I’m even more than four-and-a-half

When I had heard about the shift in the birthday cutoff date for new Kindergartners, I have to admit I freaked out a little.     Not for #1 daughter because her birthday is in the early part of the year, but for #2 son, I was getting a little freaked out.   I had always envisioned both kids going to school together and so the notion that #2 would be held back a whole year because he had the misfortune to be born after the cut off date was too much for me to handle.   So I actively started looking at private schools for a while even though I had always envisioned both kids going to public schools.

Then I talked to some folks including an admissions director for a private school who pointed out that most private schools have similar and often more strict cut off dates for Kindergarten entry.    Then I calmed down a little more and found out that there would be slowly rolling back that date so, for example this year the birthday cut off is December 2.   For 2012-2012 entry, the birthday cutoff is November 1.  For 2013-2014 the birthday cutoff is October 1, and the new rule will be fully implemented in 2014-2015 when the cutoff will be September 1.

Apparently, I’m not the only parent out there that freaked out about this, because the state is piloting Transitional Kindergarten, which sounds like a sort of in-between pre school and Kindergarten program for those kids  – and possibly other Kindergarten ready kids whose parents don’t think they are quite ready for Kindergarten yet – who fall into that three month buffer.   From an Oakland Tribune story:

A new state law, the Kindergarten Readiness Act, gradually will move the birthday cutoff date for new kindergartners from December to September. The law also requires districts — beginning next year — to offer a new grade level for children with fall birthdays who are too young to start kindergarten. Researchers and advocates say transitional kindergarten, as it’s called, will better prepare children to be successful in school.

…

Unlike universal preschool, a ballot measure rejected by California voters in 2006, not all children will have access to the two-year kindergarten program. Only children with birthdays between Sept. 2 and Dec. 2 — those who would have been eligible for kindergarten under the old system — will be guaranteed a slot once the program is fully implemented in 2014. This coming fall, when the kindergarten entry date becomes Nov. 1, school districts must offer the new program to children who turn 5 between Nov. 2 and Dec. 2.

I think this is a really great idea, particularly because a lot of kids don’t necessarily come to Kindergarten fully prepared.   While so far this program is age limited, it would be nice to see it expanded, particularly for kids that haven’t had the advantage of attending pre-school.   It will be interesting to see, since I imagine that the number of kids within the buffer dates will be sort of small if there will be one program at a particular school in Alameda, or if it will be spread across multiple school sites.

So you may be wondering when #2 son will be entering, fortunately he will be entering in 2013-14 so the cutoff date doesn’t affect us and so I don’t believe he would be eligible for the Transitional Kindergarten program.

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