Choosing a School for Your Hoboken Toddler
When her oldest child became eligible for free Hoboken pre-school, Hoboken Patch columnist Kathy Zucker and her family explored other options first.
I have been dreading the school process since the day I became a parent. As my daughter approached age three (the minimum age for entrance into Hoboken public pre-school), the decision about where to send her to school became urgent but in no way easier.
There is a certain pattern to preschool in Hoboken. Most toddlers attend part-time preschool at age 2.5 at either Kaplan or Stevens, then enroll in public Abbott preschool the following Fall. We chose a different preschool route for our daughter because the traditional path was not right for her, or our family.
The three major factors in our decision were cost, convenience, and suitability. As a work-at-home mom with two young children, our budget is tight. My husband and I agonized over whether to send our daughter to public Abbott pre-school when she became eligible. Her summer birthday would have made her one of the youngest members of her class, while her size makes her appear to be one of the oldest. Her development is on par with her age, which has caused continual confusion her entire life.
Stevens preschool tuition is $9,000 per year. Kaplan is more affordable at less than $4,000 a year but preference for the highly coveted morning session is given to synagogue members (tack on another $1,000 per year). There are several other Hoboken private preschool options: Kidville, Romparoo and Hudson Dance. These programs range in price from $2,200 to $3,845 annually. We wound up enrolling our daughter in Kidville because we liked the large gym equipped with gymnastics equipment and heard rave reviews about the franchise from friends in Brooklyn. The validated parking was also a draw to get out of the house on snowy winter mornings. It's tough getting two toddlers ready for 9am dropoff!
My husband always ranked among the youngest in his school classes and he is determined that his daughter will not suffer the same fate. We compromised by enrolling her at Kidville this year and have registered her for the Abbott 4s program next fall. In June, if we feel she is still young for her class then we will have her repeat the year since Hoboken residents are currently eligible for two years of free pre-k.
Two months into the Kidville KVU program, we are really happy with our choice. Our daughter has blossomed at school, and we have watched her language and social skills develop in leaps and bounds. Best of all, her closest school friend is exactly the same age and size, plus has a younger sibling the same age as my son. The other mom and I drop our older children off for class and then hang out with the two younger ones, taking them to gym classes and the park. It has been a convenient, easy way to transition into the school routine and is worth the financial sacrifice of paying tuition. We were also fortunate enough to be able to pay preschool tuition with pre-tax dollars through my husband's employee dependent care flexible spending account.
One of the best things about schools in Hoboken is the many accessible options to find the right fit for your child. That is true up through elementary school, with many families moving their child between the various public, charter and private schools until they find the right environment.
To read more about what makes Kathy Zucker tick, check out her blog at http://hobokenmomcondo.com/momblog and follow her at http://twitter.com/zhobokenmom
choochoo
10:28 am on Friday, March 26, 2010
You say " Most toddlers attend part-time preschool at age 2.5 at either Kaplan or Stevens, then enroll in public Abbott preschool the following Fall."
This can't be true because the kaplan and stevens programs are very limited in size. It can't be "most toddlers."
If you put your child with a summer birthday in a public school class there will be plenty of kids who are younger. Most people don't have the luxury of putting their child into a private preschool for a year before thinking of the public option. They will even try to bend the cutoff date to get their child in so they can either get them out of the house or avoid paying more daycare fees.
And you didn't ask my advice but here goes anyway. Imo, it's better to have your child in the school year that goes with the year they were born. And if your child is already big for her age than she will be even bigger than everyone else if you hold her back a year. Parents often make the mistake when they tour schools of thinking that their child is not up to the rigors of the class. But of course becuase their child is probably a year away from that point. They make such huge leaps at that age.
good luck with your decision-making.
Kathy Zucker
1:32 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
Hi, choochoo! You are my first commenter ever, so exciting!
