DOE notes high pre-k suspensions

1. We have a huge problem with exclusionary discipline policies in RCSD, including in my opinion inappropriate arrests inside schools. I and other board members are aggressively working on fundamentally changing our discipline practices. But we NEVER suspend toddlers or any pre-K students. Despite the horror stories nationally, once again one area where Rochester shines is in our universal pre-kindergarten programs. These high quality and developmentally supportive programs are recognized nationally for their excellence.

2. Everything you wrote may be true, but there are still some very serious issues and problems associated with pre-K programs in Rochester. Some of the most important issues center around the question of who (specifically) is and is NOT being served.

   According to information in ate article (at the link below) … “And even though the state reimburses the district for UPK students, there isn’t enough state funding available for full-day classes. Offering mostly half-day classes is the only way the district can offer UPK, and even then more students are enrolled each year than what the district is paid to teach.”

   “And there is still room for the district’s UPK to grow. According to Hooper, the district is only serving about two-thirds of city children who qualify for the program. That may be due to the transportation problems half-day classes can cause. Working parents, many of whom rely on public transportation, wrestle with getting their child to school and picking them up less than three hours later.Many people just don’t realize the sacrifices our parents are making trying to juggle this for the sake of their children,” Hooper says. “

   http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/roch…

3. The headline for this article is unnecessarily incendiary. Toddlers are kids just learning to walk and a bit beyond, typically considered between the ages 1 and 2 1/2.

   What the article is talking about is pre-K students, ages 3-5.

   I’m not arguing that this makes it right for them to be suspended, just that they are NOT toddlers and thus your headline is inaccurate and misleading.

4. Howard the link you posted is from 2012 and we now have majority full day pre-K with transportation assistance. Again, pre-K is one area we seem to do well, and to make progress over time in areas where it can be improved. That’s not to say there are no obstacles or remaining ways to improve, but the full day / transportation obstacle has been largely overcome. Remaining half day programs are to meet the needs of families who did not want full day.

5. I corrected this blog because the original version incorrectly implied that the RCSD suspends its pre-K students. For added clarification, the RCSD provided me with this statement: “We do not suspend prekindergarten students from our Universal Prekindergarten Program in the Rochester City School District. A child can’t be expelled from the Universal Prekindergarten program either. We do have a safety procedure that is rarely utilized in extreme cases where after a series of steps have been taken, including parent notification, a student can be asked to refrain from attending the program for a maximum of five days while steps are taken to put in place a safety plan to address serious safety concerns. This is all done in collaboration with the parent.” The statement is from Tricia Cruz, a district spokesperson.

   Thanks for the comments.

   Tim Louis Macaluso

6. So the RCSD doesn’t suspend pre k students. What is the purpose of this article? Why not discuss the ongoing problem of suspensions that occur in our district- or better yet the out of control behavior problems that hugely impact student learning and the precious test scores? The district doesn’t like to suspend because they loose money when the kids are not in school. Kids can bully staff and students, bring drugs to school and people look away because suspensions should not exist. Why does the district pretends that bad behaviors doesn’t warrant suspension? ISS is a baby sitting room where a non certified teacher watches over these kids. Is this the best that the district can do? Behaviors have gotten WORSE since JC Bizzards idiotic stance on suspensions and Vargas has done little to fix it. City, please don’t mimic the other “news” outlets with these empty articles. I know that the powers that be would like to distract the public with non sense articles that have little to do with the big problem. Please don’t follow suit. Follow the money.

7. Warren announces Pre-K push

   Justin Murphy, Staff writer

   February 4, 2014

   http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/…

   “Warren, speaking Tuesday morning at a K-12 education symposium at the University of Rochester, said the city lacks a comprehensive strategy for aligning pre-K students and their families with quality programs and for increasing the number of available seats with state and federal funding. How Rochester responds to this new pre-K policy shift will be our first test together, but not our last, she said, and called on local leaders to create a new single standard of educational quality for all children, regardless of a student’s zip code, socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity.”

   “The district is already moving aggressively to expand its pre-kindergarten offerings, especially in full-day programs. It recently received $6 million in state grant funding, a sum that increased its full-day pre-K capacity to about 1,400 students in addition to nearly 800 for half-day, including its spots with outside providers.”

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