Is There an Educational Difference Between VPK and Not?

I just googled it, and there's a big website dedicated to all this.

There are a number of private child care and public school providers offering the VPK program across Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. For information in Miami-Dade call ###-###-#### and for information in Monroe call ###-###-####.

Separate from what the other ladies are mentioning, I just want to point out that pre-K is not supposed to be like "school". Children this age learn by PLAY. Getting the school ready includes manipulatives for small muscle flexibility, which is just plain fun for kids. Coloring is fun but includes learning colors. Counting stuff includes math. Having books available and reading to them gets them used to what will come in kinder and first grade.

Pre-K kids are not supposed to "work". They are supposed to have fun. I will never forget seeing a pre-K "teacher" sitting at a desk at a private school and a child sitting there doing a worksheet. She should have been thrown out of there and the principal or whoever let her run her class that should have been fired.

Just because the curriculums are different doesn't mean that the public program is "lesser education". These kids need to play. Period.

welcome to mamapedia, J. R.

Maybe you should ask your school???

Thank you to the other responses which gave the necessary background information so non-Floridians could understand what VPK is and how it works. Otherwise, this question made no sense to me.

Now that I can understand the question... IF it were the case that the kids attending pre-school through public funding are receiving poorer quality instruction AND that the assumption is that all kids from poorer families are 'average or below average students' and that's why they are being directed to that program, it would be disgraceful. However, I suspect that there is quite a bit of debate about the quality of instruction, as well as what 'educational' practices work best in preschool. What practices constitute better or poorer 'eduction' in preschool? There's probably even debate about how to measure what a kid has 'learned'. As well, I wonder how anyone is determining whether a 3 or 4 year old is an 'average or below average student.' They can't even read yet! How can they be evaluated as being any kind of a student, brilliant or otherwise? So your question really means that you need to go read up on the discussions on VPK in Florida, and maybe about preschool education.

I'm not sure why "school" is in quotation marks. Is it not a school?

I had to look up VPK and it seems it is just a Florida program. There is an extensive website which I hope you have reviewed, including private and public programs.

Also, I think you should retitle your question (just edit it) and put "Florida" in the first part. Make it "Question about Florida VPK Program" and then just leave the part about education/curriculum differences in the body of the question. I would also put a whole lot more info in the question than what you have written here.

Also, click the button that keeps this question local to your area, rather than sending it out nationwide on Mamapedia.

rather than flap about what sort of a curriculum and education a pre-schooler is getting, my focus would be on 'is it play-based or is it imposing seated desk work on tiny children?'

i'm betting the pejorative tone of this post is strictly from the poster. i'd love to see an impartial source stating that VPK kids are 'treated to a lesser education.'

khairete
S.

My understanding of the VPK program is that it is a state-funded preschool program. Parents have the option of enrolling their children in a VPK program at either a public school, or they can apply for a voucher to send them at a VPK program at private school.

Alternatively, they can bypass the VPK system and enroll their child in a private-pay program. Some schools may offer both. A school like Goddard or Kindercare may have a VPK class and a private pay class. Your concern is that the two classes have a different curriculum. This doesn't surprise me, for a few different reasons.

1) As a state-funded program, the VPK curriculum is dictated by state standards and guidelines. The private pay program isn't bound by these requirements.

2) The amount that the State pays for a VPK student is most likely less than what private-pay parents pay. Therefore, the school has more funds available for the private-pay class and can offer additional enrichment programs.

But I don't think that VPK students receive a 'lesser' education. It's just different. In my experience with family in Florida, the parents who opted out of VPK program and enrolled their kids in private pay programs did so because they wanted their children to be able to qualify for private kindergarten programs with competitive admission processes. They wanted their kids to be prepared for kindergarten admission testing, and that required a more intensive preschool experience. But the family members that attended VPK programs were also extremely prepared for the kindergarten.

If you're trying to decide between the two programs, think about what kindergarten you're going to be enrolling your child in and then make your decision based on that.

are they HELPING the students? Or are they forced to sit at a table all day?

You're complaining about this: http://www.myfloridaprepaid.com/vpk/

okay. you're weird. Call your school district and then your representative and ask THEM the questions. Start with the school to find out WHY there is a different curriculum and what that difference is. Knowledge is power. Find out from the horse's mouth.

I'm shocked to hear that your [voluntary] state-funded education program to provide free kindergarten programming to 4-year-olds seems "lesser" in any way when compared to privately paid alternatives.

At least Florida has great citrus.

What is VPK?
Maybe call the school and speak with them directly re their policies and procedures.