Stimulus and Skepticism: More Questions and Concerns
As details of President Barack Obama’s stimulus package trickle down to the states, journalists who dig into the emerging story are finding the new spending may not solve entrenched financial problems of districts struggling with deep budget cuts and already sending out layoff notices to teachers. Larry Abramson of National Public Radio spoke to superintendents [...]
Pre-K and the Stimulus: Time to Follow the Money
In the days and weeks to come, details of President Barack Obama’s stimulus package will begin to emerge. His budget is now a public document. Enterprising journalists from Ohio to Arkansas are beginning to report on how much money their states will get for pre-kindergarten, Head Start and other early childhood programs. Early Stories firmly [...]
Pilot Program Could Hold Key to Kindergarten Success
Early Stories posed some questions this week about how pre-kindergarten students are tracked and assessed, a topic that came up in Maryland Governor O’Malley’s education speech. Turns out there are many ways, and one revealing answer came from reading an excellent story by John Higgins of the Akron Beacon Journal. Higgins examined a pilot program [...]
Curious: How Are Pre-Kindergartners Tracked?
When a politician announces a number of new initiatives, the stories that follow often end up looking like a laundry list. However,journalists have to do more than allow politicians to spew rhetoric without demanding a full explanation. One good example comes from the speech Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley made this week to the State Board [...]
Quote of the Day: ‘Taking Kids Away from Home’
Early Stories likes nothing better than coming across good journalism about pre-kindergarten. It’s fascinating to read about the struggles many states are having over how — and if — to fund early childhood education. It’s even better when the stories go beyond rhetoric and politics at a time when state governments are strapped for cash. [...]
Another Quality Question: How is Recess?
Early Stories has long been intrigued by what happens at playtime and recess, and how it impacts learning. One reason for this is our experience visiting New York City schools, where the lack of playgrounds, fields and outdoor space forces school staff to be extremely creative when it comes to recess. We have seen teachers [...]
Class Size Matters, But For Who?
It was interesting reading the New York Times Sunday story on class size, which presented a variety of views and academic research on how much class size matters and looked at what is happening around the issue in New York and in cash-strapped California. However, there were some critical questions that might have provided more [...]
From the False Dichotomies Department (File under straw men)
Consider this statement, which tops an entry on a Web site called Science Daily: Parents and educators who favor traditional classroom-style learning over free, unstructured playtime in preschool and kindergarten may actually be stunting a child’s development instead of enhancing it, according to a University of Illinois professor who studies childhood learning and literacy development. [...]
Full-Day Kindergarten on the Block?
Linda K. Wertheimer of the Boston Globe reports that a number of districts in Massachusetts are reconsidering plans for full-day kindergarten classes. Fifty of the state’s districts do not offer the classes. Of those that do, more and more are charging parents for the extra time. In fact, the average fee has gone up 10-fold [...]
What will the Stimulus mean for early education? Some resources and experts
As educators and policy makers sort through the meaning of the slimmed down compromise stimulus, journalists are trying to figure out the meaning in their own communities. How much of what was promised was cut? What will any new money be spent on? Who is setting the priorities? A few good resources — beyond speaking [...]
