Fox Chapel and Drew HGC pilot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The good ole US of A, right here in MoCo. If you ever stepped foot in a homeless shelter or worked with charities dealing with impoverished families, talked to a foster child... or had any exposure to "others" beyond watching reruns of "Cops", you would know that. But you like being willfully ignorant of such things. It justifies your inflated sense of superiority and refusal to see beyond your own narrow world views. Careful, don't trip on your sheet on your way to becoming completely irrelevant.

Anyway...
Totally agree with the poster who pointed out that the key is to challenge kids and provide a good education for the youngest of learners. That's why it's completely stunning to me that a so-called blue state like Maryland doesn't have funded preschool and pre-K programs for all kids, regardless of income. I mean, red states like Georgia and Tennessee have this.
Much of the achievement gap has its roots in early childhood education (or the lack of it).
The kids of middle and higher SES parents can afford to send their kids to pricey preschools (and I don't knock them or blame them for this...heck, I've done it). They are better educated--often due to a generations-long series of privilege--and use more honed vocabulary--a proven brain booster for young learners. Healthy diets, exposure to music as infants, all of this helps.
Meanwhile, the lowest income kids, who due to institutionalized inequity, start off behind. Parents who may not have access to healthier food choices, education, etc... Early Head Start and Head Start try hard to correct for this, but in many areas in MoCo that's only a few hours a day. For a parent working some 10 hour shift job, this kind of staggered day is impossible to balance. So the child goes into an affordable daycare that likely may not have an educational underpinning. Or the child stays home with a relative who may not have the background or bandwidth to educate the little one at home.
Meanwhile, his/her more affluent peers are learning the rudiments of literacy and math in preschool. Nature walks provide hands on science learning. Arts, music, foreign language...all of these things get little minds working overtime.
So, by the time all of these kids arrive for kindergarten, the kids with good preschool educations are already ahead. Meanwhile, the lower SES child is already behind.
The gap broadens from there as the kids are grouped by ability and differentiated math and reading. Teachers in Title 1 and Focus schools (the good ones at least) try to catch everyone up, but it's a lot to overcome. Throw in ESL and it's a herculean task to get everyone on level.
Jump ahead three years and it's a rare child that can overcome that kind of gap.
If you want to preserve the integrity of HGC and ensure fair and across the board standards--start at both ends of the equation. Open access now so that more kids might get that type of education and get a long awaited intellectual jolt. And advocate that all children receive access to an enriched and free preschool education. Level the playing field for toddlers and watch the brightest of all hues rise to the top.

You're contradicting yourself right here. You think that universal pre-K is the answer? No freakin' way.

Do you look at those red states (Georgia and Tennessee) as shining examples of the US education system? If they offer universal pre-K, then why aren't URMs performing well in those states.

Also, there have been studies that show the gains made by kids who do attend Head Start type programs do not last very long. By the time the kids are in upper ES, they are behind. Really, these kids need better support when they are actually IN ES.

FTR, I'm a minority. I actually voted for Hogan because Brown was supporting universal Pre-K. I truly don't think that is the answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great! finally we have some holistic factor in play. Bravo MCPS for working so diligently on increasing the number of URM in the magnet programs. It won't eliminate the inequality of MCPS right away, but is to the right direction!

I hope when Mrs. Dixon becomes the new elected MCPS BOE member in November, she will remember her promise to have students to attend schools of their choices, not to be limited by their home locations. We need stronger leaders with vision in MCPS. We need people with a big heart to truly the help the URM and to achieve equality.

URMs don't need to be in magnet schools. URMs need to first bridge the gap at the very basic and elementary level of education. All in all, this is charity to the unprepared. It will not bridge the achievement gap.
Inequality in achievement is a function of the home-life primarily. The majority of URM parents are not involved in the education of their kids.

