Idaho lawmaker wants to pay parents to teach kindergartners

[sabra]

Source: AP

TWIN FALLS (AP) - A southwestern Idaho lawmaker who was scolded by his own Republican leaders earlier this year for overstepping his mandate on an interim committee pushing family values now wants to pay parents to teach their own kindergarten-age children at home.

Rep. Steve Thayn, an Emmett Republican and House Education Committee member, aims to save Idaho money by removing the young students from regular classrooms and promoting parental involvement.

The measure, which Thayn has vowed to introduce in the 2009 Legislature, would divide up the average $4,500 per-student annual cost of kindergarten, with half the cash going to parents, a quarter going to school districts and a quarter to a fund that shores up public education during tough economic times.

Parents would be eligible for the reimbursements after kids passed a test showing they were ready for first grade.

"It does everything," Thayn told the Times-News. "It gets the parents involved. It gets kids ready for first grade and it saves a little bit of money."

Read more: http://www.2news.tv/news/35475139.html

[Demobrat]

1. Great idea

assuming both parents don't have to work fulltime to pay the bills, and we all know what happens when one assumes.

[angstlessk]

2. What about the additional child care costs because the children are not in

school? I am sure that whopping $2,250 will not cover that for a year.

[karynnj]

8. Kindergarden doesn't replace child care

Most people I know had an easier time when their child was in day care. At least where I am public schools had half day kindergarten. So, you still had day care expenses - and it was much harder to work out the arrangements.

That said - I think this is a bad idea because I think the main thing that any kid I know got out of kindergarten was the expected social skills and ability to thrive at the school. (yes, I know they taught beginning reading and some arithmetic)

[Mnemosyne]

3. Cyber-school - the wave of the future. It would solve many budget woes,

school yard bullies would lose their main access to victims and teachers wouldn't have to babysit any longer. Social activities would deal with that side of an education.

And at first thought, I kinda' like Thayn's idea. Need more information though.

Thanks sabra! :hi:

[merwin]

6. Except the parents who would do this would be the ones who need money.

And learning to read is VITAL for 5 year olds. Teachers already have a hard enough time picking up the slack from parents who fail to teach their kinds anything before school.

[peace13]

4. One is assuming the parents are as smart as the kids.

This proposal equals teaching kindergarten in first grade. Parents are either involved or not. This will not encourage those who are not already engaged with their children. I told my sons kindergarten teacher that he was there to learn how to stand in line and do what he was told. He already knew, colors, numbers, shapes and alphabet. But that was years ago.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. How does it save any money? If the $4500 per pupil is still spent?

[Cleita]

7. Leave it up to an Idaho Republican politician to think of

really stupid legislation. Why not just close all the schools and pay the families to home school? You know this is where they are going. Of course it will probably go over really well in Twin Falls since mostly everyone goes to the same Latter Day Saints Church.

[anonymous171]

9. Sounds like a republican plot

to pay parents to teach their children that the Earth is 4000 years old and that Jesus rode a stegosaurus.