| The importance of early childhood development | | | | I think one thing that I have seen being discussed |
| and all the government funding that will be | | | | that could have an immediate effect if put into |
| funneled to new and old programs is a hot topic | | | | place is changing the time frame of the traditional |
| of discussion right now. Over the next few years | | | | school year of September to June. A three |
| the US government is promising to send billions of | | | | month break is way too long and from an era of |
| dollars to retool and update the education system | | | | days gone by. To give our kids every opportunity |
| as we know it today into a more efficient and | | | | the basics of the school system will need to |
| effective system for our kids today and for | | | | change. Perhaps rearranging the school schedules |
| future generations. That's a lot of pressure when | | | | to have a few shorter breaks every ten weeks |
| you think of it that way. | | | | instead of one long break in the middle of the |
| So what are some of the more popular talking | | | | summer. Three months away from the education |
| points when it comes to restructuring our | | | | system can not be helpful to a kids retention |
| education system and development of our | | | | levels for what they are learning. |
| children? There is a lot of emphasis being put on | | | | Now these points of early childhood programs like |
| expanding and more funding to programs like | | | | Head Start, pay scales based on performance, |
| Head Start and other early childhood development | | | | pre-school for all kids and longer school days or |
| programs like pre-school for all kids. Also the | | | | school schedules are just a few of the directions |
| increase of charter schools to give parents and | | | | that all this new government funding is being |
| kids more options in their local neighborhoods. | | | | thrown at. The question that a lot of people have |
| Early childhood schooling is not the only focus of | | | | with all this talk of change for the education |
| all this new government funding. | | | | systems is how can we count on the |
| There are also discussions on how to improve the | | | | government to make these changes. People have |
| quality of our teachers with the general consensus | | | | every reason to have a certain level of |
| being some sort of system based on merit and | | | | skepticism when you consider that the failing |
| performance. A system based on performance | | | | public school system that we have in place now is |
| would seem like a no brainer to me especially | | | | a product of the same government that is |
| when it comes to creating an environment that | | | | promising us all these changes. I guess it will be a |
| inspires teachers to do better for the kids they | | | | matter of wait and see how all this new funding |
| teach. As long as the system comes from the | | | | for early childhood programs, new schools and |
| discussion of all parties involved and not just a | | | | teachers pay will play out for our children and |
| system that is pushed on the teachers unions by | | | | their future. |
| the government. | | | | |