It's hilarious to see so many white folks running scared because your little HGC pipeline for your snowflakes is threatened by attempts at leveling the playing field.
Oh no, if minority and poor kids and their parents learn about the programs and, gasp, test in...what does it meeeeaaaaan?
I mean how could you ever get a taxpayer-funded, special experience for your kids with so many blacks, Latinos and poors around?
Malign diversity efforts. Flood the school board with disingenuous complaints about lowered standards. Make paternalistic prognostications about what URMs really need--after all, you know what's best for them.
Build a wall. Do whatever it takes to keep your privilege secure.
And, if that fails, there's always private.

I think they should give the tests to every kid in MCPS and take the highest scoring. IMO that wouldn't eliminate the disparity and might even make it worse; that's my guess why MCPS isn't doing it. Are you OK with every kid being tested and taking the highest scorers or do you still want a thumb on the scale to balance demographics?

Railing against the inevitable is futile. The program will open to a more diverse group of kids. And your hypothetical stand in the schoolhouse door scenarios are pointless. Welcome to 2017. Now learn to deal.

So, your answer is "no, I don't want the highest scoring kids, I want a thumb on the scale".

I want what scares you most: diversity on every level. Ethnic and socio economic. So if your scale means that all the kids tested will not have had a breakfast that morning, or slept in a shelter, or had a lifetime of overcoming generational poverty or institutionalized racism... sure, make that scale completely even. Make sure all of the kids go through that and then, sure, test them all and let the highest scorers in.
But that's impossible, and you know that.
Your choice is a false construct which excludes for these things because you refuse to see them as valid reasons for inequity.
But your willful blindness is irrelevant. Frankly, so is our conversation.
Change is here. And you can't stop it.
Guess who's coming to dinner...and your precious HGC.

Are we talking about MoCo or Calcutta? Lol.

The good ole US of A, right here in MoCo. If you ever stepped foot in a homeless shelter or worked with charities dealing with impoverished families, talked to a foster child... or had any exposure to "others" beyond watching reruns of "Cops", you would know that. But you like being willfully ignorant of such things. It justifies your inflated sense of superiority and refusal to see beyond your own narrow world views. Careful, don't trip on your sheet on your way to becoming completely irrelevant.

Anyway...
Totally agree with the poster who pointed out that the key is to challenge kids and provide a good education for the youngest of learners. That's why it's completely stunning to me that a so-called blue state like Maryland doesn't have funded preschool and pre-K programs for all kids, regardless of income. I mean, red states like Georgia and Tennessee have this.
Much of the achievement gap has its roots in early childhood education (or the lack of it).
The kids of middle and higher SES parents can afford to send their kids to pricey preschools (and I don't knock them or blame them for this...heck, I've done it). They are better educated--often due to a generations-long series of privilege--and use more honed vocabulary--a proven brain booster for young learners. Healthy diets, exposure to music as infants, all of this helps.
Meanwhile, the lowest income kids, who due to institutionalized inequity, start off behind. Parents who may not have access to healthier food choices, education, etc... Early Head Start and Head Start try hard to correct for this, but in many areas in MoCo that's only a few hours a day. For a parent working some 10 hour shift job, this kind of staggered day is impossible to balance. So the child goes into an affordable daycare that likely may not have an educational underpinning. Or the child stays home with a relative who may not have the background or bandwidth to educate the little one at home.
Meanwhile, his/her more affluent peers are learning the rudiments of literacy and math in preschool. Nature walks provide hands on science learning. Arts, music, foreign language...all of these things get little minds working overtime.
So, by the time all of these kids arrive for kindergarten, the kids with good preschool educations are already ahead. Meanwhile, the lower SES child is already behind.
The gap broadens from there as the kids are grouped by ability and differentiated math and reading. Teachers in Title 1 and Focus schools (the good ones at least) try to catch everyone up, but it's a lot to overcome. Throw in ESL and it's a herculean task to get everyone on level.
Jump ahead three years and it's a rare child that can overcome that kind of gap.
If you want to preserve the integrity of HGC and ensure fair and across the board standards--start at both ends of the equation. Open access now so that more kids might get that type of education and get a long awaited intellectual jolt. And advocate that all children receive access to an enriched and free preschool education. Level the playing field for toddlers and watch the brightest of all hues rise to the top.

