77th (2013) Session
Opinions
View all submitted comments for each bill by the most recent, by votes for, or by votes against.
| SB182 | ||
| - | ||
| Against | The schools are short on classrooms now! Kids need to grow some before they are expected to pay attention to teachers 5 is just to young!!! | May-18-2013 |
| For | I currently teach in a Head Start program and next year will be teaching early childhood in the school district. Full day kindergarten is essential to helping students engage in learning during the critical time of their development. Most of a child's development happens within the first 5 years of life. Early childhood teaches important concepts in order to learn in school. Early childhood teaches social skills, problem solving skills, self regulation skills, pre-academic skills, a love of school and learning and cooperating with peers. Investing money and time in early childhood will help solve bigger problems later on when the children reach high school and beyond. With the state of education in Nevada it is imperative for children to receive an education that starts early. This effect of full day kindergarten will help students throughout their academic career because it will give them a "head start" in their development. Full day kindergarten will benefit all children and is necessary to helping the education in Nevada. | May-18-2013 |
| For | I am a teacher currently working in Head Start. I have a bachelor's degree in psychology from DePaul University in Chicago, IL. I am currently working on my Masters in ECE/SPED at UNLV. As a educator of young children, it is incredibly obvious to me that children need and want education at a young age. Working with three to five-year olds, I can tell you that it is so much easier for my three year olds to pick up skills and knowledge, then it is for my new five year olds who have never been in school. So the fact that this state does not require children to attend school until the age of 7 is quite frankly appalling. Lowering the age requirement for school will make sure that we're not wasting two critical years of a child's educational development. Full day kindergarten will prepare children academically for their elementary years but it will give them the socio/emotional skills to succeed in upper elementary, middle school, high school, and life. Too many of our children in this district do not know how to manage their feelings, work out their problems through negotiation and compromise, or balance the needs of self and others. Kindergarten (especially full day kindergarten) allows them to do that in a setting with their peers. In a time of limited resources, an investment in early childhood education and kindergarten is a wise investment that has a big return. Would you rather spend more money down the road trying to fix large problems that could have been prevented or do you want to invest a little now and set these children up for success? | May-18-2013 |
| For | May-17-2013 | |
| For | May-17-2013 | |
| For | May-17-2013 | |
| For | May-14-2013 | |
| For | We need free full day kindergarten to help families and kids get a good start to their academic careers. The long-term benefits to communities, both local and national cannot be disputed! ECE works. | May-14-2013 |
| Against | I just don't think the money is there, and I think the goal of lessening class sizes should be focused on first. | May-09-2013 |
| For | May-04-2013 | |
| For | I support this bill. if you can add an amendment, a child under the NRS stated age should be allowed to test in to 1st grade similar to how a child who does not take kindergarten can test in to 1st grade. If a child can pass the test, let them in school!! | May-04-2013 |
| Against | May-02-2013 | |
| For | It is imperative that ALL students attend required full day kindergarten. We should have been requiring this for years. The standards are too high for us to take the chance that students aren't getting everything they need at that age. | May-02-2013 |
| For | Nevada's public schools need help we are last in the nation for performance standards. This bill could be game changer for the students of Nevada. This may be the kick start our public schools need to move up in performance. Core standards will improve with this bill because the students will be working on fundamentals much earlier . Many of our students in Nevada are not prepared for first grade this bill would correct this failure in our system. Maybe Nevada can be first in education some day and then and only then will business want to move here. | Apr-29-2013 |
| For | Please pass this bill. | Apr-28-2013 |
| For | Apr-25-2013 | |
| For | full kinder should a part of the school and we should not pay extra for it. Kindergarten is an important stage for children in order to be competent when going to 1st grade. Full day is essential for children self-esteen and social engagement. | Apr-23-2013 |
| Against | The academic problems facing our children are not solved by extending the time they spend in the classroom. The deeper issue involves defective curriculum and lower standards. | Apr-23-2013 |
| For | Apr-22-2013 | |
| For | Our children NEED full-day kindergarten. There is so much more for them to learn vs. 20-30 years ago. Plus, the longer period of socializing is so very important in today's world of video games, TV and Internet. Please vote YES! | Apr-22-2013 |
| For | Children age 5 and above should be in full day kindergarten, they need the extra curriculum and parent should not be forced to pay for it. Children who does not go to kindergarten fall behind in 1st grade and having harder time socially and academically. Kindergarten age children should be in a supervised, structured environment, keeping change to a minimum, therefore they should stay in the same school/class until 2-3pm. | Apr-22-2013 |
| For | Apr-22-2013 | |
| Against | Nevada's education problem is not a money problem. We can't keep throwing money down a rabbit hole expecting our kids to be like others that have high scores. Fix what is wrong within! The education system WAS never supposed to raise our children, it was there to educate them! Remember? 2+2=4, not what sexual orientation they want to be, not to babysit them, not to feed them, morning noon and weekends. The government, if anything, should make the parents more accountable for their children instead of babysitting them so the parents can check out! This is a societal problem, not a money problem. Nevada is already broke! | Apr-18-2013 |
| Against | This bill is just a child-care bill and also allows the government to indoctrinate our children at a younger age! | Apr-15-2013 |
| Against | This is just an expansion of child care...no teacher should be subjected to this, and it is up to the parents to raise their child...not the school district. What the heck are we coming to! | Apr-14-2013 |
| For | Apr-14-2013 | |
| Against | Some children are simply not ready for kindergarten shortly after they have reached the age of 5. Please allow parents to use their discretion regarding this issue. | Apr-12-2013 |
| Against | It should be the parent's decision when a child is old enough for school, not the state's. We are not Fords created on an assembly line. We are not all ready for the social stress of school at the same time (and few children are ready for all-day school at the young age of 5!). This is a decision that should be left in the hands of those who know a child best, their parents. Besides this, this is an awfully expensive expansion of the public school system for something has NO proof of helping. There is no evidence that supports the idea that children do better when they start school earlier or stay longer. In fact, there is some evidence that it causes burnout and does way more harm than good. Don't saddle the taxpayer with this expensive bill and don't remove the parent's right to decide what is best for their own child. | Apr-12-2013 |
| Against | Parents know best when their child is ready for school. Age 7 has worked for decades - why change what already works? | Apr-12-2013 |
| Against | Apr-12-2013 | |
| Against | Mandatory school attendance at age 7 has worked for decades. There is no solid evidence that earlier exposure to institutional learning makes a difference. NV can't afford the cost of all day Kindergarten and most 5yos can't handle a full day of school anyway. Vote no on this bill. Keep NV taxes lower. | Apr-12-2013 |
| Against | Parents have the right to educate their children as they please. This bill prevents educational freedom for families. Please, please, please oppose this bill. | Apr-12-2013 |
| Against | That decision should be left to the parent | Apr-12-2013 |
| Against | Apr-11-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-11-2013 | |
| Against | Confining 5 year olds to a full school day is just asking for fat, unhappy children who completely despise school by the 3rd grade. What is a convenience for working parents (and no doubt school teachers) is nothing short of a punishment for most children. | Apr-11-2013 |
| Against | Apr-11-2013 | |
| Against | SB182 lowers the age for mandatory school attendance from 7 to 5 years old. This will be very costly to the taxpayers. It takes away a parents right to determine when their child is ready for school. Lowering the mandatory age for school attendance especially hurts little boys who are at least a year behind girls developmentally, creating more discipline and learning problems. Whats wrong with the old law this new law will cost taxpayers 99 million dollars that we don't have. Why do we continue to pour money into our schools which are overrun by illegal immigrants and anchor babies. | Apr-11-2013 |
| Against | The educators have gone nuts again in another effort to cement their power base. Five-year-olds find it difficult to be in all-day school so it will result in some pretty expensive baby-sitting. The cost of all-day kindergarten school will be a burden on our school system in Nevada so you know what comes next -- MORE TAXES! | Apr-11-2013 |
| Against | So we're does NV come up with another $90 million we already don't have? I'm a licensed elementary educator. All day kindergarten equals half day learning and a half day of government paid child care. They are too young to be in a class for that long of a time. Our country was on top with half day kindergarten, tough standards and most importantly engaged and involved parents. The more we expect the school house to raise our children the less ownership and responsibility parents take in raising their children and the result is a weaker education system made up of less knowledgable students and weaker societies with greater debt problems!!! | Apr-11-2013 |
| Against | Apr-11-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-11-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-11-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-11-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-11-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-11-2013 | |
| Against | Parents should decide when and if their children are ready to go to school. The government should not mandate this. Children should be raised by their parents not shipped off to be raised by the government at 5 years. | Apr-11-2013 |
| Against | I am a homeschooling mother of 4 (soon to be 5). My children have all started some form of education before the age of 7 because my husband and I decided that they were ready. However this is not the case with many families for various reason. Please allow the parents to decide when their child(ren) are ready intellectually, emotionally, and socially ready for school rather than passing this bill SB 182 into law. Thank you for allowing the exemption for 5 years olds, but that is not enough! This bill would take away the decision of when to begin schooling away from the parents. Please keep parental rights intact. Thank you! | Apr-11-2013 |
