Pre-K in Arlington

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What would it take for Arlington to offer universal Pre-K 3 and 4?

Biden’s 3.5 trillion reconciliation bill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fan of universal Pre-K. Early childhood is so important. A move like this would save money later on.

How so?

Early intervention, brain development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fan of universal Pre-K. Early childhood is so important. A move like this would save money later on.

How so?

Early intervention, brain development.

Still don’t see how that saves money, when the real problem is crappy parenting. Some kids do better in life because they have involved parents that read to them (and do other enrichment activities) every single day. Free pre-K isn’t much better than group daycare, and at the end of the day when the child is picked up and placed in front of the TV for the rest of the evening… Well, the benefits are going to be small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fan of universal Pre-K. Early childhood is so important. A move like this would save money later on.

How so?

Early intervention, brain development.

Still don’t see how that saves money, when the real problem is crappy parenting. Some kids do better in life because they have involved parents that read to them (and do other enrichment activities) every single day. Free pre-K isn’t much better than group daycare, and at the end of the day when the child is picked up and placed in front of the TV for the rest of the evening… Well, the benefits are going to be small.

There’s a huge range of group daycare. If you’re unable to afford much you are more likely to be in a subpar center. APS Pre-k has trained teachers and is high quality. It also gives enrichment opportunities to children who otherwise may have had no group care experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fan of universal Pre-K. Early childhood is so important. A move like this would save money later on.

How so?

Early intervention, brain development.

Still don’t see how that saves money, when the real problem is crappy parenting. Some kids do better in life because they have involved parents that read to them (and do other enrichment activities) every single day. Free pre-K isn’t much better than group daycare, and at the end of the day when the child is picked up and placed in front of the TV for the rest of the evening… Well, the benefits are going to be small.

There’s a huge range of group daycare. If you’re unable to afford much you are more likely to be in a subpar center. APS Pre-k has trained teachers and is high quality. It also gives enrichment opportunities to children who otherwise may have had no group care experience.

NP. I’m pretty sure long term studies have shown that the academic benefits of programs like Head Start are short-lived & disappear all together within a few years. Now, there might be other positives— like free childcare for parents— but the academic benefits don’t seem to be there for very long.
Unfortunately, since the home environment matters most, some kids are already years behind their peers by age 3 in terms of being read to, being talked to/engaged with, etc etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Money, space.
If you are interested in this year there are still slots and they have been more flexible on requirements due to covid.

A lot of money and a lot of space. We have neither. There are slots for VPI but the income requirements are still there. VPI is intended for families where pre-k wouldn't otherwise be an option financially.

And with all of the Affordable Housing coming online in the next few years, Arlington will be scrambling just to find room/money for those kiddos. There won’t ever be universal pre-K here. They need to find space for everyone at K and up, too.

Every affordable housing complex should be forced to make room for a preschool/daycare on the lobby level.

They should really limit how many kids can live in these units. We don’t have space for the students we already have.

I don’t think they would be allowed to do that under current housing laws related to nondiscrimination. It’s true that Affordable Housing generates more kids than any other type of unit, but this is what the Democratic voters want and are voting for. Every current Board member openly supports these housing policies. APS will have to adapt with nontraditional solutions for schools.

Affordable housing units should only be available to those who are US citizens and provide yearly proof of employment in Arlington (why are we subsidizing housing for those that work outside of our community?)

Rules can be changed. Enough is enough.

Are you kidding me? First of all, most people who live in Arlington don't work in Arlington, they work in DC or Fairfax (Tyson's or Belvoir). Second, most lower income people who work in Arlington don't live in Arlington (they live in Fairfax or PG County, so someone else is subsidizing them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fan of universal Pre-K. Early childhood is so important. A move like this would save money later on.

How so?

Early intervention, brain development.

Still don’t see how that saves money, when the real problem is crappy parenting. Some kids do better in life because they have involved parents that read to them (and do other enrichment activities) every single day. Free pre-K isn’t much better than group daycare, and at the end of the day when the child is picked up and placed in front of the TV for the rest of the evening… Well, the benefits are going to be small.

There’s a huge range of group daycare. If you’re unable to afford much you are more likely to be in a subpar center. APS Pre-k has trained teachers and is high quality. It also gives enrichment opportunities to children who otherwise may have had no group care experience.