I am an ESOL teacher in a MCPS school with a Pre-K program. I will say that a student having a language other than English will not automatically mean the student is struggling to catch up for all eternity. What matters most is the language the student has been exposed to before they step foot in school. It doesn't matter if it's Spanish, Japanese or Arabic--if a student has been exposed to rich language and understands basic concepts such as colors, numbers, shapes, word vs. letter vs. sentence etc. in their first language then it won't take long to transfer those skills into English. Sure, there may be some lag time between being below benchmark and meeting benchmark but it will happen relatively quickly. I've had students arrive from other countries in 1st grade and be accepted into HGC at the end of 3rd grade. These students' families value education and have been exposing their kids to a variety of experiences to build their background knowledge.

The issue is with students who come in with no exposure to rich language, whether it be in English or another language. You can tell the families who see it as free daycare and treat it as such vs. the families who see it as an educational opportunity. We have some students who leave Pre-K at the end of the year who still can't recognize the letters in their name despite being exposed to them every single day. Same with colors, shapes etc. There is no reinforcement of these concepts at home. Some parents barely even speak to their child, unfortunately. The Pre-K program doesn't take absences into consideration and a lot of students miss many days or come in late with no repercussion. Those students go to Kindergarten not much better off than if they hadn't been in Pre-K which is the cold, hard truth.

The curriculum assumes students have a certain amount of background knowledge and the truth is that many of them in low SES schools have very little. Teachers are caught in a Catch 22, because they're pressured to get through all of the curriculum but in order for students to truly understand what's being presented to them their background knowledge has to be built which is very time consuming and puts them behind. So, to leave 70% of the students behind in order to get through the pacing the county requires? Most good teachers won't do that but it comes at a price.

So to say that all students need to be "challenged" from Day 1 and then they'd all be candidates for HGC--many students already are being challenged just to learn the basics that many DCUM kids arrive to school with. Honestly, I was completely shocked when I moved to a Focus school from a school that draws from a population of well-educated, high SES families. It's really night and day.

Unfortunately, some students are getting a long awaited intellectual jolt when they start school. Some take it and run. Others struggle with just the basics and do so for years because it's very difficult to catch up when you're starting so far behind.

In addition, I've had a few students be accepted into the HGC after teachers have advocated to the parents for them to take the test but the parents ultimately decide for them to not attend. The issue is one of logistics. If they live within walking distance of the school then the parent doesn't have to worry about them getting to school or getting home from school, especially if an older sibling or grandparent is responsible for them at those times. If they go to HGC and miss the bus or have a doctor appointment, the parent doesn't have a way to get them to school or home from school. Many parents don't have cars or there is one car per family and the parent with the car works far from the school. For that reason, I am anxious to see how the pilot will work. Hopefully it will encourage some students who wouldn't ordinarily be able to attend for logistical reasons to be able to attend. We'll see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Head Start has not shown long term success despite its effort to do just what you describe. Now what?

Kids are just not equal. I have two both grew up in the same home same preschools and basical levels of enrichment. One has been in magnets since third grade. One has never been in a magnet and works to keep up in HS classes. I don't want him in a HGC. He doesn't belong there. I don't expect MCPS to make them equal.

This is how I feel. Kids are not all equal. I also have two kids- one gifted and one not. I need both challenged at the appropriate level. I need them prepared for the future whatever that might be. I do not expect mcps to make them equal because they are not the same. They will end up in different careers and will need different prerequisites that match their abilities. Challenge my kids where they are and make them ready for the future and I will be happy.

The only reason to move a kid out of a school into a specialized program is if they are so far from their peer group that they can not get an adequate education in their school. Period. Not because of the color of their skin. But because they do not have access to an appropriate education. There are not many kids that fit this profile. You do t really need a test to determine these kids. They should stand out and be the outliers. Combine the outliers from each school and that is your hgc. I actually feel there should be fewer hgc slots and we should not be trying to fit a class but instead meet the needs of those that need it- I would guess 0-2 per school (once you have 3 they should be their own peer group and be fine). Treat these kids like they have an iep- which they do in some area.

[Anonymous]

Are we talking about MoCo or Calcutta? Lol.

