After over a year of review and consideration, the Needham School
Committee has released its Report of the Full-Day Kindergarten Study and
Planning Committee to the community. The report is comprehensive and
urges the School Committee to act as quickly as possible to ensure a
publicly-funded, equitable, and innovative Full-Day Kindergarten program is
available to meet the needs of all learners.
The report is not a specific plan for the implementation of
Full-Day Kindergarten (a specific plan will require additional funding and
resources) nor does it answer all the questions about how best to proceed, but
it does ask the School Committee to take action on the efficacy of a compulsory
Kindergarten program for all of Needham's children. If the School
Committee accepts the recommendations in the report, there will need to be
significant planning and a community commitment to implement a program.
I happen to believe it is time for Full-Day Kindergarten in
Needham, and this report is the first of many critical steps that we must take
to make it a reality.
To view the report, click here: Full-Day Kindergarten Report
Additional information and opportunities to provide ideas and
feedback will be proposed in the weeks and months ahead. Please send
feedback and ideas to the School Committee:
schoolcommittee@needham.k12.ma.us