| Against | Apr-11-2013 | |
| For | Please leave the decision for 5 & 6 year olds up to their parents. They know the children best. | Apr-11-2013 |
| Against | I am opposed to this bill. While there are some children and families that would benefit from early attendance not all are mature enough to be able to handle the academic stresses let alone the social ones. Additionally our educational system is under enough duress financially and not able to handle current situations. Why add more to it when it isn't necessary. | Apr-11-2013 |
| For | Full-day kindergarten should be available to all students to best prepare them for 1st grade. Also, part-day kindergarten creates child-care issues for parents who work full-time. | Apr-11-2013 |
| Against | Not needed and a burden. This will not make a difference in improving education. This bill does not address the facts. | Apr-11-2013 |
| Against | Apr-11-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-11-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | It has been my experience that not all children are ready at age five and as such have had to repeat kindergarten or first grade, while waiting for their minds to mature to their peer level. Parents should be in charge, not the state, especially at this young age. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | this bill is the perfect example of legislative INCOMPETENCE!!! At this particular time, in this particular economy, and the legislature decides it needs to spend more money on completely unnecessary programs such as DAY LONG KINDERGARTEN, and the desire to get you hooks into children at an earlier age. BF Skinner's proposals were meant to create good little mind numbed socialists, not fully functioning independently thinking human beings. The Home School Movement just grew by leaps and bounds, you arrogant selfish and bought off bastards!!! We will be demanding a reduction in our property taxes very soon as well. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Vote NO on SB182 lowers the age for mandatory school attendance from 7 to 5 years old. This will be very costly to the taxpayers. It takes away a parents right to determine when their child is ready for school. Lowering the mandatory age for school attendance especially hurts little boys who are at least a year behind girls developmentally, creating more discipline and learning problems. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Keep the current law as is. Let the mother decide when her child is mature enough for school. Do not mess with home-schoolers. AB163 and SB182 are just schemes to run day care at government expense | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Parental discretion as to the appropriate age for children to start formal education should never be taken away by the government. It is nothing more than a sop to the teachers unions and is a slap at every parent who wished to home school their child. Many children at age 5 are not mature enough to start school and only the parents are in position to know. Schools are already strapped for funding and this effort will only increase the demand by teachers unions to raise taxes to support this effort. We already have way too much interference from government in the way our kids are educated and this has led to less and less real essential education and more and more indoctrination. Vote no on SB182 and protect parental rights. Studies have demonstrated time and time again that many children are in fact handicapped by starting school to early and they suffer the rest of their lives and many don't graduate because they were hampered in their schooling early in life. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | I oppose this bill because it takes away the rights of parents to properly care for their kids and decide when they are ready for formal education and how that should be accomplished. It also takes away the rights of kids to a good education by forcing them all into a single mold based on age rather than any other abilities, aptitudes, or temperaments. Forcing all kids together is frustrating to all, inhibiting the faster and overwhelming the slower. This is an unnecessary and expensive proposition for the state of Nevada. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Let kids be kids for a while and while you're at it, let parents make decisions for them. Children have their entire lives ahead of them for formal education and work. This bill removes 2 of those precious years and replaces it with cookie-cutter curriculum, removing necessary un-structured play, which is truly an education in itself. The option is already in place for those parents who choose to send their kids to all-day kindergarten. Making it mandatory only further expands the reach of this ever-growing nanny state government. As a parent, I understand how some may see this as an easy and affordable form of day care for those who don't want to or cannot be with their young kids during the day. I get it - raising kids is hard work and it requires a lot of time. But as parents we signed up for this. Please don't force those of us who don't want to loose those few precious years of their youth and all that goes with it; discovering new things, learning ABC's, colors, and counting gradually, rather than in a forced setting. Additionally, how are we going to pay for this? As a nation and state we're not just broke, we're deeply in debt. Adding additional expensive and unnecessary programs is not going to bring our deficit down. Please use some common sense and vote against this bill. Thank you. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Mandatory Kindergarten is an unnecessary expansion of government intrusion into the lives of parents. Parents should have the right to opt out of kindergarten for their children. Some children are not ready for school at age five. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | This is not neccessary and may be against a child and parents best interest. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Don't take more control from parents. Don't increase state spending through this mandate. | Apr-10-2013 |
| For | As a Kindergarten Teacher in Clark County I BEG of you....Please think of the children. I teach a split morning/afternoon class and I can easily state that there is a HUGE difference in the academic levels (based on test scores)in coparison to the three other FULL Day Kindergarten classes here at my school. Exposure to new concepts, time to explore, create, own their own learning...just doesn't happen in 2 and 1/2 hours a day. I know what they need to succeed in first grade. Do you? | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | What in the &%$# are you thinking?!!! The state is already broke. Concentrate on cutting the budget and reducing taxes. This is a nanny state program through and through. You really do want to be like California and its failed system. Have you thought about abolishing prevailing wages? No. Have you thought about public employee pension reform? No. Have you thought about cutting out public employee retiree health insurance? No. Please adjourn NOW!!!!! | Apr-10-2013 |
| For | Remove Section 8 or allow parents to opt out for 5- and 6-year-olds. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Not only do I think Kindergarten should remain half day but I believe it is also imperative that children begin school when they are ready, NOT when the government imposes mandatory day care. Please do NOT allow SB182 to pass. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | parent must decide and assist children in learning environment | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Please remove Section 8 of the bill lowering the compulsory attendance age to 5, or provide for an exemption for 5- and 6-year-olds, giving parents the right to decide when their children are ready to attend school. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | I do not want it to be mandatory for children to enter school at 5 yrs. of age. I also do not want full day kindergarten. Let kids be kids. Let parents enjoy them. I do not understand why you are trying to take children away from parents at such a young age. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Please leave formal education for children ages 5 and 6 as optional. Parents are best able to decide what is best for their own children, and we don't need the additional financial burden of many more very young children in school. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Parents should decide whether their children are prepared for the rigors of regular school. A blanket, one-age-fits-all regulation is misguided. | Apr-10-2013 |
| For | LET'S LET KID'S BE KID'S FOR A WHILE, WE DON'T NEED THIS NANNY GOVERNMENT TELLING PARENTS WHAT TO DO & BESIDES IT'S MORE MONEY FROM THE TAX PAYER'S. I'M TIRED OF NEW TAXES ALWAYS FOR EDUCATION. THAT'S ALL WE EVER HEAR!!! | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | I have a 5 year old at home. I chose for a number of reasons to defer his start into kindergarten. If for no other reason, it gives him one more year to be in our home with his mother. Regarding full day kindergarten - it's unnecessary. My 5 year old does NOT need to be in school all day. Let these children be children. Spend the money on reducing the class sizes. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | I ask you to vote NO. I oppose mandatory all day kindergarten. Not all children need all day kindergarten. This proposed model of one size fits all is inappropriate. Many, many children enter the first grade with skills beyond basic requirements. There are many parents who actually do their job of preparing their child for school. Why require all children to attend all day? If you are trying to pass all day day-care - do that and be upfront about it. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| For | It's a good thing. Just vote yes. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | NO on SB182 Parents will have no say if they think that their child is ready or not for school. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | It is already available for those that want it. More government control of our everyday lives. You are using my money to pay to force those into doing what they don't want or need to. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Parents should not be forced to enroll kids at age 5. I believe 5 is too young to start Kindergarten. There are already provisions for parents to enroll their kids voluntarily at age 5 if they wish. This bill is not needed. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | The more we weaken the family, the more we weaken society. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Before forcing children to start school at an earlier age, fix our horrible schools to actually educate. Nevada has one of the worst systems in the US. Don't add more years of babysitting instead of education. Allow parents to decide. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| For | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Stop making people do things against their will! This is contrary to the foundation of freedom upon which this country was founded. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| For | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | Please don't vote for this. All we here is how schools are underfunded and now we want to force more children in the classroom? Let the parents decide. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Parents can presently choose to enroll their child at age 5. This mandate is unnecessary, and limits parental choice. I strongly oppose this legislation. | Apr-10-2013 |
| Against | Apr-10-2013 | |