Absolutely, money is a huge concern when it comes to paying for preschool. That is why my husband and I registered our daughter for the free Abbott 3s program this fall. And you are probably right about the Kaplan/Stevens kids. My general sense is that 2.5 year olds tend to either be in daycare or else home either with a parent/nanny and attending a private part-time preschool a couple of mornings a week.
We struggled with the decision of whether to start E. in school this year. Our concern was not whether she would be able to keep up with the schoolwork; it was social. Frankly, when we see her in the playground with kids who are 10 months older than she is (thus who would be in the same class), she gets pushed around because her verbal skills are far behind theirs. We felt it was a serious enough concern to give her an extra year home with me to give her time to catch up.
And the decision to pay tuition was not an easy one. Until 6 months ago, we were basically single income (I earned less than $10k/year). Because we are exceedingly frugal & don't ever take vacations, we were able to put by the $2k her Kidville session cost us this semester. And since we are now almost done with the session, I can say definitively that this was 100% the right choice for our daughter. She might have been ok @ Abbott, but why take the chance she wouldn't have been?
Kathy Zucker
2:39 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
The other part of the equation was that we didn't feel preschool at age 3 is truly necessary. How many parents attended preschool at that age? I went to preschool two mornings a week starting at age 4 and I turned out just fine (learned to read at age 5).
My kids will be going to school for so many years that I am unwilling to start them early unless I think they are 100% ready for it. It's great that Hoboken has free preschool starting at age 3, but as you stated, I think a lot of parents use it as a substitute for daycare. And since I am already home with my kids, that was not a factor for us.
Kathy Zucker
3:49 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
CORRECTION: Most toddlers not in daycare attend part-time preschool at age 2.5 at either Kaplan or Stevens, then enroll in public Abbott preschool the following Fall.
HobokenSmileyFace
3:58 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
I agree with choochoo on both issues raised.
First, the statement that most toddlers go to either Kaplan or Stevens simply isn't true. Maybe it is because we live in a different part of town, but in our circle no child has gone to either of these programs.
Second, there is a big difference in being the youngest in the class based on whether you are female or male. Think about being the oldest girl in class and then going through puberty years before some of the boys in the class. That's an awkward position to be in when you are that age. "Red shirting" is something that I see as being more beneficial for boys - and not necessarily for academic reasons, but (unfortunately) for other reasons (e.g., earlier development of athletic skills). I do think it is wise that you are giving your daughter the option, though, based on how she will do next year. (The age gap that seems so huge right now will diminish, as time goes on.)
I also take exception to the statement that a lot of parents use the Abbott program as a substitute for daycare. I am not sure what that has to do with anything. If you have a child that is ready for school, why not have them attend? Why attach a judgment to that? Many households have two parents who work outside the home, or perhaps only a single parent. Why should you judge these people when you have the luxury of working from home?
p1ywood
7:52 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
I don't see how anyone can say that the Abbott program is a substitute for daycare! In my opinion it is far better than home care unless the parent has nothing else to do all day but engage the child in learning activities. Here's a test: if you ever sit the child in front of the TV so you can get something else done, they would be learning more in Abbott. This doesn't even speak to the essential socialization skills at Abbott. But to each their own. It has been my experience that the child is usually ready for Abbott before the parent is ready to send them. Here's hoping Abbott remains an option in Hoboken given what is going on at the state level.
Kathy Zucker
8:07 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
Plywood (sorry, couldn't reply directly to your comment): I have no idea whether Abbott is better than daycare or not, my kids have never been in either. But as far as cost goes, your average Hoboken daycare charges $1600/month versus $300/month at Abbott for the same hours. So yes, I think that is a very easy decision for parents who have been using daycares once their child becomes eligible for Abbott at age 3.
Kathy Zucker
8:22 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
And yes, it would be a shame if the Abbott program was a victim of budget cuts. If I had to make an uneducated guess, I would say they are probably going to institute means-testing (ie. families who earn above a certain amount have to pay for preschool). That seems like a fair compromise.
