Teachers: why aren’t you weighing in on the redshirt debates?

[Anonymous]

I know a number of teachers post here. Why aren’t we hearing from any preschool and elementary school teachers on the redshirt threads?

[Anonymous]

Probably because they are as tired of these topics as the rest of the board is.

[Anonymous]

Hopefully they are working.

[Anonymous]

Because it's relatively rare, despite what the DCUM hysterics would have you believe.

[Anonymous]

Probably because they are done with DCUM teacher haters and don’t want to be accused of being “lazy” for being in favor of redshirting. Surely they would only be in favor to make their jobs easier.
FWIW every teacher I know was in favor of redshirting. I asked probably ten teacher friends when we were considering our son with a late July birthday. Only one said not to.

[Anonymous]

Pretty much all of my friend who teach suggested waiting a year to start kindergarten. They are of the opinion that it has become to academic and does not meet the needs of most kids.

We listened to them, did some research, and decided to enroll DS when he was 5. He was already doing math at home and starting to read. We thought he was academically and socially ready. He has done fine. we also did not want to pay for another year of Preschool and our son is in the 99% for height and weight, he would have really stood out if we waited a year. Bust most importantly, he was ready. We are lucky to have the boy who can be wiggly but can really concentrate and who is not highly impulsive.

But all of my teacher friends told me to wait a year.

[Anonymous]

My DD’s teachers and several other people in education seem to think that being older is better and most kids born in July and August would probably benefit from another year in preschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pretty much all of my friend who teach suggested waiting a year to start kindergarten. They are of the opinion that it has become to academic and does not meet the needs of most kids.

We listened to them, did some research, and decided to enroll DS when he was 5. He was already doing math at home and starting to read. We thought he was academically and socially ready. He has done fine. we also did not want to pay for another year of Preschool and our son is in the 99% for height and weight, he would have really stood out if we waited a year. Bust most importantly, he was ready. We are lucky to have the boy who can be wiggly but can really concentrate and who is not highly impulsive.

But all of my teacher friends told me to wait a year.

Its easier for teachers to teach a child like yours or mine who is already knowing the academics. They are failing kids by saying hold them back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD’s teachers and several other people in education seem to think that being older is better and most kids born in July and August would probably benefit from another year in preschool.

So, lets say a kid is with a SAHM or nanny and starts preschool at age 2. If 3 years, isn't enough, then maybe something else is wrong and someone failed the kid somewhere. Or, a working parent who is in child care at birth... again, these kids have had 5 years. What is the benefit of another year? If they had 5 years, someone failed them along the way if they are not ready.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD’s teachers and several other people in education seem to think that being older is better and most kids born in July and August would probably benefit from another year in preschool.

So, lets say a kid is with a SAHM or nanny and starts preschool at age 2. If 3 years, isn't enough, then maybe something else is wrong and someone failed the kid somewhere. Or, a working parent who is in child care at birth... again, these kids have had 5 years. What is the benefit of another year? If they had 5 years, someone failed them along the way if they are not ready.

That's not how preschool works. It's not how children or child development works either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD’s teachers and several other people in education seem to think that being older is better and most kids born in July and August would probably benefit from another year in preschool.

1st grade teacher here and this is ABSOLUTELY TRUE.

I can usually tell who the summer birthdays are, especially the boys, before I even see the roster. Everyone is going to argue with me and shoot me down but it is SO true.

[Anonymous]

Teachers want it easy. Whatever makes their job easier.

[Anonymous]

I have two DCs with birthdays in the common redshirting range. The preschool teachers and director recommended redshirting DS but never raised the issue about DD. Issues were lack of maturity (to stay still, listen, follow directions, interact appropriately with classmates), academics were of no concern. Before you say they just want a extra year of preschool payment, it was a highly regarded preschool and they would have filled the spot in a hot second if we had not redshirted him. They said they definitely end up recommending redshirting more for boys than girls but they consider each on a case-by-case basis.

[Anonymous]

Teacher are increasingly unwilling to teacher to a wide range of normal.

[Anonymous]

My teacher spouse believes it creates fake "gifted" kids. They are accelerated in the early years in school because they start ahead of the other kids having gone through preschool twice (and often in a Preschool 1 then Preschool 2 program). They get easily bored in class and are then pushed into the gifted programs or at the very least given different work.

She says it all catches up with them in HS where she's a teacher (9th grade honors science course). Gifted in ES means they get in the advanced classes in MS and usually do okay, however, they flounder when funneled into the advanced/honors and AP tracks in HS.

Says she gets lots of parents who are very "my kid has NEVER had an issue until now so it is clearly not HIM that is the cause" and refuse to see that their kid isn't actually gifted like they thought.