Holding Back Not Allowed?

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

I registered my son for Kindergarten today. At the next table, a woman was trying to register her daughter for Kinder with a June 2007 birthday. She was told that she would have to go into 1st grade. She was quite shocked (as was I).

I'm in CA. I mentioned this back at work and my friend said her school district (a neighboring one) held a parent information meeting and said the same thing.

Anyone heard of this as a trend?

Here's an article on that school district:school may overrule parents' wishes on when kids start first grade

[AngB]

I have heard of it overall though not at a specific district. I assume the intent is to prevent having 10 year old first graders, etc.

[crl]

I have heard of this. Some places if you send them to private for K, then the NEXT year they will place them in public first.

I will undoubtedly be flamed for this, but I strongly disagree with this kind of policy and think that it is inappropriate for schools to take this decision away from parents.

Catherine

[Ceepa]

I will undoubtedly be flamed for this, but I strongly disagree with this kind of policy and think that it is inappropriate for schools to take this decision away from parents.

No flames here. I think parents know their kids best and are trying to do right by them either way.

[Green_Tea]

I am support of such a rule, but with some leeway. If a kid's birthday is within 60 days of the cutoff, I am OK with parents choosing to redshirt. But I think there should be some sort of (documented) extenuating circumstances beyond that. I don't think parents should get to choose to send a kid to K on any timetable they deem acceptable. 6.5 and 7 year olds do not belong in K (again, barring other circumstances).

[ahisma]

I have heard of this. Some places if you send them to private for K, then the NEXT year they will place them in public first.

I will undoubtedly be flamed for this, but I strongly disagree with this kind of policy and think that it is inappropriate for schools to take this decision away from parents.

Catherine

I agree. My August 08 DS is old enough for K next year. Academically he is ready for K. I don't believe in holding back to give a child an academic advantage.

The thing is, he's not ready. He still takes 2-3 hour naps daily. He is immature for his age. I don't think he's ready. DH (teacher) doesn't think he's ready. His preschool teacher doesn't think he's ready. DS1 is in K right now and knows DS2 well, she doesn't think he is ready.

He would be a huge disruption in the classroom. He lacks impulse control. When he's tired (as in, at the end of a full day of school), it's worse.

I would be devastated if I was required to send him to K next year. It would make for a horrific start for his public school education.

[codex57]

Ehh, I don't think it's a huge deal. It's just one feature of public school. Since they have to serve the general population, I can see why they need rules and the need to be more bureaucratic. There are just too many kids to handle with too few resources. In an ideal world, you don't have that problem. Since you do, you deal with it. I don't think it'll ultimately make as much of a difference as people make it out to be.

Some kids will blossom because of this. Others won't. Personally, I have a rather dim view of the general public's ability to parent so I think it'll be a wash.

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

The funny thing is that my coworker was trying to say in a nice way that this is kind of a white people problem. In other cultures, they push kids and to be younger is preferred.

[elektra]

I have not heard of that. It is my impression that almost everyone around here redshirts. Kids have already turned 7 in K, and my DD is not yet 6.
On one hand I feel like the insanity has to end somewhere and you should be sending kids on time before we start having neurotypical 8 year olds in K. But on the other hand our schools, especially in California have no right to make those demands when the schools are not necessarily able to have the differentiated learning or curriculum to support the wider range of abilities.
I would be also be pretty upset if they started implementing that policy without any forewarning.

[GaPeach_in_Ca]

But on the other hand our schools, especially in California have no right to make those demands when the schools are not necessarily able to have the differentiated learning or curriculum to support the wider range of abilities.

I actually think this is part of the reasoning for attempting to restrict ages. Rather than have such a huge age range, in theory, having a smaller age range would lean towards having a smaller range of abilities.

I was really surprised because I hadn't heard any forewarning on this policy and I know many people who have waited a year to start their kids.