| Against | I am against lowering the compulsory age for school from 7 to 5. Parents should be able to make this choice when they believe their children are ready for school. Please leave section 8 the same at 7 years of age or include an exemption for parents that opt-out. | Apr-09-2013 |
| Against | Apr-09-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-09-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-09-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-09-2013 | |
| Against | It is time our legislators stayed out of our lives and legislate something good for the voters like lower DMV fees | Apr-09-2013 |
| For | Apr-08-2013 | |
| Against | Not acceptable to be mandatory formal school at age 5. Undermines parental judgment and rights. | Apr-08-2013 |
| For | As a Kinder teacher and I never thought I would vote to increase the school day for these 5 year olds, HOWEVER, with the adoption of the Common Core Standards and the fact that we now expect Kinder students to learn what was formly the 1st grade curriculum, it has become essential to provide more time and instruction for them to master these skills. Kindergartners are now expected to: master 50-100 sightwords; read decodable texts with comprehension; write three or more sentences on a given theme using correct grammar, punctuation, and penmanship; recognize shapes & describe them in detail using terms such as "angles, sides and faces; count to 100 by ones and tens; add and subtract; compose and decompose numbers; identify and order numbers 0-20; and master numerous other skills and concepts. In addition to this we are required to test students one-on-one so often that even full day Kindergarten teachers have difficulty completing all the MANDATED testing. We could require parents to teach all these concepts, but the majority won't even help their child with homework or read to them. Without the extended day, more than 90% of the students in our district end up under-prepared for 1st grade. Research would show that this lack of preparation in the lower grades is the main cause of NV's high drop out rate. | Apr-08-2013 |
| For | Early education is extremely important and produces future dividends for the taxpayer. If you do not pay for education, you pay later in many areas; crime, welfare assistance, uninformed citizens and much more. | Apr-08-2013 |
| For | Apr-08-2013 | |
| Against | This sounds like something that the teachers' unions have paid to get. If a community wants a full-day kindergarten, they can establish one. This is an unnecessary expense and burden on many communities that do not want or need it. | Apr-08-2013 |
| For | Apr-08-2013 | |
| Against | To me this is just an expended day care program meaning they will receive more "state directed instructions". When will parents accept more responsiblity for their childrens education? Many of them are more interested in working to obtain "worldly goods" than in giving time to their children. Why did they have kids in the first place? | Apr-08-2013 |
| Against | Preschool and kindergarten are just an extension of public school baby sitting. Both are useless in terms of any lasting value in terms of real education. Why waste the money when public "education" has proven to be a total failure? | Apr-08-2013 |
| Against | Parents should have the right to decide what is best for their children's education. | Apr-08-2013 |
| Against | Parents know their children best. Not all children are ready to sit in all day kindergarten by age 5. Do not lower the required age of attendance to 5 years old. Let's keep some flexibility in the system so all parents can make the best choice for their children. | Apr-08-2013 |
| Against | Or Amend—I think parents should be allowed to decide whether or not their child is ready for school before the age of 7. In my opinion and experience, many are not. | Apr-08-2013 |
| Against | Apr-08-2013 | |
| Against | Although some children may be ready for school at the age of 5, many are not, this decision should be left to the parents, so that children may begin school successfully at the age that is best for them both emotionally and academically. | Apr-07-2013 |
| Against | I would much prefer to see this decision left in the hands of parents. Some children are ready for school at age 5, but not all, I would rather see a child start school when they are ready, at their parents decision, than a child having to repeat a grade because they started school simply because of their age and not because of readiness. | Apr-07-2013 |
| Against | There are many reasons I oppose this bill, but in interest of brevity, what this proposes is too much too quickly. If we are honest with ourselves, it must be acknowledged that the Nevada educational system is already over burdened and under performing. Expanding the student base at this time would likely make matters worse. The recent failure of the ballot initiative to expand school funding would seem to be indication enough that Nevadan's want the school system to demonstrate some measure of consistent success in the current role before taking on added responsibilities. Thank you for your time and service! | Apr-07-2013 |
| For | It absolutely does make a difference. Let's give our children the best possible start. | Apr-07-2013 |
| Against | Apr-07-2013 | |
| Against | I am not against full day Kindergarten, however, I do not see that this is affordable for our state's school districts at this time. I am against lowering the mandatory school attendance age from 7 to 5. As a former public school teacher, now parenting multiple children, I do not see this as necessary legislation. The age a child begins receiving a formal education is a parental decision. | Apr-07-2013 |
| Against | NO, NO, NO, NO!!!! what is wrong with you people. this is nothing but a "free" babysitting service and an expansion of the power of the school district. this is so wrong...how about lowering taxes instead of expanding a sink hole. | Apr-07-2013 |
| Against | Apr-07-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-07-2013 | |
| For | SB 182, making full day kindergarten a priority, does not go far enough fast enough. If kindergarten is so important then do it now and for do it for everyone. If funding isn’t there today then change the system from a maybe K-12 to a everyone K-11. Think about compressing year 12 into an optional extended school day and/or school year during grades 9 through 11. If necessary divert the Millennium scholarship funds to get it done. When students don’t have the proper education to succeed after graduation or in college then what’s the point? UNLV certainly discovered the hard way that any reliance upon student grade averages for admitting our local high school students didn’t work at all. Given a great head start with early education and learning maybe we can overcome current deficiencies in education because of overcrowded classrooms and under-funded schools by changing the approach now. It would be interesting and even educational to see the Clark County school district shift existing teaching resources so that class sizes in the early years are small and very focused then over time gradually ramp up class size as the years progress. For those students that expect to attend college get use to 50 or 60 student in a class before you arrive on campus. Whatever we are doing today doesn’t work so either lead, follow or get out of the way. Try something new and do it now. Its not just time we are wasting it is also the lives of current and future generations. | Apr-07-2013 |
| Against | some children are not mature enough at age five to start attending full-day kindergarten. It should be up to the parents to decide when to start children in school. | Apr-07-2013 |
| Against | Apr-06-2013 | |
| Against | As an educator, parent, and physician, mandatory full-day kindergarten is not in the best interest of our children in general. There are families where this would be helpful and appreciated, but the mandatory aspect is ill-advised. The best case scenario for physical, mental, and emotional development of young children is best provided for in the presence of a loving interactive family. Separation of young children from the home before their physical, mental and emotional development has reached an age where exploration outside of the home is desired and sought after decreases their potential to be self-assured, creative problem solvers and eager life-long learners. Research in education, psychology and medicine supports a later start for full day formal educational environments. | Apr-06-2013 |
| Against | Apr-06-2013 | |
| Against | Lowering the compulsory age to 5 is not good. Many kids are not ready to goto school at age 5. Also by lowering it, there is going to need to be more funding which equals more taxes. More taxes is not what the people of Nevada need at this time. | Apr-06-2013 |
| Against | Parents who desire to enroll their children at age 5 in Nevada can do so already. To force parents to start children in school at the age of 5 interferes with their fundamental right to direct the education of their children and to make wise choices regarding the readiness for their children for education. Many children are simply not ready for school at 5 years old. Please do not pass this bill. Thank you. | Apr-06-2013 |
| Against | Five years is too young for many children to attend full- or even half-day formal school. Parents should decide when such a young child is ready for a school environment, not legislators. The care and nurture at home is most important in those early years. | Apr-06-2013 |
| Against | A multitude of studies have shown that starting school earlier is not beneficial and in many cases does more harm than good. Parents should be able to decide when their children are ready to begin school. The drive toward earlier education and full-day kindergarten is a disturbing move that is more about politics and money than it is about what's best for the children. Please don't fall into the trap other states have done. In anything regarding education, consider carefully what is really best for the children (according to proven facts, not according to conventional wisdom or who has the most dollars). | Apr-06-2013 |
| Against | Not all children are ready at age 5 to focus on academics. By putting them in school, and holding them back a year after they fail, they learn that they are stupid and not as able as their peers. By just letting them start a year later, their whole outlook on life from age 5 onward can be more positive. Don't take that outlook away from kids! Let their parents decide when to start them! | Apr-06-2013 |
| Against | I oppose lowering the compulsory age for starting school from 7 to 5. Many 5 year olds are simply not ready to start formal school. Parents should have the right to decide when their child is ready to start school. I oppose full day Kindergarten. I do not believe that a 5 year old should have to be in school that long and the cost of all day Kindergarten would be expensive. | Apr-06-2013 |
| Against | Each child is unique and not all are ready for school at age 5. It is unfair and unreasonable to lump them all into one category of an acceptable age to attend school. | Apr-06-2013 |
| Against | Apr-06-2013 | |
| Against | Parents should have the right to decide when their child is ready for school. | Apr-06-2013 |
