Brookings Inst and Rockefeller Fnd recognize our Pre-K 4 SA program (San Antonio: unemployment rate, school districts)

[Merovee]

Originally Posted by rynetwo

I tried to rep you!

You pretty much said exactly what I wanted to say!

I also live within San Antonio city limits and voted against it. If only we would make voters and semen take test before they are able to ruin this great county!

If your comment on voting and biological material is in support for political disenfranchisement and social eugenics then it puts your other comments in context but that is a truly disgusting viewpoint to air.

[txtea]

Originally Posted by sapphire

Sometimes I think Merovee is really Julian Castro.

Or my ex. Both are just as clueless and hard-headed.
I am all for education. Doesn't matter what age. One never stops learning in life, and one thing I have learned is....don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Your "proof" of this program was based in a different city....not here.
Pre-K education is already available here. Why don't people use it? Why don't the parents educate their pre-k age children at home? Is it so much to ask to put away the X-Box and get involved with your children's education, instead of relying on our"city leaders" to tax us even more in order to do it for you?
Like I said before, let's give it some time before we declare this program a success.
Let's see if this really is going to "help our community", or just prove to be a free daycare like a lot of people suggest.

[pobre]

This program IS replicating what is already available through the school districts.

Look, I have ZERO problem with Pre-K itself. I'm a strong advocate and a believer.

BUT, to re-write Machiavelli, the ends do NOT always justify the means. No matter how well-intentioned this program is (although my gut tells me that the kids are not the priority here...), spending upwards of 20K per kid just doesn't make sense.

How about ensuring that ALL kids have access to Pre-K before establishing a program that will only serve a few? There will still be eligible kids that won't be served, plus many more deemed ineligible. In addition, those who DO get in will either go to a PreK, or a "Center for Excellence"...isn't this the same kind of unequal education that this entire program is supposed to eliminate?

I'm sorry, I just think that this was rushed through for the sake of a few people's agenda...

[skeet09]

I think one of the categories of students we may not think about is middle school. This is where problems start to occur and students are already thinking about dropping out of high school in 9th grade. Students do exceptionally well in elementary school but the one group where more emphasis should be placed is in middle school boys. Reach them before they hit their crisis and we won't lose them to the streets and all that comes along with it.

[txtea]

Originally Posted by pobre

This program IS replicating what is already available through the school districts.

Look, I have ZERO problem with Pre-K itself. I'm a strong advocate and a believer.

BUT, to re-write Machiavelli, the ends do NOT always justify the means. No matter how well-intentioned this program is (although my gut tells me that the kids are not the priority here...), spending upwards of 20K per kid just doesn't make sense.

How about ensuring that ALL kids have access to Pre-K before establishing a program that will only serve a few? There will still be eligible kids that won't be served, plus many more deemed ineligible. In addition, those who DO get in will either go to a PreK, or a "Center for Excellence"...isn't this the same kind of unequal education that this entire program is supposed to eliminate?

I'm sorry, I just think that this was rushed through for the sake of a few people's agenda...

Exact problem I have with it. A red flag went up when Castro pushed this thru so quickly and campaigned so hard for it. Just another self-serving scheme to get the Hispanic vote. Why else would the program be primarily for kids that are low income and/or don't speak English? I doubt a family making a decent wage and living in a nice house in this city are eligible for this program. Don't get me wrong...at least some kids will get something out of this, but touting it as a Pre-K education for any kid in this city is a bunch of horse poo. If ALL the taxpayers are paying for it, then why aren't ALL the taxpayers children eligible for it?? Anyone else having a Henry Cisneros flashback?

[dpantle]

Originally Posted by sapphire

What WAS the purpose of the thread, then? So everyone could drool over something that they don't like, didn't vote for, and haven't seen any benefit from?

I think most of us already know the purpose of this thread. Some kids get off on throwing rocks at wasp nests.

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by Merovee

The recognition has already been given by the Brookings Institution and the Rockefeller Foundation.

The purpose of this thread was not in soliciting your recognition.

Oh, but you specifically asked for it. So deal.

[Buffyfan]

OK....so no new Pre-K program. Let's keep our city lame, because everything we are doing is working. Twenty five percent of our city cannot read and half of our city lack the skills to graduate from HS. Our HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT RATE is WORSE THAN ANY OTHER MAJOR U.S. CITY.

[rynetwo]

Originally Posted by Buffyfan

OK....so no new Pre-K program. Let's keep our city lame, because everything we are doing is working. Twenty five percent of our city cannot read and half of our city lack the skills to graduate from HS. Our HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT RATE is WORSE THAN ANY OTHER MAJOR U.S. CITY.

No it's not but that's not the point. If you work in education you should know adding another program without researching and addressing the root cause is not helpful. To add this program is way more expensive than district run pre-k.

[txtea]

Originally Posted by Buffyfan

OK....so no new Pre-K program. Let's keep our city lame, because everything we are doing is working. Twenty five percent of our city cannot read and half of our city lack the skills to graduate from HS. Our HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT RATE is WORSE THAN ANY OTHER MAJOR U.S. CITY.

Well why is that? Because we don't have a Pre-K daycare program? I didn't have one when I was a kid, yet I graduated High School.
Until we change this lazy, ghetto, don't give a damn culture that is growing all around us, the dropout rate, unemplyment rate and the abuse of our welfare system is going to continue to get worse.. We have more opportunities for education now than ever before, be it free or with some kind of government assistance. The resources are there for education already, it's the attitude that must be changed first. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink it.