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Published Sunday, June 29, 2008 in Opinion
If we have the money, we should get more pre-K pupils enrolled
Editorial
On Tuesday the Georgia Lottery Corporation launched its 15th anniversary celebration with a ceremony at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. Also on Tuesday a report from the Atlanta-based Southern Education Foundation said Georgia which was once a national leader in its pre-kindergarten program was no longer a leader. Other states, like Oklahoma and Kentucky, were doing better
The lottery celebration and the pre-K report are related because it is the state lottery that funds Georgia's voluntary pre-K program.
In announcing its 15th anniversary celebration, the Lottery Corporation proudly proclaimed it has returned $9.9 billion to the state for education through the years. It said more than 860,000 4 year olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program and more than one million students have received HOPE scholarships.
We can be proud of those numbers. There's no doubt that the Georgia Lottery has improved education in our state. But as the foundation report shows we can do better.
The foundation report, titled "Time to Lead Again: The Promise of Georgia Pre-K," said only 75,000 of the 138,000 4 year olds in the state who are eligible for pro-K programs are enrolled.
The report said Georgia has money to expand pre-K and "there is no reason Georgia cannot lead again in the vital area."
We agree. If money is available, it should all be used for its intended purpose. We must do a better job of getting these young children enrolled in pre-K. Various research findings have shown that early childhood education is key to success in education.
Indeed, soon after the state lottery was initiated, our state was a national leader in pre-K. The numbers show we have fallen behind. That's a shame if we have the money to get these 4 year olds in the classroom. Let's get these children in pre-K, and get them on the road to success in the classroom.
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Use that extra money to fund education for the educators about Sensory Integration Disorder and how to work with it going forward in the childs school career. Put in sensory rooms for these children to utilize during the school day to feed their sensory diets. All too often these children are being misdiagnosed as ADD or ADHD when all they are needing is a "sensory fix" to get them through their day..not medication to get an educator through their day. More occupational therapy is needed in the schools.
Posted by Susan at 2:52 PM
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Expand Pre-K in Georgia
7/4/2008
Link To This Comment
I just completed my first school year as a Pre-K teacher in Georgia. The children were energetic and excited about coming to school everyday. They looked forward to the learning activities. The first question of the day was, "What are we doing today?" The parents were very supportive and dedicated to their childrens' success in the program. If funds are available, I agree that more classes should be available for all children to have this experience.
Posted by Barbara Crockett, Pre-K Teacher at 3:04 AM