Kathy Zucker
4:46 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
I am not trying to judge others for their choices. What I am trying to say (and not succeeding, unfortunately) is that full-time pre-k is extremely unusual. It is not common outside of the NYC area, and I don't know anyone my age (I am 35) who went to pre-k at age 3, let alone for a full day.
I think it is terrific that Hoboken offers free public full-time pre-k, but I also think it is convenient for parents who send their kids to daycare. For about $300/month for before- and after-care, you can replicate daycare hours from 7:30am-6pm. I would actually prefer public part-time pre-k. If I had been permitted to put my daughter in part-time this year, chances are much higher we would have gone that route. But going from being home all the time to in school 5 days a week from 8:30am-2:30pm is a big, abrupt change. That's all I'm trying to say. And yes, I am extremely lucky to be able to work from home. Thank G-d for the internet.
Kathy Zucker
4:54 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
As far as the age issue goes re. when to attend school, it is largely a matter of personal preference. I think my daughter will catch up to her classmates socially, my husband wants her to be the oldest. That is why we compromised by sending her to part-time preschool this year and the Abbott 4s program next year.
Each parent knows their own child best, and also makes very tough choices. In our case, we chose to cut back on spending in other areas so we could send our daughter to part-time preschool this year. She started school in January because we didn't want to pay for the fall semester. We got a LOT of pressure to put her into the Abbott program this year, and waited until Sept to register her to see if she had a leap in verbal skills over the summer, but it didn't happen. We were 80% sure that putting her into the Abbott 3s this fall would be a bad idea; fortunately we will never know if that would have been the case.
She is happy and excited to go to school instead of scared and confused the way she was on the playground last fall; isn't that what every parent wants for their child, to love school?
p1ywood
6:55 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
While each child is unique here are a couple of things I would like to add to this dialog.
The first thing is I feel that a child is at a pretty strong socialization disadvantage if they do not attend pre-school. I have seen children enter kindergarten without pre-school who really had a rough time (crying at drop-off,etc.).
The second thing is if you elect not to get involved with pre-school until later (four, for example) then you really need to prioritize getting the potty training out of the way at home. If a child does not enter pre-school until late 4 or 5 the school will assume this is all out of the way by then.
For what it is worth, I agree that it is better for a boy or a girl to be one of the older ones in their class, especially if they enter the loop later. Otherwise there is a pretty significant risk of them developing "follower" behaviors at school. Just my opinion.
Kathy Zucker
7:22 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
I definitely agree with the drop-off issues and potty training. That is why I enrolled my daughter in Kidville this January; so she would get used to the school routine. It took her 6 weeks to stop freaking out at dropoff.
The potty training was another concern for us re. school. E. was potty trained as of Sept but had to be asked every couple of hours whether she had to go or else she would hold it in until she had an accident. Now she is 100% potty trained for both #1 & #2 except for the occasional nighttime pee accident.
And yes, the "follower" issue was a huge concern for us. The last thing we wanted was for our daughter to get pushed around in the beginning and have that be a pattern for her entire school career.
p1ywood
9:02 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
I don't know how the replies work on this site, so I am responding to what is said above about the Abbott program. My point, which seemed to be missed, is that Abbott is not daycare, it is much more structured learning, and is important preparation for kindergarten if the child is to enter kindergarten as prepared as possible. Unless bonding with the stay-at-home parent is the central issue, I think Abbott is a head and shoulders above staying at home in terms of learning for the child, as well as being experienced in a classroom environment. But to each their own.
Kathy Zucker
9:12 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
I get your point about preparedness for kindergarten. But kindergarten is not life. My good friend's mom is a kindergarten teacher, and she said that about half her class has been to preschool and the other half has not. The kids who have been home tend to be less advanced re. writing & #s at the start of the year, but they catch up by about halfway through.