| Against | Poor use of resources. Not a need for children to go to school so young. Research shows little long term gains. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Please do not lower the compulsory attendance age if you fund full-day kindergarten. Parents who desire to enroll their children at age 5 in Nevada can do so already. To force parents to start children in school at the age of 5 interferes with their fundamental right to direct the education of their children and to make wise choices regarding the readiness for their children for education. Many children are simply not ready for school at 5 years old. there is much research indicating that early childhood education does not improve the child’s potential for being a better student in the future, because early gains disappear in a few of years. This is especially significant for boys, because their cognitive and verbal skill development generally lags behind that of girls at this age. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Most children at the age of 5 are not ready for formal education. Parents know their own children than anyone and should be allowed to make the decision to keep them at home if they are not ready. In Clark county we do not have positive statistics regarding education, therefore, how could we handle more students in the system? | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Please vote for parents to have a choice for the educational choices for their young children. Five year old children should not be forced to be in school all day long. This will require too much additional funding for schools that is not necessary or helpful. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | This bill seems unnecessary. There are many children at age 5 who are simply not ready to attend school. Some are and that is great for them but those who are ready can already go. Forcing a 5 year old who is not read can only produce poor results. Parents know their children best and should be able to decide at what age they attend school. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | Many children are not emotionally or socially prepared for the formal, public school/educational experience by age 7, let alone 5 years of age. Parents should be the final deciding factor on both if and, if the parents decide to do so, when a child is to be exposed to formal public education. Thanks you for giving me the opportunity to express my opinion on this subject. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | I oppose to lowering the compulsory attendance age to 5. Many children simply aren’t ready for formal education at age 5, and parents should have the right to withhold them from school until they are ready. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | I am in opposition to lowering the compulsory attendance age to 5. Many children simply aren’t ready for formal education at age 5, and parents should have the right to withhold them from school until they are ready. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | This is totally unnecessary- children who are ready for school at this age are placed into school situations by their parents. some children aren't ready until 6 and school should be able to start for them when they are ready. It sets children up for failure to force material on them they are not ready for, or to put them in public situations they cannot handle. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | I simply express opposition to lowering the compulsory attendance age to 5. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | I simply express opposition to lowering the compulsory attendance age to 5. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | I simply express opposition to lowering the compulsory attendance age to 5. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | I simply express opposition to lowering the compulsory attendance age to 5. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | I simply express opposition to lowering the compulsory attendance age to 5. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Five years old is a tender age and the maturity level of such young children varies widely from child to child. Making attendance mandatory at such a young age does not give parents and educators the flexibility to respond to the developmental needs of the individual child, allowing him or her to mature to a point where he or she will be much better suited for formal education. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Not all kids are ready at that age. Also I don't want a law taking away my parental rights. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Parents know when their children are ready for school and there is no need for the state to reduce the required age. If a parent feels their child is ready for school, they will start them in school. If they feel it is better to wait another year or so, the. They should have the option to do what's best for their child and family. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | I am opposed to SB182. Many children are not yet ready sit in a classroom environment for 6 hours per day. I believe that the parents must have the right to make that choice for the well being of their children. In addition, a yes vote would have an adverse effect on our already struggling economy. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | I am against this bill some children are slower learners than others and are not ready until age 7. Also the will make for cramped Kindergarten classes and bad for state finances. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | As parents of young children we are opposed to requiring children begin school at age 5. We are keenly interested in the proper development and schooling of our kids and, frankly, are very disappointed in the attitudes, rough behaviors, bad language and obscene actions on the part of some of the younger schoolkids in public schools today--including kindergartens. We consider it critical to wait until our kids have more maturity before being confronted with these peer pressures where the "coolest" kids are the most loud or obnoxious and thus draw the most attention to themselves. We plan on considering all the options of kindergartens out there, but we have seen significant success among other parents who have taught basic principles to their kids including reading, writing, etc. before their kids entered formal schooling and feel this legislation clamps down and hampers our choices in this regard. We feel it would be very unwise to FORCE parents into dropping their children into the public school system so early. Although this legislation is probably well-meaning and intended for the benefit of children, public schooling is rarely successful without involved/interested parents and this legislation undermines parent's involvement and choice in something as critical as when their child is ready to be immersed in this kind of atmosphere. We respectfully recommend that the State of Nevada trust that the vast majority of parents everywhere have their child's best interests at heart and will make appropriate decisions based on their individual and widely varying personalities unless hampered by a legislative body which cannot foresee each child they are forcing into school. Sincerely, Andrew and Michelle Skousen | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Decisions about when a child is ready for school should be left to the parent to decide. Many children are not ready for formal school at 5 and studies show that those who wait are usually caught up in a few years. Also, full day kindergarten for the whole state is an expense we as a state can not afford at this time. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Parents should decide when their children are ready to begin school. This bill will also increase the financial burden on the state's education fund and ultimately, all Nevadans. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | Many children especially boys are not mature enough for formal education at the age of 5. I urge you not to lower the mandatory age attendance age from 7yrs. to 5yrs. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Keep the compulsory age 7 years old. Parents should have the choice to decide if their child is developmentally ready for kindergarten at age 5, 6, or 7. Also, I don't believe FULL day K is fiscally responsible in this economy. We are already overcrowded and minimally staffed. If you double the amount of students suddenly, where will the funding and space come from? Vote NO. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | Please leave the compulsory school age at 7 and give parents a choice! Kindergarten is an introduction to school and shouldn't be forced for all-day at the age of 5. Give parents the option of keeping their children at home an extra year or two, and to put them in school when they are ready. Not all kids are ready for school at age 5. Boys especially tend to need an extra year or so to mature to a level where they can handle a school setting. | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Apr-05-2013 | |
| Against | The compulsory attendance age should be left at 7 to gives parents the CHOICE to decide when their child is ready to begin school. | Apr-05-2013 |
| For | I have taught kindergarten in CCSD for over 10 years (over a 23-year spread as I didn't teach when I raised my own children). The expectations for a kindergarten child have DRAMATICALLY changed in these ten years and most especially with the introduction of common core standards. The standards expected of a five year old child are NOT developmentally appropriate. However, the powers that make these standards do not care and the expectations increase each year. Full-day kindergarten IS the only way that most students CAN have any hope of getting a good foundation to get anywhere near these standards. Students that are lucky enough to come from a literacy rich background have an upper edge on students that do not and start out ahead, however students that do not have this edge CAN catch up quickly with the hlep of full-day kindergarten. ALL students that attend full-day kindergarten show more growth and more depth of knowledge than students in half day programs because there is simply more time! (I have taught both half-day and full-day kindergarten). Students are not tired, students do not fall asleep in class, students learn! Students rise to the expectations. They are amazing! | Apr-05-2013 |
| Against | Apr-04-2013 | |
| For | I am a school teacher, and a father of a 5 year old and a 2 year old, I understand the importance of education and the benefit of all-day kindergarten. Right now I am enrolling my son to attend full-day kindergarten at Redeem Elementary school, and I have to pay $2700 onetime or $375 a month. This financial burden I welcome because it is what I feel must be done for my son’s education and his future success. I know that other people do not share this same feeling about education that I do, and may not have the financial ability to pay for full-day kindergarten, regardless where they live. So I feel that it is this government’s responsibility, for the children, to ensure that they will receive this important educational opportunity that is so crucial to their future success in education. | Apr-04-2013 |
| Against | Apr-04-2013 | |
| For | As others have mentioned, Kindergarten standards are written for full-day classes. However, half-day classes are expected to meet the same standards. These half-day students are academically pushed, without time to process. These students are also without time to learn socalization skills, which can only be obtained when interacting with their peers. With the increased rigor of our standards, I have seen the ability to interact with peers dramatically decrease. Socialization is a huge part of Kindergarten, so that they are better prepared for first grade. | Apr-02-2013 |
| For | Apr-02-2013 | |
| For | With the increased rigor of the common core curriculum, it only makes sense to make all kindergarten classes full day. I am a full day kindergarten teacher and have been for 9 years. I can't imagine trying to teach this curriculum in a half day. As it stands, we already spend one-third of our year assessing our students. Why not give them a chance to have some learning time? | Apr-01-2013 |
| Against | Apr-01-2013 | |
