Morton West Principal Resigns, Parents Speak Out

The District 201 School Board accepted the resignation of Morton West principal, John Lucas. Members of the Morton West PTO spoke out in the open forum during last night's school board meeting, praising Mr. Lucas for improving attendance and test scores during his short time at MW. The parents accused the Cicero dominated school board (6 of the 7 members are Cicero Residents) of forcing the Morton West principal to resign without any input from the Morton West communities of Berwyn, Stickney, Forest View, McCook and Lyons.

Everything you Always Wanted to Know About Kindergarten...

A friend of mine recommended this book for anyone who is facing the decision about where to send a child to kindergarten:

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Kindergarten But Didn't Know Whom to Ask by Ellen Booth Church.

The book gives answers to 20+ questions/answers like:

What is the real purpose of kindergarten?
*Developing Self-esteem
*Emphasis on cooperation
*Fostering children's natural love of learning by building on curiosity

Here is a link to a website that includes the book's questions and answers.

What strikes me, in general, about that list of questions and answers is how creative play is favored over formal reading and writing instruction. I wonder if this is really the reality in kindergarten classes given the ever increasing emphasis on standardized testing. It seems to me that kindergarten has become the new 1st grade, with an expectation that kids will be reading and writing rather than getting ready to read and write. Best practice tells us that play-based learning is the way to go in kindergarten and most programs will describe themselves that way, but I'm interested in what is actually happening in kindergarten. In my son's kindergarten class there was daily time for free play, but there were also lots of worksheets. There were crafts and coloring, but maybe not enough. I fear that 1/2 day kindergarten creates the perception that educators/schools must prioritize academics and play and play just isn't a priority. Maybe it should be. From the book:

There is a wide range of reading abilities in any one kindergarten class—some children may be fluent readers while others can’t read at all. Parents of non-readers need not worry, as research clearly indicates that children who are formally taught to read in kindergarten have no significant advantage over their peers by the end of second grade.

What has been your experience? Do you have a kindergartener? What do they spend most of their school time doing?

Bloggers Challenge Final Plea

As you have read here, the Berwyn CARES Blogger Challenge 2008 was quite successful. Unfortunately, however, 2 of the 9 proposals are still not funded and they will expire in less than 35 days on DonorsChoose.com. This means that the money already given will be sent back to the donor to be applied to a different proposal.

Please read the following proposals. If you find one you like, please consider giving a small donation to see the proposal’s fulfillment.

Proposal #1: Show Me The Art

Proposal #2 : Getting Ready To Read

Thank you for considering our schools!