Lexington, KY - Everything I read these days puts an emphasis on the decline of educational progress at almost every level. The most successful changes have been the result of remedial classes, the dumbing down of high school and strengthening college requirements for admission. One recent report spoke about the inability of college students to pass tests geared for eighth graders 20 to 30 years ago. Of my own knowledge is the easing of the tests for the General Education Development –– that substitute for a high school diploma –– so that more people could pass and make the GED almost equivalent to graduating from high school. When I protested, I was told that high school had been similarly degraded so more people could pass.
At the same time, we are living longer after we leave the world of work. Good or bad? We retire while we have energy and ability to improve things and we can’t play golf every day. I heard recently of an activity which could work on both ends of our problem.
Generations United is the only national non-profit membership organization focused solely on improving the lives of children, youth and older people through intergenerational strategies, programs and public policies.
In Kentucky, the Seniors4Kids affiliate speaks for pre-kindergarten schools because Pre-K education is the time for the foundation of attitudes and skills. Children who have had Pre-K experience are less likely to commit crimes and become teenage parents, and as adults are more likely to be employed and earn higher incomes. Only 43 percent of 3- and 4-year-olds in Kentucky attend Pre-K programs, and this percentage drops to 36 in Appalachia.
Currently, the organization’s Kentucky Preschool Program funds these young children who have special needs and 4-year-olds whose family income is 150 percent below the poverty level. Our hearts are in the right place, but as always, public money has many hands out for support. Our new budget did not fund a proposed increase for Pre-K schools.
So what can we seniors do? We can be unpaid lobbyists, raising awareness of the importance of the program, policies and practices that support Pre-K. We can join at either of two levels: Seniors4Kids or Captains4Kids. There are suggestions about the possibilities at each level.
We could monitor local newspapers for articles on early childhood education and write letters of support to the editor.
You could inform your civic club or church group of the benefits that result from early childhood education.
You could be a foster grandparent. There are many grandparents serving the real role of parent today.
This is an organization that asks you for nothing except your time and your influence. No dues, no fiscal pledge, no fund-raising –– just some of your time and effort to make the world better.
If any of this intrigues you; if you understand how necessary Pre-K is from your days as an elementary school teacher; if you seek to spend your time helping to solve Kentucky’s problem, here is the telephone number of Mary Musgrave, the state coordinator for Kentucky Seniors4Kids: (859) 294-0415 –– you won’t be sorry to have dialed it.