can shuttle the little one back and forth. And he can learn. What happens to the kids who don't? The starting line is moving further and further back, so the kids who come in the race late have more and more ground to cover. That has to change, or a whole segment of our society will be doomed before they get a chance to start.
All this time, we've been thinking that the answer lies in getting kids ready for college. I'm beginning to believe that we just might make real progress if we put the same amount of energy in getting them to kindergarten.
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