APS? High quality? HA!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Money, space.
If you are interested in this year there are still slots and they have been more flexible on requirements due to covid.

A lot of money and a lot of space. We have neither. There are slots for VPI but the income requirements are still there. VPI is intended for families where pre-k wouldn't otherwise be an option financially.

And with all of the Affordable Housing coming online in the next few years, Arlington will be scrambling just to find room/money for those kiddos. There won’t ever be universal pre-K here. They need to find space for everyone at K and up, too.

Every affordable housing complex should be forced to make room for a preschool/daycare on the lobby level.

They should really limit how many kids can live in these units. We don’t have space for the students we already have.

I don’t think they would be allowed to do that under current housing laws related to nondiscrimination. It’s true that Affordable Housing generates more kids than any other type of unit, but this is what the Democratic voters want and are voting for. Every current Board member openly supports these housing policies. APS will have to adapt with nontraditional solutions for schools.

Affordable housing units should only be available to those who are US citizens and provide yearly proof of employment in Arlington (why are we subsidizing housing for those that work outside of our community?)

Rules can be changed. Enough is enough.

Are you kidding me? First of all, most people who live in Arlington don't work in Arlington, they work in DC or Fairfax (Tyson's or Belvoir). Second, most lower income people who work in Arlington don't live in Arlington (they live in Fairfax or PG County, so someone else is subsidizing them.

I don’t care where anyone works, as long as my tax dollars don’t go toward their housing. And for those that live in Fairfax or PG - housing is generally cheaper there. They aren’t necessarily being subsidized by their neighbors. They just live in cheaper areas. (The way things should be!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fan of universal Pre-K. Early childhood is so important. A move like this would save money later on.

How so?

Early intervention, brain development.

Still don’t see how that saves money, when the real problem is crappy parenting. Some kids do better in life because they have involved parents that read to them (and do other enrichment activities) every single day. Free pre-K isn’t much better than group daycare, and at the end of the day when the child is picked up and placed in front of the TV for the rest of the evening… Well, the benefits are going to be small.

There’s a huge range of group daycare. If you’re unable to afford much you are more likely to be in a subpar center. APS Pre-k has trained teachers and is high quality. It also gives enrichment opportunities to children who otherwise may have had no group care experience.

APS? High quality? HA!

LOL. Arlington can’t even provide a quality education for K-12 (see: VLP with no math teachers for over a month, overcrowded schools, etc). But, you think they’ll do Pre-K better? LOL. It’s free babysitting - that’s all.

Want to close the achievement gap? Stop being a lazy parent. Home life matters so much more than pre-k.

[Anonymous]

All we heard last year was how pre-K and K didn’t need in-person education. Just spend a 1/2 hour a day doing “educational stuff” with your kid. Sesame Street is just as good! Teachers and school are NOT daycare. I don’t think universal pre-K aligns with liberal values anymore, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fan of universal Pre-K. Early childhood is so important. A move like this would save money later on.

How so?

Early intervention, brain development.

Still don’t see how that saves money, when the real problem is crappy parenting. Some kids do better in life because they have involved parents that read to them (and do other enrichment activities) every single day. Free pre-K isn’t much better than group daycare, and at the end of the day when the child is picked up and placed in front of the TV for the rest of the evening… Well, the benefits are going to be small.

There’s a huge range of group daycare. If you’re unable to afford much you are more likely to be in a subpar center. APS Pre-k has trained teachers and is high quality. It also gives enrichment opportunities to children who otherwise may have had no group care experience.

APS? High quality? HA!

LOL. Arlington can’t even provide a quality education for K-12 (see: VLP with no math teachers for over a month, overcrowded schools, etc). But, you think they’ll do Pre-K better? LOL. It’s free babysitting - that’s all.

Want to close the achievement gap? Stop being a lazy parent. Home life matters so much more than pre-k.

It's obvious you have no experience with the VPI program. It is free, quality instruction for low income children. Home life obviously is a huge factor in the achievement gap however the VPI program is doing what it can to prepare kids for Kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All we heard last year was how pre-K and K didn’t need in-person education. Just spend a 1/2 hour a day doing “educational stuff” with your kid. Sesame Street is just as good! Teachers and school are NOT daycare. I don’t think universal pre-K aligns with liberal values anymore, unfortunately.

