Re: San Diego UT on Prop 82

["Kathy Emery" <mke4think@hotmail.com>]

I second this analysis.  and am enjoying the debate -- too bad this kind of 
quality debate is not the debate that the general public is having.

by the way,  Has anyone read Polly Greenberg's book Devil Has Slippery 
shoes?  it is what was BEFORE the federal government took it over and turned 
it into Head Start.   it would be even more wonderful if we could have this 
kind of stimulating debate in a  historical context.  we do seem to keep 
repeating the mistakes of the past.

kathy

Kathy Emery, Ph. D.
SF Freedom School
www.educationanddemocracy.org
4828 19th Street
SF CA 94114
415-703-0465
mke4think@hotmail.com



----Original Message Follows----
From: LHHaab@aol.com
Reply-To: ca-resisters@interversity.org
To: ca-resisters@interversity.org
Sbject: Re: [ca-resisters] San Diego UT on Prop 82
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 23:36:58 EDT

I am not rich and I am very willing to pay more than my fair share of taxes.
 I believe strongly in quality Early Childhood Education and I taught
kindergarten for 38 years and was a consultant for Developmentally 
Appropriate
Classrooms.   I hate the fact that I am on the same side as the governor, 
however,
as I said before, I absolutely voted NO on prop 82.    Part of the reason I
voted against it are the very things that George listed to support it.   I
really don't think reading earlier is important.   It is not the quick jump
start that is important but rather the long term results.   In fact, pushing
children earlier can cause very negative long term results.   Some countries 
in
Scandinavia and Eastern Europe don't start formal schooling until the age of 
7
and the children in fact learn faster and with less problems than those 
children
pushed at an earlier age.   I voted No because I don't trust the state not 
to
push children for test results and I know that this is especially harmful 
for
the youngest of our children.   If the bill were written so that it paid for
quality nursery schooling or day care for those children who needed it, I
would consider it.   However, I have to say I would be very uncomfortable 
even in
that case because I have seen what this country does to young children all 
in
the name of learning to read earlier and learn faster.  For years I taught 
in
an area where the majority of my children did not go to preschool because
there were none.   They did not seem to have any sort of difficulty because 
of it.
  I do think a good Head Start   type program is needed, however even Head
Start has problems because of the testing and rigorous academic curriculum 
now
demanded.   Oh yes, and Susan if I had thought about it you would have 
gotten
my vote too!