DAILY JOURNAL: OUR OPINION: Kindergarten attendance needs greater attention
Mississippi in 1982 became the next-to-last state in the nation to require local public school districts to offer kindergarten classes. It was the biggest piece of the historic Education Reform Act, passed in a special legislative session at the urging of then-Gov. William Winter.
One of the political tradeoffs was not to make attendance mandatory. School districts would have to offer kindergarten, but parents would not be required to send their children.
A lot about kindergarten has changed since 1982. Back then, there was ample evidence that activities long associated with kindergarten – developing pre-academic social skills, for example – were important to prepare a child for first grade. But today, the academic stakes are much higher…
…But given the stakes, mandatory kindergarten enrollment could be an important tool to aid in the success of Mississippi students, too many of whom begin school behind and never catch up.
Daily Journal
10/13/14
Magnolia Tribune