The good ole US of A, right here in MoCo. If you ever stepped foot in a homeless shelter or worked with charities dealing with impoverished families, talked to a foster child... or had any exposure to "others" beyond watching reruns of "Cops", you would know that. But you like being willfully ignorant of such things. It justifies your inflated sense of superiority and refusal to see beyond your own narrow world views. Careful, don't trip on your sheet on your way to becoming completely irrelevant.

Anyway...
Totally agree with the poster who pointed out that the key is to challenge kids and provide a good education for the youngest of learners. That's why it's completely stunning to me that a so-called blue state like Maryland doesn't have funded preschool and pre-K programs for all kids, regardless of income. I mean, red states like Georgia and Tennessee have this.
Much of the achievement gap has its roots in early childhood education (or the lack of it).
The kids of middle and higher SES parents can afford to send their kids to pricey preschools (and I don't knock them or blame them for this...heck, I've done it). They are better educated--often due to a generations-long series of privilege--and use more honed vocabulary--a proven brain booster for young learners. Healthy diets, exposure to music as infants, all of this helps.
Meanwhile, the lowest income kids, who due to institutionalized inequity, start off behind. Parents who may not have access to healthier food choices, education, etc... Early Head Start and Head Start try hard to correct for this, but in many areas in MoCo that's only a few hours a day. For a parent working some 10 hour shift job, this kind of staggered day is impossible to balance. So the child goes into an affordable daycare that likely may not have an educational underpinning. Or the child stays home with a relative who may not have the background or bandwidth to educate the little one at home.
Meanwhile, his/her more affluent peers are learning the rudiments of literacy and math in preschool. Nature walks provide hands on science learning. Arts, music, foreign language...all of these things get little minds working overtime.
So, by the time all of these kids arrive for kindergarten, the kids with good preschool educations are already ahead. Meanwhile, the lower SES child is already behind.
The gap broadens from there as the kids are grouped by ability and differentiated math and reading. Teachers in Title 1 and Focus schools (the good ones at least) try to catch everyone up, but it's a lot to overcome. Throw in ESL and it's a herculean task to get everyone on level.
Jump ahead three years and it's a rare child that can overcome that kind of gap.
If you want to preserve the integrity of HGC and ensure fair and across the board standards--start at both ends of the equation. Open access now so that more kids might get that type of education and get a long awaited intellectual jolt. And advocate that all children receive access to an enriched and free preschool education. Level the playing field for toddlers and watch the brightest of all hues rise to the top.

I am an ESOL teacher in a MCPS school with a Pre-K program. I will say that a student having a language other than English will not automatically mean the student is struggling to catch up for all eternity. What matters most is the language the student has been exposed to before they step foot in school. It doesn't matter if it's Spanish, Japanese or Arabic--if a student has been exposed to rich language and understands basic concepts such as colors, numbers, shapes, word vs. letter vs. sentence etc. in their first language then it won't take long to transfer those skills into English. Sure, there may be some lag time between being below benchmark and meeting benchmark but it will happen relatively quickly. I've had students arrive from other countries in 1st grade and be accepted into HGC at the end of 3rd grade. These students' families value education and have been exposing their kids to a variety of experiences to build their background knowledge.

The issue is with students who come in with no exposure to rich language, whether it be in English or another language. You can tell the families who see it as free daycare and treat it as such vs. the families who see it as an educational opportunity. We have some students who leave Pre-K at the end of the year who still can't recognize the letters in their name despite being exposed to them every single day. Same with colors, shapes etc. There is no reinforcement of these concepts at home. Some parents barely even speak to their child, unfortunately. The Pre-K program doesn't take absences into consideration and a lot of students miss many days or come in late with no repercussion. Those students go to Kindergarten not much better off than if they hadn't been in Pre-K which is the cold, hard truth.

The curriculum assumes students have a certain amount of background knowledge and the truth is that many of them in low SES schools have very little. Teachers are caught in a Catch 22, because they're pressured to get through all of the curriculum but in order for students to truly understand what's being presented to them their background knowledge has to be built which is very time consuming and puts them behind. So, to leave 70% of the students behind in order to get through the pacing the county requires? Most good teachers won't do that but it comes at a price.