| For | Nevada generally ranks at the bottom of the list in funding education each and every year. It is time to for this state to value education and this bill is a step in the right direction. Despite the sentiments stated by those people who perceive teachers as lazy or are only looking at life with a tainted point of view. The fact of the matter is that 5 year olds do and will benefit from full day kindergarten. The requirements for children entering lst grade have increased almost two fold in the last 3 years dictate action on our part. By giving these youngsters more time to develop their reading, math and writing skills, will enable more them to develop fluency and be better prepared for the various assessments given. More children ready for handle the requirements equates less strain on our resources in the future. This is an investment that needs no debate, it's a practical step that will benefit the needs of our growing state. Nevada is on the cusp of developing distinction aside from casinos and gambling. The passing of this bill will prove to be a an unquestionable victory for Nevadans. | Apr-01-2013 |
| Against | Let parents make their own decision in the education of their little ones, and save the state some money! | Apr-01-2013 |
| Against | Apr-01-2013 | |
| For | I teach Kindergarten and have for FIVE years. I have done both full day and half day. I can tell you from personal experience that FULL DAY is amazing for students, especially ELL kids. Plus, it's next to impossible to teach a full day program in a half day session... makes no sense, right? If children are to be READY for first grade, which is now like the new 2nd grade due to Common Core State Standards, then not having the option for FULL DAY is setting them up for failure. I do my absolute best to reach all my half day kiddos, but I'm sure I could do even better with full day. FULL DAY ALL THE WAY!!!!!!! | Apr-01-2013 |
| For | I teach 1/2 day kindergarten & have 35 students in 2 classes.(70 total) Each class is 2 hrs 15 min. The district expects students in 1/2 day kindergarten to learn ALL THE SAME STANDARDS as students in 7+ hr full day class. That is a lot of pressure to put on 1/2 day students & teachers. These classes are too large & it is almost impossible to accomplish everything a full day program offers. I can be a more effective teacher w/fewer students and more time in the day to actually teach them! Kindergarten SHOULD BE mandatory! Students who enter 1st grade, without having attended school, start behind before they really get started in their education. How is this fair for our kids??? Current class size reduction says that 1st grade should be about 18 students to 1 teacher for a reason.... When this bill was adopted we taught kids to read in the 1st grade & students needed more time w/ the teacher. NOW, 1/2 day kindergarten teachers are teaching students to read & students have to battle for each minute of a teacher's 2 1/2 hours of attention!!! Something is VERY WRONG with this system! We have the opportunity to correct it with this bill! I have read all the against posts from parents who want to decide when their child is ready to start school. Maybe there could be a waiver or a test to see if your child is ready to enter school developmentally. Many students start at 4 yr olds and they are NOT ready, but most 5 year old ARE READY and very capable! I really don't understand why ANY PARENT would not want their kids to have this opportunity & more time to actually learn & master the kindergarten curriculum, before rushing them on to the 1st grade.... 2 hrs 15 mins is simply not enough time & too much pressure to put on these little kids. If we really want to improve our educational system then they deserve the best start we can give them! | Mar-31-2013 |
| For | The general idea of this bill is good; however it does need some tweaking. Free full day kindergarten should be an option; if a parent chooses to enroll their child in that program, so be it. Half-day kinder and starting your child's formal education in 1st grade should also be options. I completely understand that most parents know their child and have their child's best interest in mind, but you would be surprised how capable a 5 year old can be. There have been countless times where I have spoken to parents that have said their child acts completely different at home (for the positive) or how they cant believe how much their child does in kindergarten. I guarantee that my kindergarten class is not a glorified daycare. There is no nap or snack/movie time. We work and we work hard with age appropriate, data driven, and individualized instruction for 2 1/2 hours straight. And I wish I had more time to facilitate their learning and exploring. As I read through these comments I see that the bill is not the problem, but how misinformed and selfish some people sound. We need to realize that education is the foundation of EVERYTHING!!! The Dalai Lama once said, "If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them". Not having full-day kindergarten as an option IS harming to our society. | Mar-31-2013 |
| For | I have read many comments against full day kindergarten, but I wonder if these parents know the facts. I teach half day Kindergarten and have 35 students in each session. Due to the extremely large class sizes of half day kindergarten, full day kindergarten is necessary. If I had 6 hours of instruction, students would be able to go to specials, eat lunch, be provided with recess. This would also give teachers more opportunity to work with small groups of students. Did you know that half a day is only 2 1/2 hours. This is the shortest half day in the nation. Other half day programs are 3 hours or 3 1/2 hours and have about 20 students per class. Also the CCSD has adopted the common core standards. This holds all grade levels to a higher standard including kindergarten. It is impossible to teach and assess the Kindergarten common core standards with half day and huge class sizes. | Mar-31-2013 |
| Against | They need to limit the class size in already existing kinder classes before adding new kindergartens. And, also limit the number of mandatory tests. Kindergarten teachers lose 1/3 of the year to mandatory tests. There should not be any "Coaches." Coaches are licensed teachers that walk around with clip boards and write down what they see. They are not allowed to work with students. Coaches are a big, fat waste of taxpayer money. Put the coaches back in the classroom. | Mar-31-2013 |
| For | As a Kindergarten teacher who teaches in a half day program - I fully support expanding to serve more five year olds in a full day Kindergarten setting. Half day students get half the instruction. This puts kids into first grade at various levels - perpetuated by the system. It is bizarre that two Kindergarteners who might be neighbors have such different options - one might be able to go to a full day program for free, the neighbor might be zoned for a different school and have to pay near $400 a month for a full day option. Vegas is already struggling to keep it's at-risk students on track. We are swimming against almost insurmountable odds. 90,000 English Language Learners. Two thirds of all Vegas children in poverty. Children entering public schools two or three years behind before ever attending public school at all. In my mind early intervention, provides much needed intervention. Research shows that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We need to catch learning issues earlier and mediate sooner to prohibit compounding problems as children fall further and further behind. We can NOT compete with a nation that believes in preschool and supports families with options that include some sort of formal education as early as two years old. The time to support students is EARLY. Full day Kindergarten for all students is the best option. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. | Mar-31-2013 |
| Against | Mar-28-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-27-2013 | |
| Against | I have 3 children 2 were ready for K of those two, only 1 could handle full day K. The third one was not ready for school until age 7. I believe that many children are not ready to sit for 7 hours a day. Each parent already has the right to decide to enroll their child. Why is the state trying to tell us we have to? | Mar-25-2013 |
| Against | Mar-25-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-25-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-24-2013 | |
| For | Mar-23-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-22-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-22-2013 | |
| Against | Oh look, another power and funds grab by the teachers union! How about an honest name for this, The taxpayer funded daycare and teachers union boondoggle? "Education" currently consumes the majority of our state budget, but it is never enough for these greedy unions. When the authors of this bill are the ONLY ones who have to fund it I will support it. Until then, NO! | Mar-22-2013 |
| Against | Mar-22-2013 | |
| Against | The tax-payers of Nevada don't need to pay for your "full-day" babysitting. | Mar-22-2013 |
| Against | I am not in favor or lowering the compulsory attendance age to five years old. I think that parents need to be able to determine when their child is ready for school. | Mar-22-2013 |
| Against | Full-day kindergarten for children just entering the school experience? No way! Furthermore, parents should have the final say when their child is ready to start school. PARENTS are in the best position to know the developmental readiness of their child, NOT the government. | Mar-19-2013 |
| Against | Mar-19-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-19-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-19-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-19-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-19-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-19-2013 | |
| Against | Young children thrive at home! | Mar-19-2013 |
| Against | Mar-19-2013 | |
| For | This should be offered at ALL schools, but not mandatory. My child will be closer to 6 when starting kindergarten this year and is very smart and will be able to handle all day kindergarten, but for those parents that choose to not have their children interact with others or go to a pre-school envirornment, I can understand where their concern is. This isn't about raising taxes, this is about a smart child. | Mar-18-2013 |
| For | I am a parent of a 5 year old, finishing her pre-k requirments from her pre-school and will be attending kindergarten in the fall of 2013. I am in the proccess of deciding what to do with my job status due to half day school for my child. The day care we go to here in Douglas County is the cheapest in the area, yet they will not be lowering their rates from what I pay today to what I will pay in August, in fact, they will raise them with transportation fees as well. I cannot afford what we pay now, let alone $50 mor a month just to transport my child. All day kindergarten will cut my cost in half and provide more education for my child. I ask that you truely look at this bill and make it become new law for us struggling parents trying to make ends meet on what income we have now to what income we will have less of in the fall. After taxe cuts and medicare cuts this year, we no longer can afford one more cost. Please make this free in all public schools. If it helps, my child will be attending Gardnerville Elementary School, one of the last schools in douglas county to receive all day kindergarten. Thank you for taking the time to read this request. | Mar-18-2013 |
| Against | The only thing that needs changed is the removal of teachers unions! | Mar-17-2013 |
| Against | Mar-17-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-15-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-14-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-14-2013 | |
