Preschool Readiness

I was watching an episode of the offbeat comedy Portlandia last night and it showed an intense couple preparing their 4-year-old for preschool.  They had made up graphs to show their little boy how he needed to get into a private preschool otherwise his future was doomed to Community College and poor jobs for the rest of his life.  I was rolling with laughter when I watched this, but also a bit sad because I know some parents (though they won't admit it) actually feel this way.

I wanted to remind you to check out the Alliance for Childhood.  They post articles like, "Preschool Tests Take Time Away From Play" and many other child advocacy articles and resources.

This is the Alliance for Childhood poster that hangs in my office:

Childhood

Childhood is a time for learning about the essentials—

about the heavenly world and the earthly,

about goodness, beauty, and truth.

Childhood is a time to be loved and to love,

to express fear and to learn trust,

to be serious, to be calm,

and to celebrate with laughter and joy.

Children have the right to dream,

and to grow at their own pace.

They have the right to make mistakes,

and the right to be forgiven.

Children have the right to be spared violence and hunger,

to have a home and protection.

They need support for growing up healthy,

with good habits and sound nutrition.

Children need people to respect,

adults whose example and loving authority they follow.

They need a range of experience—tenderness and kindness,

boldness and courage, even mischief and misbehavior.

Children need a loving relationship with the earth—

with animals and with nature,

with families and community.

Children need moments for reflection and space for curiosity,

protective boundaries and freedom to create,

and time to play, to work, to rest.

Children need to be introduced to a life of principles,

and given the freedom to discover their own.

The spirit of childhood calls for protection and nurture.

It is an essential part of every human being

and needs to be kept alive.

Two in the Middle

I recently received this email and wanted to share it with my blog readers.  I applaud Pamela's efforts to do something creative, effective, productive and loving for her daughter.  Please read her story:


Dear Kerry,

I so admire the effort you have put into changing the way your school district looks at homework.  I know you wish it were even better, but what you accomplished was huge.

Alfie Kohn's book The Homework Myth gave my UCLA professor husband and I the courage to reconsider the importance of having any homework during 7th and 8th grade, when we home-schooled our daughter.  When our daughter Natalie arrived home each day from her 6^th grade class (where the focus was preparing the children for middle school) looking as depleted as the most overworked adult we knew, we made a bold decision.  We decided to jump off the stress wagon to help her rediscover the joy of learning and healthy living.   By home schooling for two years, our daughter was able to wholeheartedly delve into subjects, which included not only history and math, but also music, dance and gardening.   She did not have homework, although she read every night for pleasure, which I know expanded her vocabulary better than vocabulary lists and quizzes.  By the end of 8^thgrade, she was totally prepared for high school, and all of us were healthier and happier.   And we purposely chose a high school with a healthy homework policy.  I've recently completed a memoir about our adventure, which I hope will be published sooner than later.  You might like to visit my website: Two in the Middle 


Best regards,

Pamela

No Guarantees

A good friend of mine, Sara Bennett, has been doing pro bono legal work for the past two years to free a woman named Judith Clark from prison.  

You can read a recent NYTimes article about Judith Clark here.  What struck me about her story was that for the past 27 years Judy Clark has been educating herself in prison and transforming herself into a truly rehabilitated person.

Judy has earned multiple degrees while in prison.  She has taught parenting classes for pregnant women, she has been a mentor and role model to young mothers.  She has founded programs educating people on the impact of AIDS.  She has helped rebuild a prison college program that has helped over 150 women gain degrees.  She is an advisor to students in prison.  She has volunteered with guide dogs for the blind.  She has written poetry.  She has studied and become certified as a Chaplain.  And she has maintained a consistent and loving relationship with her now 31-year old daughter.  You can read about all of her accomplishments here.

Wow, how many of us living outside of prison have a resume that impressive?

This made me think of education.  I used to tell my boys that education gives you choices in life.  The more education you have, the more choices you will have in life.  I'm not sure I agree with this anymore.  Instead, I feel that the more education you have, the more confidence you have.  And, with more confidence you may be likely to have more opportunities in life and possibly more choices.

I look at someone like Judith Clark.  I would hope that her education while in prison would afford her more choices and ultimately freedom.  I don't think she expects freedom and has probably resolved herself to a life of prison.  So, if not freedom, then what good is her education doing her in prison?

I don't know her and I'm only speculating, but I'm guessing her education while in prison has brought her many things.  It may have given her confidence to teach others in prison.  It may have brought her to feel remorse for her actions which landed her in prison.  It may be giving her a new perspective on life.  It may have helped her establish a good relationship with her daughter throughout her imprisoned years.  It may be bringing her peace of mind in certain situations.  Her education has certainly touched many lives in a positive way.

I hope that someday Judith can say by educating herself while in prison, she became a better person, one worthy of serving her community and living free.  I feel she has proven herself.  But, her clemency is not up to me.  There are no guarantees she will be freed.

I'm posting this on Martin Luther King day.  A day that celebrates freedom.  I'm sending this woman (I've never met) all my good intentions and hoping that because she has proven herself to be a remarkable human being while imprisoned for 30 years, she will some day live free.


If you feel inclined to try to help Judy's case, here are three suggestions:

1.  Write a letter to the NY Times. <http://www.nytimes.com/content/help/site/editorial/letters/letters.html>

It's really important that the Times get hundreds of positive letters in response to the piece. I can't emphasize this enough. So please take a few minutes to send in a letter.  Don't fret about what to write. It's unlikely that the Times will publish more than a few letters; what's important is that it receive hundreds. Of course, if you want to take the time to write a letter that has a chance of being published, even better!

2. Post a comment to the article online. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/magazine/judith-clarks-radical-transformation.html#commentsContainer>

3. If you know people who haven't written a letter to the Governor, please ask them to do so now. Take a look at the website for details: <http://judithclark.org/whatyoucando/>