The whole purpose of school is life preparedness, not kindergarten preparedness. And I agree, the quality of home education varies widely. My kids have a daily routine of supervised meals that I make sure they eat, reading books, playing outside on the terrace/watering & digging their plants, naps that last as long as they want. I work with my older child on writing letters and computer skills while my younger one naps. I really like the alternating home/school days and I think my kids do too.
Museum trips, walks in the park, teaching them about colors and counting as we go. I think the combination of home and part-time pre-k can really work when you have educated, affluent parents. But I know that is not always the case, so you are right, Abbott is most likely the best start in life for most kids.
p1ywood
9:34 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
Thanks for your thoughtful replies. I feel I have inadvertently offended your sensibilities, and I apologize; certainly we must all find our own parenting voice, none more valid than any other. To re-iterate, to each their own. All the best.
Kathy Zucker
11:06 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
No, this has actually been a really good conversation because it covers all the issues that kept coming up whenever I talked to other Hoboken moms about our school choice (I tried to get as much information as possible.) I thought about posting a link to the NYTimes article, "Who's the Best Mommy of Them All?" (http://nyti.ms/9dPl2N) but decided against it in the interest of keeping the tone positive.
One of the things I like best about Hoboken is we have such diversity. Different incomes, ethnicities, family makeup. I don't think there is one right way to raise a child. That's why I struggle when other parents have such strong opinions about things that I do not think are necessarily set in stone. But it makes it very difficult to write these columns because I sometimes make statements that are not universally applicable (ie. a lot of the kids with nannies in SW Hoboken do go to Stevens or Kaplan) and it leaves me open to criticism.
Am I extraordinarily lucky to be able to make the choices I have? Yes, I am. When my husband's company reorganized last year, my immediate panic reaction was to think, well, E. will be eligible for full-time Abbott in the fall, so that only leaves one kid to care for so I can go back to work full-time. Fortunately things worked out for the best, but my point is, there but for the grace of G-d go I. I try to be tolerant of other people's choices in the hope that they will extend the same favor to me.
Kathy Zucker
11:07 pm on Friday, March 26, 2010
And please, no need to apologize. I appreciate the conversation that has brought up so many relevant points.
Kathy Zucker
10:00 pm on Saturday, March 27, 2010
The other thing that occurred to me after our conversation, is that each child is different. My younger child, despite being a boy, is extremely precocious and verbal. He is arguably ready now for preschool (almost enrolled him in his sister's Kidville class but decided against it b/c of cost and wanting E. to have something special for herself). He has a winter birthday so will definitely be one of the oldest in his class. For him we plan on following the traditional path of drop-off classes when he is 2.5 followed by Abbott pre-k the next fall.
I think it is really easy to follow along the path that other local parents are following, but you have to listen to your gut when it tells you something is off, and explore alternatives. I feel extraordinarily lucky to have the ability to make such different choices for my children, but that was part of why my husband and I decided I would stay home; so our option pool would be larger.
p1ywood
11:16 pm on Saturday, March 27, 2010
I appreciate what you are saying, but if I am to be honest I have to say the following: my point remains that I see many men and women who feel that staying at home with their child is the "better" option than daycare or Abbott, and in some cases it is. I find the nanny route chosen often along the thought lines of: "it's better". Not necessarily. Nannies and Abbott programs vary quite widely. For many children and parents, daycare or Abbott is a better choice for the child, not just a financial reality or good for the pocketbook in general. Your (the author's) decisions / choices are different, and your options are broader than many. I suspect there are a least a few readers out there that are trying to navigate their options for their toddler, and to them I would suggest that there is a school of thought out there that people use daycare or Abbott "because they have to". That is not always the case, in some cases it is simply the right option for the child. Some children stagnate in home care. I know this is not a popular opinion amongst certain circles, and yes, you (the author) have effectively already stated your case as to your decision making process, and I concur that it was right for you. As you have said, each child is different, and to quote you again, there is no one right way to raise a child. In conclusion (and I'm saying the author has not done this) let's not confuse better and different. Another nod to your commentary, each parent must think for themselves.