| For | Mar-13-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-13-2013 | |
| For | Mar-12-2013 | |
| For | All this excessive talk is ridiculous ..... there no consistency in All/Full Day Kindergarten (ADK) Right now in NV kids could start school at nearly 7yrs old!!! Just start NOW, use money available now, and make do with facilities available for now. Then each year expanding funding and facilities as required. Make K full day now where every kid starts school (call it Kindergarten if you want)if they turn 5yo before Dec 31st of calendar year. Its so simple. Start kids formal education full day at 5yo and start now! Re-work or organize existing budget to make this happen now! | Mar-11-2013 |
| Against | This bill reduces parental choice by not allowing parents to have a say in when their child starts kindergarten. Please add an amendment (or delete the changes to Section 8) that allows parents, who know their children best, to determine when learning may best take place. | Mar-10-2013 |
| Against | Children's brains obtain a developmental readiness for learning at different rates. Many children, especially boys, are not ready for school learning at age 5. My son was one of those children. We knew he wasn't ready and so enrolled him in full day kindergarten instead of half day, to give him extra learning time. It didn't work. His brain just wasn't ready. He went from a happy outgoing child, to a quiet, moody, bad behaviored child. He went from "Student of the month" to getting sent to the principle's office for his violent verbal and physical outbursts. He thought he was stupid and his self esteem went through the floor. Even with the extra half day, he still did poorly. He wasn't ready for first grade but the school was going to pass him anyway. We had to take the drastic measure of taking him out the public school system in order to give him more time to develop. As it turns out, this boy is actually highly gifted -- almost a genious level IQ. If we had let him continue in the public school system, no one would have known that and he would not have turned out well. At age five, he couldn't read no matter how hard he tried -- he just wasn't ready. Right around his sixth birthday, all of a sudden he could read, and then he took off at an accelerated rate. However, it took several years for him to overcome his low self-esteem and believe that he could be good at learning. He is now enrolled at Hyde Park Middle School in a class of gifted students and doing well and entering scholastic competitions. I would not wish what we went through on any other child or parent. Parents need the right to choose what is best for their child and not be mandated to start them before they are ready. Although full day kindergarten is basically publicly paid daycare, I would still be in favor of having that option in all schools. However, it should not be mandatory that all children attend kindergarten by age five. Please do not pass this bill in it's current form. | Mar-08-2013 |
| Against | Mar-08-2013 | |
| For | Agree full day kindergarden is better the student learns all day instead of only a few hours and is easier for families to plan their day | Mar-08-2013 |
| Against | I don't believe the children will benefit from all day kindergarten. I DO believe lazy parents and teachers will get the most benefit from this however. | Mar-08-2013 |
| Against | Sadly this is taking children out of the very place that enables a child to be nurtured and prepare them for success in the long term. While many may be impressed that a young child can read or compute mathematical problems, by middle school it is difficult to tell which of those students attended all day kindergarten based on academic performance. I see no need to demand that a parent place their child in an all day kindergarten. The way the law is currently written is sufficient. Here is an example. When I was teaching kindergarten a 7 yr. old child came to our school from a foreign country. He had never been enrolled in school before and His 2nd grade teacher was concerned. So he was placed in my class for a couple of hours each day to get a basic understanding of the alphabet and math concepts. In 2 short months he had caught up to his 2nd grade class mates. Now you may say he was probably a bright child. I beg to differ. It wasn't that he was brighter than most children. The difference was his brain had been given the opportunity to mature allowing him to understand these basic concepts quickly. Please do not REQUIRE that a parent enrolls their child in full day kindergarten. Parents know their child best and should maintain the freedoms the law currently allows for the age of 7. | Mar-08-2013 |
| Against | "Proponents of this bill say more government intervention is needed to ensure early childhood development". Exactly why I do not support this bill. The school system has our children for 12 1/2 years. Isn't this enough time for indoctrination. I thing the extra time at home with parents is the key to a stronger parent/child bond. Also let us not forget about the cost of full day kindergarten. We are taxed enough already. Perhaps this is something that should go on a ballot. | Mar-07-2013 |
| Against | Kindergarten aged children are not old enough to go to full day school. They get burned out early and have very short attention spans. There is no reason the TAX PAYER should be paying for nap, play and fun time with very little learning time thrown in. Even 1st graders have no attention span so maybe we should have children start school at age 7 not age 5. My son did all the early programs and is now burned out. | Mar-07-2013 |
| Against | Mar-05-2013 | |
| Against | Aren’t our taxes high enough? Kindergarten is a program to prepare children for school. IT IS NOT A DESIGNED TO BE A TAXPAYER FUNDED DAY CARE PROGRAM OR TO INCREASE THE BLOATED EDUCATION SYSTEM. | Mar-05-2013 |
| Against | Mar-05-2013 | |
| For | Mar-04-2013 | |
| For | Mar-04-2013 | |
| Against | Mar-04-2013 | |
| Against | Won't help. Head Start was a failure. The problem is that so many teachers have not been educated on how to effectively teach reading. Reading Mastery should be adopted by all Nevada schools for use in K-2. Do that, with the proper teacher training, and you will see at least 95% of new Third Graders reading very, very well three years after implementation. Guaranteed! | Mar-04-2013 |
| Against | This is nothing more than a day care bill benifiting parents of a five year old and paid for by everyone. Kindergarden is designed to be half day to get kids aclamated to a school enviroment. It has worked well for generations. Making kindergarden better should be a function of education policy, not just making it longer. | Mar-04-2013 |
| Against | Mar-04-2013 | |
| For | Mar-04-2013 | |
| Against | The taxpayers are hurting enough as it is now, without having to foot the extra cost for the whole day. | Mar-04-2013 |
| Against | Another amazing waste and misuse of public funding for schools. As an educator, I have personally witnessed the well-intentioned (perhaps) but misguided programs to improve education. Most are, at best, efforts at social engineering, and at worst, incredible examples of incompetence and inefficiency. Vote against this measure. Allow parents the right to impact the education of their own children, and do not cede this right to alleged "experts", most of whom have acquired their "knowledge" from text book theory, not real-world experience. | Mar-03-2013 |
| Against | This is a pork bill for public union members and school employees and to provide full time baby siiting to the detrement of taxpayers. It is the parents' responsibility to raise and guide their children at that age. | Mar-03-2013 |
| Against | Mar-03-2013 | |
| For | I have been a kindergarten teacher for 15 years and support full-day kindergarten for all children. However, the Common Core State Standards are very rigorous, and the very youngest students are often not mature enough to grasp the concepts. It is my belief that the registration cut-off date for kindergarten should be May 31st. It is my belief that we are setting up our very youngest students for an academic lifetime of playing "catch-up". There is a huge difference between my young students with September birthdays and those who turned six in October or November. A year's worth of maturity and experience is huge at this age. | Mar-03-2013 |
| Against | What? Are you kidding me? When I sent my precious little girl off to kindergarten, she could read. We used the "Hooked On Phonics" program and she could read. She was placed in a classroom where they were teaching that "this is the letter A and it makes the 'ah' sound. She was bored to tears. Schools teach to the lowest common denominator rather than individualizing instruction. A few years later I was informed by a teacher, during a parent-teacher conference, that I needed to get more involved with my child's education! I told her, "no, that's your job, I've already been through the fourth grade and if I was going to do her job, then I wanted her pay!" This bill is nothing more than another attempt to take more control over our children. As with all education bills, it is presented as being "for the children", when in fact, it is an attempted expansion of the education system. If educators had the best interest of our children at heart, they wouldn't be demanding ever increasing salaries, benefits, and retirement packages that will eventually be paid for by the very children they claim to be concerned about. Education in Nevada is lacking because it is not geared to the students, the entire industry is all about the teachers and the system. I say privatize the school system if you truly want to help the kids and increase the graduation rate in Nevada! The public school system has failed miserably in Nevada and is beyond repair. | Mar-02-2013 |
| Against | AGAINST. | Mar-02-2013 |
| Against | Studies show any gain made by an earlier start are lost within a couple of years. Most children in NV already attend school at age 5, and there's no reason to have the government mandate that the remaining kids do the same! Parents have good reasons for delaying sending their young children to school, and almost without exception they have the best interests of their children at heart. Parents know their own children best. There is absolutely no reason a 5 year old child needs to be in school all day, other than for babysitting at the taxpayers expense. Children learn everywhere they go. They don't need to be in a classroom all day at age 5 to gain the skills necessary to have a successful educational experience in the future. | Mar-01-2013 |
| Against | From where will the funding come for teachers, classrooms, supplies,and administrators? (Please don't raise my taxes!!!) Also, I think it infringes on a parent's right to decide when the child is ready for school. | Mar-01-2013 |
| Against | Mar-01-2013 | |
| Against | This bill would disadvantage children who were born prematurely or are otherwise late-maturing. Currently such children have a chance for their nervous systems to mature before they begin to attend school; if forced into full-day kindergarten earlier, such children will be disadvantaged--possibly for their entire school career. | Mar-01-2013 |
| Against | Every child is different and there should be some exemption for parents who do not think their child is ready at 5 years old to attend full day kindergarten. Lots of children still nap at this age and others simply need extra "down time" during the day. A full day program at 5 years old is just not the best solution for all children, especially those with involved parents who have already been teaching their kids a lot of the kindergarten curriculum. These kids will have more benefit learning one on one with their parents for that extra year and then going to kindergarten when they turn 6, they will be much better prepared for the rigor of a full day program. | Feb-28-2013 |