You can definitely tell which kids went to pre-k. They are the ones that know how to stand in line when K starts.

As far as academic skills go, there’s no advantage to be gained in pre-k. Parental involvement matters so much more.
Stop being lazy and go read to your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fan of universal Pre-K. Early childhood is so important. A move like this would save money later on.

How so?

Early intervention, brain development.

Still don’t see how that saves money, when the real problem is crappy parenting. Some kids do better in life because they have involved parents that read to them (and do other enrichment activities) every single day. Free pre-K isn’t much better than group daycare, and at the end of the day when the child is picked up and placed in front of the TV for the rest of the evening… Well, the benefits are going to be small.

There’s a huge range of group daycare. If you’re unable to afford much you are more likely to be in a subpar center. APS Pre-k has trained teachers and is high quality. It also gives enrichment opportunities to children who otherwise may have had no group care experience.

APS? High quality? HA!

LOL. Arlington can’t even provide a quality education for K-12 (see: VLP with no math teachers for over a month, overcrowded schools, etc). But, you think they’ll do Pre-K better? LOL. It’s free babysitting - that’s all.

Want to close the achievement gap? Stop being a lazy parent. Home life matters so much more than pre-k.

It's obvious you have no experience with the VPI program. It is free, quality instruction for low income children. Home life obviously is a huge factor in the achievement gap however the VPI program is doing what it can to prepare kids for Kindergarten.

LOL. Just like APS is providing a quality education to its students. Just because you say it doesn’t mean it’s true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Money, space.
If you are interested in this year there are still slots and they have been more flexible on requirements due to covid.

A lot of money and a lot of space. We have neither. There are slots for VPI but the income requirements are still there. VPI is intended for families where pre-k wouldn't otherwise be an option financially.

And with all of the Affordable Housing coming online in the next few years, Arlington will be scrambling just to find room/money for those kiddos. There won’t ever be universal pre-K here. They need to find space for everyone at K and up, too.

Every affordable housing complex should be forced to make room for a preschool/daycare on the lobby level.

They should really limit how many kids can live in these units. We don’t have space for the students we already have.

I don’t think they would be allowed to do that under current housing laws related to nondiscrimination. It’s true that Affordable Housing generates more kids than any other type of unit, but this is what the Democratic voters want and are voting for. Every current Board member openly supports these housing policies. APS will have to adapt with nontraditional solutions for schools.

Affordable housing units should only be available to those who are US citizens and provide yearly proof of employment in Arlington (why are we subsidizing housing for those that work outside of our community?)

Rules can be changed. Enough is enough.

Are you kidding me? First of all, most people who live in Arlington don't work in Arlington, they work in DC or Fairfax (Tyson's or Belvoir). Second, most lower income people who work in Arlington don't live in Arlington (they live in Fairfax or PG County, so someone else is subsidizing them.

Huh? No one cares if people work in DC as long as we aren’t paying for their housing. I agree with PP. If Arlington residents are paying for someone’s housing, that person should be working IN Arlington. I’m fine with subsidizing housing for Arlington teachers, Arlington police officers, Arlington firefighters, Arlington grocery store workers, etc. If you benefit from Arlington taxpayers, you should be providing services to the Arlington community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All we heard last year was how pre-K and K didn’t need in-person education. Just spend a 1/2 hour a day doing “educational stuff” with your kid. Sesame Street is just as good! Teachers and school are NOT daycare. I don’t think universal pre-K aligns with liberal values anymore, unfortunately.

You can definitely tell which kids went to pre-k. They are the ones that know how to stand in line when K starts.

As far as academic skills go, there’s no advantage to be gained in pre-k. Parental involvement matters so much more.
Stop being lazy and go read to your kids.

Whether you like it or not, some people aren’t going to do that, and your tax dollars will pay for it in educational services later. Standing in line (following directions) is an important pre-literacy skill. Early childhood should happen, should be universal, and should involve our best & brightest educators. If you don’t want to see the other benefits, it makes fiscal sense. Don’t take my anonymous word for it- honestly look into it. We’re making a mistake here, not only as a school district, but for a large part, as a country.