So to say that all students need to be "challenged" from Day 1 and then they'd all be candidates for HGC--many students already are being challenged just to learn the basics that many DCUM kids arrive to school with. Honestly, I was completely shocked when I moved to a Focus school from a school that draws from a population of well-educated, high SES families. It's really night and day.

Unfortunately, some students are getting a long awaited intellectual jolt when they start school. Some take it and run. Others struggle with just the basics and do so for years because it's very difficult to catch up when you're starting so far behind.

In addition, I've had a few students be accepted into the HGC after teachers have advocated to the parents for them to take the test but the parents ultimately decide for them to not attend. The issue is one of logistics. If they live within walking distance of the school then the parent doesn't have to worry about them getting to school or getting home from school, especially if an older sibling or grandparent is responsible for them at those times. If they go to HGC and miss the bus or have a doctor appointment, the parent doesn't have a way to get them to school or home from school. Many parents don't have cars or there is one car per family and the parent with the car works far from the school. For that reason, I am anxious to see how the pilot will work. Hopefully it will encourage some students who wouldn't ordinarily be able to attend for logistical reasons to be able to attend. We'll see.

This. --classroom teacher in Title 1 school

[Anonymous]

To the teachers above- how does putting these students in an hgc help the situation? I just am struggling with the logic of putting more and more students in an advanced track when they are not ready.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the teachers above- how does putting these students in an hgc help the situation? I just am struggling with the logic of putting more and more students in an advanced track when they are not ready.

I'm not one of the teacher PPs, but I don't think they're saying that putting these students on an advanced track will help the situation. I think they're trying to respond to a few PPs' claims that all kids need to be HGC material is free pre-K and enriched/accelerated education from the start. There are other factors at play. And I hadn't thought about the idea that some qualified students have to turn down HGC spots because they don't have access to transportation besides the school bus and it's too much of a logistical hassle that the parents decide it's easier to keep them where they are. The playing field doesn't seem very level at all when you think about it from that perspective, especially if there is not a peer group for those students in their home school. It will be interesting to see how the pilot schools work. I don't think you can knock it until we see how it actually goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the teachers above- how does putting these students in an hgc help the situation? I just am struggling with the logic of putting more and more students in an advanced track when they are not ready.

I'm not one of the teacher PPs, but I don't think they're saying that putting these students on an advanced track will help the situation. I think they're trying to respond to a few PPs' claims that all kids need to be HGC material is free pre-K and enriched/accelerated education from the start. There are other factors at play. And I hadn't thought about the idea that some qualified students have to turn down HGC spots because they don't have access to transportation besides the school bus and it's too much of a logistical hassle that the parents decide it's easier to keep them where they are. The playing field doesn't seem very level at all when you think about it from that perspective, especially if there is not a peer group for those students in their home school. It will be interesting to see how the pilot schools work. I don't think you can knock it until we see how it actually goes.

Unfortunately the pilot will not address busing. Instead, it reduces testing time as far as we know and may or may not change admission standard based on race.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like we might eventually be returning to classrooms of old- one or more "advanced" classes per grade at every school. They won't be hgc, because there are just not that many highly gifted children, but they can still make sure that the children that are more advanced than their peers and not held back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like we might eventually be returning to classrooms of old- one or more "advanced" classes per grade at every school. They won't be hgc, because there are just not that many highly gifted children, but they can still make sure that the children that are more advanced than their peers and not held back.

This is exactly what needs to be done! Encourage the well-performing kids (of every race and SES) at their home school. Instead of wasting so much time and energy using kids all over and making them leave their friends in 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like we might eventually be returning to classrooms of old- one or more "advanced" classes per grade at every school. They won't be hgc, because there are just not that many highly gifted children, but they can still make sure that the children that are more advanced than their peers and not held back.

This is exactly what needs to be done! Encourage the well-performing kids (of every race and SES) at their home school. Instead of wasting so much time and energy using kids all over and making them leave their friends in 3rd grade.