| Against | In regard to the proposed SB182. Please vote against this bill! Parents should have the right to decide whether their child should attend school between ages 5 and 7 which has been the law in NV for decades. Parents who choose to enroll their children at age 5 in NV can choose to do so already! Please don't take the fundamental right away from a parent who wishes to direct the education of their child and make wise choices regarding their school readiness! Some children would simply benefit from remaining at home for the extra time, the parents of these children Know who they are :). Furthermore this increase in the kindergarten population will increase the financial burden on the state's ability to fund it's public education programs. In a time of such fiscal crises we currently face this is a great reason to consider! | Feb-28-2013 |
| Against | Feb-28-2013 | |
| Against | Feb-28-2013 | |
| Against | Feb-28-2013 | |
| For | We are ranked one of the bottom 5 in education. My child is now in the sixth grade and doing well.I believe that a full day kindergarten was key in her being a successful student. While she was in elementary school I volunteered as much as I could. I noticed that the children who did not go to full day kindergarten were still some-what behind throughout their elementary years. I had to pay for her full day kindergarten and iI would gladly do it again. I believe that early childhood education helps to set the child up for learning success. | Feb-27-2013 |
| Against | Please vote against SB 182, which lowers the compulsory school attendance age from 7 to 5. Parents should have the right to decide whether their child should attend school between the ages of 5 and 7, which has been the law in Nevada for decades. Many children are simply not ready for school at ages 5 or 6. However, if you feel obligated to vote for this bill, we urge you to address parents’ concerns by supporting an amendment which has been proposed to accommodate parents who will notify the school superintendent that they will delay their child’s attendance at school until age 7. This would exempt these children from compulsory attendance at age 5 | Feb-27-2013 |
| Against | I have had two children in the public school system. One started in first grade. She graduated with high honors last year. The other started school at age five in kindergarten. My next child will also start at age five. I still don't really see the need to mandate starting school at age five. First, most parents already do this and second some children aren't ready for school at age five. Why mandate this? Why take away a parents right to chose what's in their child's best interest, considering they the parent most certainly have the child's best interest in mind and they the parent are the only person with the knowledge of their unique child's needs. We allow and encourage kindergarten at age five. Must we demand it? While my children do start at age five, should ever decide one of them isn't ready, I feel I should be respected in that choice. Also, I understand that many children need this exposure, and time and it should be available free of charge. But if we can mandate this and pay for all of it, couldn't we also pay for both options. Full day and some half day options. Allowing for involved parents would certainly be in the child's best interest. And shouldn't that allowance start with choice? Choice of age and choice of time? Again I realize there are many families who need all day kindergarten and they should get it free. But couldn't we make small allowances for a half day class at each school? I am very against requiring five year olds to be in school. And I think it's really not the best idea to do away completely with half day kindergarten. Thank you. | Feb-27-2013 |
| Against | This state talks about school choice for parents. Yet, this bill erodes parental choice. Children are all unique and individual. As most educators will attest, many children who are five years old, especially those "young" kindergarteners, are extremely immature and not ready to enter into a formal educational setting. As the law stands, ALL parents have the right to have their child educated at age 5. However, the law allows parents, who know their children better than any teacher or school district or state legislative body ever will, to determine if their child is not ready for school quite yet. The law allows parents to choose to hold their child out of school until a little more maturation can develop. Many, many parents over the years have made this choice. This choice has been recommended by teachers and administrators for the best interest of some children. Why would Nevada take this choice away from parents and schools alike? Compulsory attendance makes it the law...we will effectively be making criminals out of caring, involved, loving parents making a decision they believe, and much research supports, is best for their child. Do we really want parents to be cited or dragged to court because their child is too immature to start school at five? That is what will be required if this law passes. I'll bet that every single one of you senators and assembly persons, personally have or know a person that has waited one year to have their child start kindergarten. It is common for a reason - many kids just are not developmentally ready at five! Don't force them! Let parents be parents and make the right decisions for their kids. Let educators still be able to use their discretion to advise parents to wait a year when they see a child is not ready. What accommodation does this bill make for those kids? They exist. Please don't forget them when making this decision for all parents. | Feb-26-2013 |
| Against | Mandating that children have to attend public school by age 5 is intrusive and completely uncalled for. In society today, breakdown of the family is causing many issues throughout our society. Yanking these young children away from their families even earlier will not solve anything. Parents should continue to have a choice about their child's education. How will Nevada possibly pay for more students and longer school days? | Feb-26-2013 |
| Against | I support all day kindergarten. I am opposed to lowering the mandatory school age to 5 years. Nevada can offer all day kindergarten without forcing all parents to enroll their 5 year olds in this program.Lowering the mandatory age steps on parent's right and parent's ability to choose when to join the school system. | Feb-26-2013 |
| Against | It is unbelievable to me that this is even being considered given the financial status of Nevada. We can't even afford quality 1/2 day kindergarten, yet want to expand to full day? The mandatory age reduction from 7 to 5 seems to have an underlying significance (money??), in addition to undermining the right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children. Both items should be voted against as most studies show that earlier education has no long term benefits, including the recent report by DHHS. | Feb-26-2013 |
| For | Seriously? Mandatory Kindergarten? All-day Kindergarten in every school? Must be nice to be independently wealthy Nevada. My kids didn't start school until age 6 (probably could have waited until age 7 at least) and are now UNR Engineering or Business graduates and gainfully employed in their field of study or in grad school. Children should be at home with a loving parent or relative for as long as possible not in government run daycare (National Common Core Standards --- rubbish! What happened to NEVADA STATE STANDARDS written by Nevadans?). I'd rather see the state spend money on TUTORING for middle school and high school age kids who are struggling. Tutorial education is far superior to mass education... lets get creative! This bill is not the answer. Plus it takes away a parent's RIGHT TO CHOOSE... let parents decide when their child is ready to start school not the government; don't change the compulsory attendance age! Thank you for your service. | Feb-26-2013 |
| Against | Feb-26-2013 | |
| For | Almost every other state offers full-day kindergarten in public schools. Nevada wonders why we are behind, but if we aren't starting our children off on the right foot from the very beginning, it is not a wonder as to why our state is falling behind. One day these children will be our doctors, lawyers, teachers, and public officials. Don't we want the best of the best taking care of us? Please vote to expand full-day kindergarten in all public schools. Thank you for your consideration. | Feb-26-2013 |
| Against | Feb-26-2013 | |
| Against | Some children are not ready for school at 5 years of age. Just because people want school to be a full-time baby sitter, it isn't fair to the children or parents who want to have their children go to school when they are mature enough to handle it. What are you trying to do, let the government completely raise our children. | Feb-26-2013 |
| Against | Full day kindergarten does nothing for the student - may be harmful - and is nothing but a subsidized baby-sitting service. | Feb-26-2013 |
| Against | The government does not need to dictate/mandate that all parents need to not have a right to educate their own children. I am personally offended by this current bill and it is just one more way the government is trying to take over everything so that everyone is dependent on the government. This is not a solution to the achievement gap. The government needs to take a step back and realize that most Americans can think for themselves and act for themselves. | Feb-26-2013 |
| Against | Having full-day K an option is one thing, but to make it mandatory is NOT acceptable. It is assumed that parents don't know how to teach their kids... but it is probably because those parents are products of the public school system! There is a huge imbalance between teaching the basic 3-Rs versus all the other stuff. Kids are NOT taught problem solving because any decision they make has to be approved by the teacher or administrator. And the things that are taught are revised, "dumbed down", strained through political correctness, censored, etc. so that true knowledge is lost. Having full-day kindergarten is just an ineffective bandage on our really badly injured educational system. | Feb-26-2013 |
| Against | I am currently a half-day kindergarten teacher at Jessie Beck Elementary in Reno, and I want to express my concern. While all day kindergarten may be desirable, it should not be mandatory for all if it sacrifices quality. There are currently many kindergarten classes in Washoe County with over 30 students--this is insane. All current research supports the lowest class sizes for our youngest learners. It would be far better to insure a high-quality, small class-size kindergarten for half-day, than require a mandatory all-day program. I assure you, what I can accomplish in a half-day with 18 students, is significantly more than I can accomplish in a full day with 30 students. Longer days will never beat one on one attention. Funding is the elephant in the room and cannot be ignored. Please do not sacrifice quality for quantity! Provide funding to lower kindergarten class sizes first, and then work to increase all-day programs. | Feb-26-2013 |
| For | Early education is key for children. Lowering the age of children to 5 that come to school will prepare them better to learn. They will have a better chance of being ahead then children who start school later. | Feb-26-2013 |