Kathy Zucker
12:26 am on Sunday, March 28, 2010
I am on the HobokenMoms Yahoo! group pretty frequently, and my general sense is that nobody really knows what to do re. child care. It's really hard to generalize since there are big differences between daycares (there's some sort of war going on with dissatisfied parents, not really clear what the issues are) and between preschools. Sometimes having a lot of choice can make the decision harder, not easier.
I am not saying people use daycare b/c they have to. I am saying that if your child is already in daycare, it is an incredibly easy choice to move him/her to Abbott when they age into the program. I spoke to the World of Wonder director about this; she is certified to provide care up to age 5 but only goes up to 3 precisely b/c all the kids leave at that age.
B/c I am home, the choice to go to Abbott or not is very different than if we had to pay for child care. In reality, how many parents would pay for full-time preschool at age 3? If it wasn't free, how many kids would enroll? In Connecticut, public preschool starts at age 4 and is for mornings only. What I am saying is that I got a lot of pressure to use the Abbott program because everyone else in Hoboken does. Just because other people do it does not mean I automatically need to, and 99% of the United States does not do it. That is why I find the argument a bit thin that preschool is necessary at 3.
Kathy Zucker
12:32 am on Sunday, March 28, 2010
Also, my decision to stay home had nothing to do with Abbott. I didn't know the program existed when my daughter was born; another mom told me about it when E. was about a year old. I am home because my husband and I couldn't handle the demands of two high-pressure careers. We both used to work 60+ hours a week. That would have been very difficult to handle either w/daycare or a nanny. We waited to have kids until we were financially stable enough to manage on one income. I actually thought for the longest time that I would be the one working full-time. Life doesn't always work out the way you expect, but we are really happy with the way things turned out.
Kathy Zucker
12:46 am on Sunday, March 28, 2010
Every single family is dealing with a different set of circumstances. It's impossible to apply cookie cutter standards even two families appear identical. For example, fertility is very difficult to manage. Pregnancies can take a lot longer or faster than you expect, and that impacts child development.
A huge part of why my daughter was not ready for Abbott 3s this fall was because she had never done a dropoff class before. Why? Because she has a brother who is 18 months younger than her. If we had waited another year to have him, then I would have been taking E. to dropoff classes last year and maybe she would have been ready for preschool this fall. I had trouble getting out of the house last year because I had an infant who would not sleep in his stroller. We did Mommy & Me classes all last year that both kids could go to, in between naps.
Each child does not exist in a void. The other members of the family exert influence that impacts each other. The reason why my second child is so precocious is because he sees everything his sister does and emulates her. He REALLY wanted to join her preschool class, that is why I almost enrolled him.
Home care, day care, nannies vs. staying home, it's really difficult to say what is the right way to go. We are all pioneers in managing our families, doing the best we can. I think those of us who agonize will be all right. We stress b/c we care, and chances are our kids will be all right b/c we care.
Kathy Zucker
1:30 am on Sunday, March 28, 2010
Also, rereading your comment, I don't necessarily think being home is superior to daycare or a nanny. It depends on the person; some people are not suited to being home. I am extremely domestic, always have been, and I love being home. I like cooking and sewing, and having the time to hunt for bargains, which is kind of necessary since we lost my income :(
Because I am happy, the kids are happy, and the days progress naturally. They bring me over books to read them, we goto Barnes & Noble to pick out new ones, and the kids are just very content. Every person I meet says I wrangle them very well, but I know almost no women who are as domestic as I am. So the right choice for me is not necessarily the right choice for other moms. I AM saying I got tons of pressure to do what everyone else does, and I am really, really tired of it. We chose a different path and it worked out well for us; I think we each need to trust ourselves to do what is right for our family, be it daycare/nanny/Abbott/staying home.
p1ywood
9:37 am on Sunday, March 28, 2010
Unsure why every broad comment I make is being dealt with as an affront. I am speaking in general terms, and am taking pains to make this clear.
