LT is not the only one losing head start. LT may look more middle class in the upper grades but not true for many other schools at all. |
DCPS doesn’t need to figure out how to pay for it. Nowhere does it say they will be subsidizing the money lost from Head Start. That burden will be on the schools and what will happen is that less resources will be available for ECE or for the school in general if money is shifted from other areas. My bet is less resources for ECE. |
Why are people having so much trouble confusing T1 and HS? LT is the only school losing T1, which is what the above comments refer to. |
Head Start also paid for extra ECE floater educational aides at each Title I school. |
Then after above happens this coming school year, DCPS might cut ECE seats from non-Head start schools with preK 3. Then preK 4. The schools will then not have ECE like the schools WOTP. No way will DCPS be paying for ECE for middle class kids. Other more probable scenario would be allotting ECE seats to only low SES kids or a significant percentage of them. |
And? Why is that a bad thing?
Personally I doubt it will happen. Mostly because the DME and DCPS do not want to lose anymore ‘market share’ to charters. |
It’s not a bad thing to give preference to low SES kids. But ECE is not the big reason why DCPS loses “market share” to charters EOTP. |
Head Start also dictates maximum class sizes and staffing pattern. Loss of HS funding would mean that schools could take more children in PK3 and PK4 classrooms and could have only a teacher without an assistant. |
OSSE has childcare ratios that apply to 3 and 4 yo’s in schools too. DCPS isn’t going to go higher than that. Why is everyone fear mongering? This really won’t be noticeable to most families or children. |
The benefit of free ECE is that everyone gets it. It brings families together. It brings all families that live in an area to the same school. It is an integrating force that strengthens the schools. And like free retirement (Social Security), because wealthy and non-wealthy people both get it, it’s politically hard to cut. If you turn ECE into a low-income only program you will: first immediately segregate schools by pushing out more wealthy families, and second you will put the program in danger of being cut, as you’re pushing out a big political constituency. The way to win long term in politics and in life is to embrace lots of different kinds of people. |
Reasoning above completely flawed: 1. DCPS is not interested in providing ECE to middle class families. This is why schools WOTP don’t have it. Their motto is your kid will be fine. You can also afford to pay for ECE. 2. Sure, ideally it would be great to give everyone free ECE but reality is the money is not there. DCPS already has a budget shortfall for this coming year. 3. ECE actually does not bring families together in a school or neighborhood. When middle class families use free ECE in DCPS and then leave in K or 1st, it actually builds up resentment among the families who stay. They know that these families are not invested long term in the school. The stories I could tell you from this. 4. Turning ECE to favor low income students will benefit not only these students but also the schools if they get HS back. You don’t segregate schools by not having ECE for middle class families. You segregate schools by not providing what kids from all income levels need. For middle class families, it’s not ECE. It’s rigorous curriculum in the upper elementary. No need to track when kids are learning the alphabet. Real need to track when you get to higher math and reading. Real need to track in middle school. 5. Mayor doesn’t care about the the political constituency of middle class families. This has been proven again and again with honors for all, eliminating PARRC scores at SWW, refusing to address overcrowding WOTP, refusing a new middle school in Shaw, etc... I could go on. Sadly, she doesn’t need to either because there is no one to challenge her in the office. Last but not least, WOTP families could care less about not having ECE. No one is complaining about that. They care about overcrowded classes, overwhelmed teachers, behavioral issues not being addressed or support for it, no tracking for everything but math and ELA, etc.... As an EOTP family, I care more about rigor in upper elementary, support for smaller class sizes, support to deal with behavioral issues in the classroom, tracking, viable neighborhood middle and high schools. That is what is important in the big picture and long term, not 2 years of ECE. These are the things with a higher ROI for the money, not ECE. And if you take a poll of these issues vs. ECE, I can guarantee you the overwhelming majority of families EOTP would agree with me. |
My school’s principal just let us know that Head Start chose not to award DCPS with any Head Start funding for next school year. DCPS has lost its Head Start grant. |
Two questions. Why? And what does this actually mean for students, parents, kids? Not being rude- I just am having a hard time putting all the pieces together right now |
It means our annoying troll is back with more unsupported rumor mongering. Ignore. |
Unsupported? Well this person ended up being right. I’m going to say this is true. |