| Against | Please vote NO on SB 182. I sat through the legislative hearing yesterday (2/25/2013), enduring 2 hours of "Expert" testimony, and uncited studies of why SB 182 will "level the playing field" for children from disadvantaged homes, while parents were denigrated and given the status of "Inexpert" when it came to their own children. Please continue to give Nevadans the right to choose--a right that I am proud and grateful to have. I am proud to have past legislators recognize my rights as a parent and allow me such choices. Please do not fall prey to "peer pressure" and take away parental rights in this matter, just because other states have not had the foresight to continue to allow parents to have the freedom of choice. Making all-day kindergarten mandatory is a violation of my Constitutional rights as a parent. SB 182 has, in my opinion, many unforeseen and unintended consequences. Please look past the buzzwords that were thrown about yesterday, use the common sense that God gave you (there is no way to level the "playing field" between children who come from a home where parents read to them, speak to them, eat with them, and children who come from a home where none of that occurs, UNLESS ALL children are taken from their parents at birth and raised together--is that the unintended consequence that you want for your future children or grandchildren?), and do the right thing for parents and children, and vote NO on SB 182. Thank you for your time and effort as a Nevada State Legislator. | Feb-26-2013 |
| Against | I am a mother of two boys, both now adults, two grandchildren (one of which is in the school system now) and great grandmother of one great grandson who turned 1 year old yesterday. While my boys were preschool I stayed home to raise them, going back to work after they were both in school and I had spent 5 years volunteering in their school. Children NEED the care, attention and love of their parents until they are old enough to be part of a group of all-day students. This idea of putting babies, toddlers and 4 and 5 year olds in all day school is nothing more than paid for baby setting. We the tax payers are already paying millions for the parents with children so they can care for them. What happens to all those welfare dollars? I can bet non of those parents would be in favor of this bill if the money they are receiving were debited from their checks. I am against this and ask you all to vote against this. | Feb-25-2013 |
| Against | Please.. Look to personal responsibility and our budget. We need $$$ in other areas | Feb-25-2013 |
| Against | I'm not against all day Kindergarten, but I think parents should be required to pay a daily fee per child. This doesn't have to be a huge fee, but "free" means "taken for granted". A small fee puts the burden where it should be and helps defray the cost. I have no kids of kindergarten age, why should I pay the same as the parents? I'm willing to pay for some, but not all. | Feb-25-2013 |
| Against | Please -let parents take care of their children and start school when they decide -not the government. Why would you try and force all day kindergarten -the expense -when you are looking for ways to raise money -none of this makes sense. | Feb-25-2013 |
| Against | While I haven't a problem with the majority of this bill, I have a problem with the statement a child who is 5 years of age must be in Kindergarten. I think a parent should be able to hold a child back until they are six if they feel the child will benefit from waiting a year to start Kindergarten. This gives children who turn 5 in the summer or in September an additional year to mature so that they are fully ready to start school. Some children need that extra time so that they gain the most from their school career. | Feb-25-2013 |
| Against | Programs like this have been proven to have little to no lasting effect on the overall educational development of at risk children. By spend money in this way we would dilute available funds and decrease public ability to help at-risk children in much more effective and proven ways. | Feb-25-2013 |
| Against | Feb-25-2013 | |
| Against | This is just so very unnecessary. There are not funds, teachers, or capacity in schools for this. | Feb-25-2013 |
| Against | Feb-25-2013 | |
| Against | Parents need to learn how to parent better for Nevada's schoolchildren to succeed. This bill will not accomplish that goal. The government (i.e. public schools) are not a parent substitute. Children still learn best at younger ages at home. And if passed this jsut increases taxpayer burdens. | Feb-25-2013 |
| Against | Feb-25-2013 | |
| Against | This is just a taxpayer funded daycare program. Children this age do not need a full day in school, or in my opinion, even a half day. I am solidly against this bill. | Feb-25-2013 |
| Against | I object to lowering the compulsory age from 7 to 5. There are provisions to allow students who are ready to start school to enroll early but "school readiness" is not universal. I don't know how often you are around a group of five year olds but there is still a lot of variation at that age. I also could not find any studies that showed early school enrollment translated to better long term grades, higher graduation rates, better test scores or anything of the like. The same for all day kindergarten. | Feb-25-2013 |
| Against | We don't need to force kids to start school at age 5. | Feb-25-2013 |
| Against | 'Tis said the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Expanding the under-performing Nevada Public School Systems to include all-day kindergarten is most unlikely to improve the kid's education in the existing 12 grades. Further it may well be adverse to many children by shifting expenditures from truly handicapped or learning disabled to those who will not significantly benefit. HEW studied young children in Head Start and reported that did not produce better educated children coming out of our schools. Apparent benefits were found initially but did not last beyond third grade. We must recognize the folly of that "do something" Federal program and not repeat that mistake. Adding more costs in the desperate hope of "doing something" is not a rationale solution. I can speak personally to this matter. I attended no school before first grade, but I had a loving mother at home. The public school administrators were aghast when she presented me to enter first grade. They tried to put me in kindergarten but she stood her ground and wouldn't hear of it. So they enrolled me in first grade on a trial basis - where I smashed everything but handwriting. That's probably why I went on to become a medical doctor! If you really want to do something useful - and I have no doubt you do - I urge you not to bet on the also-ran of even earlier pre-schooling, but give the older kids a decent chance by supporting vouchers to enable these miserables to escape the trap of inferior neighborhood schools. Truth is not all kids will excel or even survive public schooling, since education cannot be accomplished institutionally without adequate home support. We now have several successive generations of government-sponsored dummies that prove this point - witness who the folks they elect to public office! But some kids can make it if they have a chance. Spend less, and spend better, on options superior to this. Be wise, kill SB182! Thank you. | Feb-25-2013 |
| Against | Do we really need the Federal Government involved with our children any earlier then they are now? I don't think so. Now is the time to start to reduce government and it's wastefull spending, not grow it more!! | Feb-24-2013 |
| Against | Feb-24-2013 | |
| Against | This legislation just puts a bandage on a problem without fixing it. Starting a child's education early doesn't fix the problem. Social promotion is the problem and this legislation is not addressing it. What have the studies shown????? | Feb-24-2013 |
| Against | This should not be done to all schools. The less affluent schools would profit more. | Feb-24-2013 |
| For | Feb-24-2013 | |
| Against | We cannot afford more Head Start spending. Let parents decide when and where they send their children to school. | Feb-24-2013 |
| Against | This is another waste of tax payer funds we don't have. Studies show that the head start program is a failure. So, we will waste more Nevada tax payer funds on a similar program. This is insane. | Feb-24-2013 |
| Against | This hurts minority kids and gives free stuff to the rich kids! We need to focus on the disadvantaged. | Feb-24-2013 |
| Against | Are you kidding me?? teachers are passing illiterate High Schoolers into the real word, the state on nearly bankrupt, half the population is on government assistance, and you want to increase the number of union government workers?? You ought to be prosecuted for subversion of the nation | Feb-23-2013 |
| Against | Feb-23-2013 | |
| Against | Attendance should not be mandatory. It is common in NY City for parents to keep their chilren in nursery schools as long as they can becauise the kindergardens are so dangerous and public school teachers are useless and incompetent. There must be alternatives to government schools. | Feb-23-2013 |
| Against | It would be too expensive. It would take control of young children away from their parents. There is no proven long term benefit for early childhood education. | Feb-23-2013 |
| Against | We cannot affor it. It rings of indoctronating the students as per UN Agenda 21. | Feb-23-2013 |
| Against | NO... The "Nanny State" is wrong again on this issue. It is best to let parents decide when their children are ready start school. There is not a "One Size Fits All" solution for children. | Feb-23-2013 |
| Against | NOT ALL 5 year old's are developmentally ready for Kindergarten, and parents and teachers should be able to decide together when a child is ready -- not an automatic mandate by law. This provision would have a detrimental (possibly lifelong) affect on the kids are not yet ready, putting them in a position of being perpetually behind. | Feb-23-2013 |
| Against | I feel this bill undermine's parents' right to decide when their children are ready for formal schooling. Children who are ready are free to start at age 5, while other children are permitted to wait until they are more developmentally ready. Forcing children to start formal schooling before they are ready can have a deleterious effect on them for the rest of their lives. Please don't further erode parents' rights in making the best decisions for their children. | Feb-22-2013 |
| Against | Children who have barely turned 5 by the deadline are in no way ready to start Kindergarten. A very few may be academically and socially ready, and those who are closer to 6 than 5 would be fine, but making this a requirement is placing the children in a position that they are not always ready for. Don't make this law - please keep the age limit optional for those who would LIKE to enroll their child in school, but not a REQUIREMENT for those who feel their children are not ready. | Feb-22-2013 |
| Against | Undefined "providing other matters properly relating thereto" seems more like a license to add whatever you/they want. Hmmm... forcing children and "school districts" "to establish, equip and maintain a full-day kindergarten" just for the "purpose of calculating basic support" Seems a bit contradictory to the popular notion of "land of the free" | Feb-22-2013 |
| Against | The provision MANDATING that 5 year olds attend Kindergarten is developmentally inappropriate. NOT ALL 5 year olds are developmentally ready for Kindergarten, and parents and teachers should be able to decide together when a child is ready -- not an automatic mandate by law. This provision would have a detrimental (possibly lifelong) affect on the kids are not yet ready, putting them in a position of being perpetually behind. | Feb-22-2013 |
| For | This is probably one of the best things you can do to improve education in Nevada, particularly for ELL kids. | Feb-21-2013 |
| Against | Feb-21-2013 | |
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