Kathy Zucker
10:32 am on Sunday, March 28, 2010
That is my point; you are being too general. It is very easy to hide behind a pseudonym and question other moms' choices. You will notice I have not asked you about your choices for your children or how old they are. That is because I am sure you are doing what is best for your family.
Circumstances change, each child is different, nobody knows in advance what the right thing is for our children. All we can do is gather information and make our decisions based off of it. We have to trust ourselves that the choices we make are not going to mess our kids up for life; if you take a poll of 30 year old college graduates, I would bet most of them were not breastfed, yet they are healthy and able to earn a living.
With the economy so crappy, some moms may not have a choice other than to be home. It's a tough situation when you have a kid in daycare b/c who wants to pay for childcare if you don't have to? But if you find a job quickly, you don't want to forfeit your kid's daycare spot.
What I am saying is nobody knows 100% of what goes into other people's child care choices, and even making broad generalizations is inadequate. All I can write is what I know. Other people are entitled to their own opinions, but I should not have to defend every tiny choice I make as if it were going to predestine my children for failure. I am sure they will be fine even if I do make mistakes, but that is part of life. Maybe they can look back and learn from my mistakes.
p1ywood
11:00 am on Sunday, March 28, 2010
Thank you again for your response. I am not seeking to judge anyone, and our wavelength may be closer than we know. Perhaps we are each trying to make the same point, that no one should feel pressured to fit any contextual role, or conform to any 'norm'. Each should seek their own truth. That is my point. Peace.
Kathy Zucker
11:03 am on Sunday, March 28, 2010
Very true, I think you are right, we are trying to say the same thing from different approaches.
And you are also right that my columns might sway some moms toward staying home simply because I am so happy being home. So it is good to interject other points of view so that people get a more comprehensive sense of their child care options.
AnneBoelyn
6:48 pm on Sunday, March 28, 2010
Kathy, I enjoyed reading your perspective and as a fellow Hoboken mom, thought I'd weigh in on a couple issues.
First, regarding Abbott, the school's website recently published the news that funding will stay the same for the 2010-11 school year. We know also that Abbott in Hoboken will get some funding and remain a designated Abbott district for the 2011-2012 school year (as mandated by the N.J. Supreme Court in a decision dated last May). However, funding could be less for 2011-2012 so there could be a sliding-scale cost implemented based on income. For the 2012-2013 school year, Hoboken will lose its status as an Abbott district (see the same Supreme Court decision). Therefore, if the preschool program is to continue beyond 2012, it will have to be funded by the city of Hoboken. Given Hoboken's ongoing financial crisis, I think once we lose Abbott district status, it is reasonable to believe that the preschool program will 1) cease to exist entirely, or 2) the city will contract with the preschool providers (Mile Square, Hopes, and Catapult) to continue providing preschool, but at a cost to parents.
AnneBoelyn
6:50 pm on Sunday, March 28, 2010
(Continued . . .)
My daughter will turn three this summer and enter Abbott this fall. We feel fortunate that she will get the benefit of the last two years of free (or at least partially funded in 2011-12) preschool. Our infant won't be eligible for preschool until 2012-13, so we know there will be no Abbott for her.
My personal experience is that of the few children I know who attend preschools like Kaplan and Stevens, most will stay there and not attend Abbott. Far more families I know who intend to send their kids to Abbott at three have children in daycare now or their kids stay at home with parents or nannies.
In our case, our daughter has attended part -time daycare at Prime Time for the past year and it has been a wonderful experience. Prime Time, while a daycare, really functions much like a preschool when the children turn 2.5. We think it has been a wonderful environment. We researched private preschools and also considered keeping our daughter at Prime Time and ultimately decided that in addition to the great benefit of cost, we are truly impressed with the Tools of the Mind curriculum that was adopted by the Abbott providers two years ago. If you haven't already, I highly recommend reading about the Tools of the Mind curriculum in a New York Times Magazine article from September 27, 2009 (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27tools-t.html), as well as a chapter of the curriculum included in Po Bronson's excellent book, Nurture Shock.
