Pritzker and Rauner share free crèche all day, as do suburban schools



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Kindergarten children learn their ABC and know how to count up to 100 during a full day program in Addison Elementary District 4 offered for free.

However, a few miles to the west, St. Charles Unit District 303 parents pay tuition fees for an optional children 's garden for a full day. Go to Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 and kindergarten children participate in a half-day program despite the interest shown throughout the day.

This amalgam of state-wide norms has emerged as a cleavage in the race for governorship, with Democrat JB Pritzker advocating free crèche in Illinois public schools while Republican Governor Bruce Rauner wants the school districts to decide.

An informal Daily Herald survey of 31 suburban public school districts found that 58% of children were entitled to a free day-care service, compared with 23% of school fees and 19% of half-day programs. day.

Tuition fees range from $ 1,333 in Lombard District 44 to $ 3,500 in District 220 in the Barrington area and $ 4,000 in Wheaton District 200 in Warrenville.

Illinois law does not require children to go to kindergarten, but districts must offer at least a half-day program. Lisa Hood, Senior Policy Analyst at the University of Illinois' Education Policy Research Center, revealed that a study shows that these children have problems with their children. better results in reading, mathematics and social sciences.

The children's garden "should be free," said Chicago Herald Pritzker, a business man and heir to the Hyatt hotel on Sept. 26.

"It is almost embarrassing for the state not to recognize kindergarten as a class that should be funded through public education." Kindergarten is of vital importance, as does the "kindergarten". preschool education, "he said.

"We have all the science," added Pritzker. "It's not just a nice thing to have, it's a" need to have. "

Rauner, a venture capital investor from Winnetka, said he was "a strong advocate of extra funding for schools … for education" at a press conference held on Monday.

Asked about free kindergarten and kindergarten all day, the governor said, "I want choices for early childhood education, kindergarten and preschool – and for that Money is available so that each parent can choose and each school to be able to operate their school districts as they wish. "

Rauner blamed Pritzker for not having specified how to pay for his kindergarten plan. Despite a new school funding program that, according to Rauner, generates "record funding", several local districts have indicated that they would like to offer a day nursery but that they could not afford it with the status quo.

Arlington Heights District 25 offers full-day kindergarten classes to students learning English and struggling students, but most students go there for half a day. Offering a full day is an expensive proposition requiring a minimum of 20 additional teachers and 18 additional classrooms, officials concluded in August 2017 after extensive study with community participation.

"The research we found showed that there was currently no measurable benefit in the long run for typical learners of a full day in kindergarten and a full day" said communications coordinator Adam Harris.

For Elmhurst parents, kindergarten is a top priority, said District 205 Superintendent David Moyer. The November 6 vote between voters and voters in a referendum asking if property taxes should be increased to fund improvements to buildings, including classrooms for kindergarten and kindergarten to full-time.

"It can be difficult to meet the needs of children today with a half-day model," said Moyer, noting that seven out of eight districts for peer units 39, a day nursery. "Elmhurst is quickly becoming an outlier, and I hope we can address space issues through this referendum process."

Laura Jana, pediatrician and author, said that a child enrolled in a rewarding kindergarten of a full day combining social and emotional learning and traditional skills "should dramatically improve their chances of flourishing."

Children whose parents can not afford school fees should not be left behind, she said.

"It's not just a question of those who pay for it, and those who do not, do not," said Jana, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics. from the Grove Grove Village. "If you want to talk about all children to maximize their potential, it starts with this access."

District 2 of Bensenville started kindergarten and kindergarten full time in 2009-2010.

"Shortly after the change, our first year teachers began commenting on the progress they could see in their students compared to previous years with half a day of kindergarten," Tim said. Waldorf, Community Relations Coordinator.

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