In yet another move that is sure to greatly improve the life of every citizen, the Tennessee legislature is pondering whether or not to change the cutoff date that determines when children can attend kindergarten.
Makes sense to me. Who better than a group of politicians to decide when your kid is ready for school?
The proposal would require children to be 5 years old before Sept. 1 to qualify for kindergarten, up from the current Sept. 30 cutoff.
Oh, I should have read that it was going to change the cutoff date by a WHOLE 29 DAYS before passing judgment. That puts a whole new paint job on things. Sorry for the snarky comments. This is looking more and more like a worthwhile piece of legislation.
He says that moving up the date would help children adjust to the social and intellectual challenges of school.
Intellectual challenges? Wait, I thought they were talking about public schools?
If you really want to help children, just butt out. Stop dictating all the decisions about how they are educated to the people who actually care about them–their parents.
The age that kids start school is very crucial to their success and happiness in formal education. It isn’t the calendar that determines when a kid is ready, but rather the maturity of the child. Our first kid started too early, in our opinion, and had a lot of rough times in school based solely on being emotionally too young. Obviously, there should be some other criteria.
HM, this whole idea just has a weird smell to it.
What could be the real motiviation to change this cutoff date? To reduce the number of incoming kindergarteners by 1/12? To increase the number of kids wanting to enroll in the pre-K program by 1/12?
My guess is we’ll find out when the next round of tax increases are proposed. There’s a good chance that whatever they are claiming they need the money for will have been affected by this.
Just wait until they reveal the new proposal for the statewide pre kindergarten program… Then I’m sure you will be able to connect the dots.
It takes a village (and a well funded statewide social program buried in the education budget)…
Do your civic duties to help the children of Tennessee by going out today and buying a lottery ticket.
Do your civic duties to help the children of Tennessee by going out today and buying a lottery ticket.
Good one! Technically, that only helps adults…college “kids”.
Is it a conflict of interest that the State takes on the responsibility of teaching math to the majority of people while at the same monopolizing a product whose marketing success relies on the same people’s inability to do math?
Good one, sadcox.
As the slogan on a trucker hat my wife got me at the Pilot says, “The lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math.” I like what you said better, it just wouldn’t look as good on a trucker’s hat.
You need to brush up on where your lottery money is going.
http://www.tennessee.gov/education/prek/index.shtml
It ain’t just about college scholarships anymore. And, there’s plenty more money where that came from so look for these programs to expand…
Damn!!! Beat me to the punch!!!
I just saw a commercial tonight about the $1B “raised”, where the money is going. I meant to post a comment but got sidetracked by a hungry baby or a bottle of gin–can’t remember which.
My favorite part of the commercial is the tag line…
“Education is Everything”