Dear Editor,

As a longtime kindergarten teacher in Vallejo, I feel compelled to respond to Dr. Bull's current proposal to extend kindergarten to a full day (March 8).

On the surface, a longer kindergarten day seems desirable, especially for economically disadvantaged children who have not attended preschool. This theory -- part of a "more is better" philosophy that is currently in vogue in education -- needs to be examined carefully, since it requires ideal conditions to succeed. 

A longer kindergarten day could be of benefit if the following were in place:   1. All kindergartners are five years old by September 1st.   2. Every kindergarten classroom has a full-time aide.   3. Class size does not exceed the commonly accepted norm of 20 students (that is, 10 five year-olds per adult.)

But are these factors in place?

California is one of only five states that allow four-year olds to enter kindergarten. Most require children to be a full year older, acknowledging the huge leap in both maturity level and cognitive ability between the fourth and fifth year. The academic standards now in place for kindergarten are similar to previous years' first grade standards and are practically developmentally impossible for many four-year olds.

Full-time aides are nonexistent in Vallejo kindergartens. Many parents are not aware that most schools do not employ teacher's aides -- I am lucky enough to have an aide for one hour a day, and this with eleven Level I ELL learners -- and that means that many children are in the care of one adult for almost the entire school day. This is not an optimum learning situation and is, in fact, a safety issue, especially at the beginning of the year when children are new to the structured learning environment. 

If class size reduction is repealed, as some have predicted will occur under next year's restrictive state budget, the student-to-teacher ratio becomes 32 to 1, and the  danger will only increase.  Parent volunteers? Unlike affluent neighborhoods, many parents in lower socioeconomic environments are not able to volunteer in the classroom due to economic necessity or lack of language skills. There simply is no help.  

I do believe my students need and deserve all of the educational opportunities to which they are entitled, but I seriously question whether a longer day for such young children is in their interest.  What would be more welcome is a well thought-out, coordinated approach to preschool and kindergarten that is mindful of the age-appropriate developmental milestones that need to be mastered, and the diversity of the student population in Vallejo.  Many Vallejo students need strong language enrichment programs before they enter kindergarten.  Many other districts have implemented pre-K summer programs through grants for such children.

Finally, in these times of great budget uncertainty, I am not sure this is the best time to implement such a change. More class time certainly looks good, but without the proper funding and personnel support that we'll surely be lacking, it runs the risk of creating an unsafe and scholastically inappropriate environment for those children who are most in need of a healthy educational start. 

Susan Price

Kindergarten Teacher

Lincoln School