GILROY
– The school district is setting up a kindergarten task force to
look at both half- and full-day programs, while a third elementary
school has decided to begin teaching kindergartners for a full six
hours a day.
By Lori Stuenkel
GILROY – The school district is setting up a kindergarten task force to look at both half- and full-day programs, while a third elementary school has decided to begin teaching kindergartners for a full six hours a day.
Rucker Elementary School will join Rod Kelley and Las Animas in offering a full-day kindergarten program next year. Kindergarten in those schools will get two-and-a-half hours’ more class time than their peers at other schools. Las Animas’ full-day program, serving Dual Immersion English and Spanish-speaking students, has been in place for several years.
Given the impacts of switching to a full-day program at only certain schools, or even district-wide, teachers and district administrators are forming a kindergarten design committee to research the subject next year.
“There are many kindergarten teachers in our district that do have questions about all-day kindergarten,” said Marilynn Dumlao, a kindergarten teacher at Glen View Elementary School who will co-chair the committee.
Proponents of the full-day program have cited research that shows and point to a trend toward full-day programs.
Some teachers and board members in Gilroy Unified School District wonder if a longer program is appropriate for five- and six-year-olds.
The Gilroy Teachers Association echoed some other issues that have been brought up, in a memo to its members at the time that Rod Kelley approved a full-day program:
“At the present time, with the half-day configuration, there is at least one hour of time, and usually more, when there are two certificated teachers in the room, with the ratio at 10:1. At this ratio, it is easier to give individualized attention. With the implementation of a full-day kinder, if the district cannot guarantee they can fund an assistant, that ratio increases to 20:1.”
Other issues include whether students would receive less guided instruction and whether the district would be able to house the bigger classes.
“It’s been a challenge that our schools have different needs, different populations, different levels of facilities and we need to work within that,” Dumlao said.
Trustee Jim Rogers pointed out that by only having three full-day programs, access to students across the district won’t be equal.
“Let’s say you don’t live in one of the three attendance areas that participate in this program – how do you get your child in?” he said.
Also, parents within those attendance areas who don’t want their child in a full-day kindergarten class won’t be able to opt out.
Parents who want their children transferred either into or out of the three full-day kindergarten schools may submit a request that will be handled like any other request for transfer, Jacki Horejs, assistant superintendent, said.
The full-day program sparked some discussion at Thursday’s board meeting when trustees were asked to adopt new Education Code sections dealing with extended-day kindergarten. Earlier this year, the board already approved teachers’ request to waive some of their contract agreements to teach the program.
Hearing that the committee will convene next year and likely make a recommendation on a kindergarten program for 2005-06, Trustee Tom Bundros voted not to adopt the sections.
“I support the committee very much and I would be a lot more comfortable if we had the committee report before submitting this,” Bundros said.
The code sections were adopted by a 5-1 vote, with Trustee John Gurich absent.
Lori Stuenkel covers education for The Dispatch. She can be reached at 847-7158 or ls*******@gi************.com.