Kathy Zucker
7:11 pm on Sunday, March 28, 2010
Great article, thanks for posting the link! I really appreciate your weighing in; sounds like you have really done your research re. Abbott. I know five families who sent their children to Kaplan or Stevens; four are enrolled in Abbott and the fifth is in a charter school. Not a huge segment of the population, so I could well be off in my assumption about the transition to Abbott.
However, I do not think I am off in saying that most 2.5 year olds in Hoboken attend part-time preschool and then attend Abbott. I would be very curious to see how the income/cost scenario plays out over the next couple of years, and to see how many parents stay with their current daycares or pay for the formerly public Tools of the Mind program. If part-time is an option, I would be very interested in that for my son since chances are he will still be napping at the point (my daughter does at almost 4) and I would rather that he sleeps at home. Plus I don't want to pay for full-time preschool, which must be more expensive.
AnneBoelyn
7:27 pm on Sunday, March 28, 2010
Kathy, it just sounds like we know different people. I'd like to make an important point that I believe you missed, however. While I agree that many 2.5-year-olds in Hoboken attend part-time preschool or daycare before Abbott, that is only in the case of the children of higher-income residents. I would hazard to guess that the vast majority of low-income students (of which there are many--and why we were designated an Abbott district in the first place) do not attend preschool before Abbott. They simply cannot afford it and likely stay home with relatives or attend in-home daycares. We pay almost $800 a month for two days of daycare--preschool is even more expensive. This is simply not an option for many of Hoboken's residents. I think it is very important to remember the full demographics of our city when making generalizations. Especially because Abbott was never intended for higher-income residents (and precisely why we will lose our Abbott status). We are incredibly fortunate to be able to benefit from the wonderful free public preschool over the next couple years, and only are able to because of the large segment of our city who decidedly do not attend any preschool prior to Abbott because they simply cannot afford to do so.
Kathy Zucker
8:05 pm on Sunday, March 28, 2010
I am aware of the fact that many children do not attend preschool at 2.5; my daughter did not start preschool until this past January when she was 3.5. We did a few Mommy & Me classes when she was 2.5, but it was more for socialization than anything else. We couldn't afford private preschool last year, plus we felt that my working with her at home was comparable. She could have started Abbott in Sept but we felt strongly that would have been the wrong choice.
The reason why I did not address the income issue is because I think many daycares, like Prime Time and World of Wonder, do a fine job of teaching children with certified teachers once they reach 2.5.
We made a conscious choice to forfeit my income by my staying home, which made our budget very tight (hence no preschool last year for E.) If I am home working with my kids, helping them with their homework and supplementing their schooling with museum trips and books, I think that is just as good as private school.
You are right, many lower-income children don't have this advantage and thus Abbott preschool is the best place for them. But many of the people I know who use Abbott have incomes well above the NJ average, which is supported by Hoboken losing Abbott status. That is why I think an income-based fee schedule would be very fair. I also think most high-income parents would not pay for full-time preschool at age 3.
AnneBoelyn
8:17 pm on Sunday, March 28, 2010
Kathy, I agree with you completely! (I just think sometimes a lot of us parents don't address the lower-income students and I believe we should be more conscious of doing so.) I think an income-based fee schedule is really the only fair way to go once we lose our Abbott status. For so many low-income people, free preschool allows parents to work and also exposes their children to opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have (like the Mommy and Me classes you and I have taken our children to.) But for people who have enough money to stay at home (we are in the same situation as you), I agree that in no way is preschool necessary for a three-year-old. I think parents can create environments at home that are wonderful, and you are right--just as good (or even better) than private preschool. It really depends on the child. In our daughter's case--she's just ready. She thrives at Prime Time and I think will enjoy "real" five-day-a-week preschool next fall. Will my younger daughter be ready at three? There's no way to know--only time will tell. If Abbott were not around, we'd probably keep our daughter at Prime Time and continue what we are doing now because I have a hard time justifying paying 11,000 or more for private preschool! So, for us and every other family, it really boils down to: what your child is ready for, how available you can be and the environment at home, and finances. It sounds like both you and me have been able to find the right options for our children!