But then when the next study is done that concludes that the advanced class is not racially appropriate, we will do away with those too. Struggling kids and gifted kids will all have to deal with a classroom designed for neither group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But then when the next study is done that concludes that the advanced class is not racially appropriate, we will do away with those too. Struggling kids and gifted kids will all have to deal with a classroom designed for neither group.

This is exactly where we are now. Throw in ridiculously large class sizes and nobody benefits. The kids above level are just wasting time and the kids below level are feeling discouraged and 'stupid' (not my words, I hear the kids say that Larlo is the smart one, I'm not - because they can't perform at the same level).

Teach the kids AT their level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like we might eventually be returning to classrooms of old- one or more "advanced" classes per grade at every school. They won't be hgc, because there are just not that many highly gifted children, but they can still make sure that the children that are more advanced than their peers and not held back.

This is exactly what needs to be done! Encourage the well-performing kids (of every race and SES) at their home school. Instead of wasting so much time and energy using kids all over and making them leave their friends in 3rd grade.

Well that's great except for what if there is no peer group for a super smart low SES kid in a title I school? Right now if parents could swing it these kid are getting a great opportunity to join an engaged peer group in a great program.
Also look at what happen with compact math. These in school programs seem to degrade as pushy parents demand their kids be included.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But then when the next study is done that concludes that the advanced class is not racially appropriate, we will do away with those too. Struggling kids and gifted kids will all have to deal with a classroom designed for neither group.

This is exactly where we are now. Throw in ridiculously large class sizes and nobody benefits. The kids above level are just wasting time and the kids below level are feeling discouraged and 'stupid' (not my words, I hear the kids say that Larlo is the smart one, I'm not - because they can't perform at the same level).

Teach the kids AT their level.

Except now we have HGCs so the very top kids can be with peers and the classroom teachers are relieved of trying to challenge them. They appear to be going away however.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The good ole US of A, right here in MoCo. If you ever stepped foot in a homeless shelter or worked with charities dealing with impoverished families, talked to a foster child... or had any exposure to "others" beyond watching reruns of "Cops", you would know that. But you like being willfully ignorant of such things. It justifies your inflated sense of superiority and refusal to see beyond your own narrow world views. Careful, don't trip on your sheet on your way to becoming completely irrelevant.

Anyway...
Totally agree with the poster who pointed out that the key is to challenge kids and provide a good education for the youngest of learners. That's why it's completely stunning to me that a so-called blue state like Maryland doesn't have funded preschool and pre-K programs for all kids, regardless of income. I mean, red states like Georgia and Tennessee have this.
Much of the achievement gap has its roots in early childhood education (or the lack of it).
The kids of middle and higher SES parents can afford to send their kids to pricey preschools (and I don't knock them or blame them for this...heck, I've done it). They are better educated--often due to a generations-long series of privilege--and use more honed vocabulary--a proven brain booster for young learners. Healthy diets, exposure to music as infants, all of this helps.
Meanwhile, the lowest income kids, who due to institutionalized inequity, start off behind. Parents who may not have access to healthier food choices, education, etc... Early Head Start and Head Start try hard to correct for this, but in many areas in MoCo that's only a few hours a day. For a parent working some 10 hour shift job, this kind of staggered day is impossible to balance. So the child goes into an affordable daycare that likely may not have an educational underpinning. Or the child stays home with a relative who may not have the background or bandwidth to educate the little one at home.
Meanwhile, his/her more affluent peers are learning the rudiments of literacy and math in preschool. Nature walks provide hands on science learning. Arts, music, foreign language...all of these things get little minds working overtime.
So, by the time all of these kids arrive for kindergarten, the kids with good preschool educations are already ahead. Meanwhile, the lower SES child is already behind.
The gap broadens from there as the kids are grouped by ability and differentiated math and reading. Teachers in Title 1 and Focus schools (the good ones at least) try to catch everyone up, but it's a lot to overcome. Throw in ESL and it's a herculean task to get everyone on level.
Jump ahead three years and it's a rare child that can overcome that kind of gap.
If you want to preserve the integrity of HGC and ensure fair and across the board standards--start at both ends of the equation. Open access now so that more kids might get that type of education and get a long awaited intellectual jolt. And advocate that all children receive access to an enriched and free preschool education. Level the playing field for toddlers and watch the brightest of all hues rise to the top.