MominHoboken
11:30 pm on Sunday, March 28, 2010
I think that you should say something like "a few of the options available for preschool are..." if you are not going to mention them all. Just off the top of my head there are also the options of All Saints, Hoboken Catholic or The Nest at Mustard Seed School, the last having many part time options. I appreciate your article but I am simply saying that if you are going to tackle a topic like this and use statements like "most toddlers..." I expect that some research has been done and it seems to be lacking to me if you think that is the route most people take in this town.
Also, why do you think that most parents would not pay for fulltime preschool? Maybe I am not understanding what you meant by that statement because many in this town do precisely that.
I do appreciate you giving your opinion to us, it is just that when someone reads this and doesn't know about all the options they may believe that the ones you have mentioned are the only ones.
Kathy Zucker
1:05 am on Monday, March 29, 2010
Thanks for your comments, you are correct, there are many part-time private preschools in Hoboken other than the ones I mentioned. This is what happens when I write columns in the middle of the night; I have gotten a lot of flack for that "most" statement! My intent was to say that most 2.5 year olds in Hoboken attend part-time preschool and then transition to Abbott.
To clarify, when I say full-time preschool, I mean a full day (8:30am-2:30pm). My sense is that most parents prefer for their 3 year olds to attend school for half days. Unless the child is transitioning from daycare (and therefore is used to being out of the house for 8-10 hours each day) I doubt most parents would pay for 5 full days a week for a 3 year old (the cost is also a factor since it is double the half-day price). If you look at the Mustard Seed School's fact sheet, a full day is not even an option for 2009-10, although it is available in 2010-11. http://www.mustardseedschool.org/about/fact-sheet
Just my opinion, of course. We will have an opportunity to see if I am correct in two years when NJ cuts Abbott funding.
jc131
12:16 pm on Monday, March 29, 2010
I am probably one of the few people who will actually say that I'm happy that Abbott funding will be pulled from Hoboken in 2 year. The majority population of Hoboken is made up of middle and upper middle class, with some lower income familes. The Abbott program was not created to support towns like Hoboken.
While you can say all you want that the Abbott Pre K is not "daycare", I thoroughly disagree. You will be hard pressed to find many towns which offer full day preschool (even full day Kindergarten is not offered in some districts). And, many of my friends like to point out to me that their daycare programs for their Preschoolers are set up very much like a school setting. When you are in school from 9 to 3 at 3 years of age, what would you call it? It's daycare. I'm sure I am going to offend a lot of people with my statements, but if it walks, quacks, and looks like a duck, it is a duck.
In the end, we have tons of people who can well afford daycare who are getting free childcare that is paid for by other taxpayers in this state. This is unfair, especially considering the financial dire straits that NJ is in. It actually disgusts me that the city of Hoboken spends $25K per student, while much better school districts spend far, far less.
Journey
2:00 pm on Friday, October 15, 2010
My husband has an opposite concern. Our little sunshine is almost two. She knows you go to the doctor when you are sick. I know this when she was 18 months old, because on the second day in row that she pointed to the doctors office emphatically gesturing she wanted to go there, I took her. Despite showing no symptoms, the doctor did s strep test because it had been going around. She had strep.
So my little one has a fall birthday, and will be among one of the older children in school, when all along she has been promoted ahead of her age in daycare. She moved into 12-18 month class early. Moved from the 18-24 month class early. Her daddy is concerned she will be bored. As a person that was older than my class mates (I missed the cut off by 25 days), I know that school can get boring. I thinks she will be fine. We will challenge her academically at home and involve her in extra activities like Girl Scouts.
I'm a firm believer in a child's ability to adapt if they have supportive parents.