You're contradicting yourself right here. You think that universal pre-K is the answer? No freakin' way.

Do you look at those red states (Georgia and Tennessee) as shining examples of the US education system? If they offer universal pre-K, then why aren't URMs performing well in those states.

Also, there have been studies that show the gains made by kids who do attend Head Start type programs do not last very long. By the time the kids are in upper ES, they are behind. Really, these kids need better support when they are actually IN ES.

FTR, I'm a minority. I actually voted for Hogan because Brown was supporting universal Pre-K. I truly don't think that is the answer.

Nope, don't believe this for one second if you're the person who made the derogatory Calcutta remark. No self respecting URM would make that kind of joke. And if for some reason you are, well... that's just a damn shame. Self hate much?
And, fwiw, I am an actual minority (not someone posing as one on an anonymous board to make their view somehow seem more palatable).

And yes, Georgia and Tennessee's early education efforts are laudable.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/14/remarks-president-early-childhood-education-decatur-ga
So is Head Start and Early Head Start.
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/08/22/490083040/research-on-tulsas-head-start-program-finds-lasting-gains
Every child deserves a quality preschool education AND a quality K-12 education.
To ignore the youngest among us until they reach school and say "now we care about you, too bad your crappy home life put you so far behind and have little chance of testing into an HGC one day" is disingenuous and unkind. I'd much rather see my tax dollars go to fund such efforts than some of the overblown, price-inflated crap many contractors peddle to the government.
Are there crappy parents who do a poor job by their kids and fail to try and provide enrichment well within meager means? Yes, there are. And there always will be, unfortunately.
And are there thousands of kids who, with early childhood education, with enriched exposure to literacy, arts, the rudiments of math and science could blossom into brilliant little learners?
Absolutely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You're contradicting yourself right here. You think that universal pre-K is the answer? No freakin' way.

Do you look at those red states (Georgia and Tennessee) as shining examples of the US education system? If they offer universal pre-K, then why aren't URMs performing well in those states.

Also, there have been studies that show the gains made by kids who do attend Head Start type programs do not last very long. By the time the kids are in upper ES, they are behind. Really, these kids need better support when they are actually IN ES.

FTR, I'm a minority. I actually voted for Hogan because Brown was supporting universal Pre-K. I truly don't think that is the answer.

Nope, don't believe this for one second if you're the person who made the derogatory Calcutta remark. No self respecting URM would make that kind of joke. And if for some reason you are, well... that's just a damn shame. Self hate much?
And, fwiw, I am an actual minority (not someone posing as one on an anonymous board to make their view somehow seem more palatable).

And yes, Georgia and Tennessee's early education efforts are laudable.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/14/remarks-president-early-childhood-education-decatur-ga
So is Head Start and Early Head Start.
http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/08/22/490083040/research-on-tulsas-head-start-program-finds-lasting-gains
Every child deserves a quality preschool education AND a quality K-12 education.
To ignore the youngest among us until they reach school and say "now we care about you, too bad your crappy home life put you so far behind and have little chance of testing into an HGC one day" is disingenuous and unkind. I'd much rather see my tax dollars go to fund such efforts than some of the overblown, price-inflated crap many contractors peddle to the government.
Are there crappy parents who do a poor job by their kids and fail to try and provide enrichment well within meager means? Yes, there are. And there always will be, unfortunately.
And are there thousands of kids who, with early childhood education, with enriched exposure to literacy, arts, the rudiments of math and science could blossom into brilliant little learners?
Absolutely.

It's okay - you're welcome to believe what you'd like. I'm not trying to convince you that I'm anything. But, it's interesting that you feel that you speak for ALL minority parents and that no minority parent could possible think the way I do. FWIW, I am NOT the 'Calcutta' poster. I was just responding to your post, and the other post got quoted along.