Maymont Preschool

I am incredibly excited abut the prospects of the Maymont Preschool. The city of Richmond has decided to take one of their schools that has just closed and reopen it as the Virginia Preschool Initiative. The head start programs from schools around Richmond are going to be relocated to Maymont Elementary school. In my mind this is a hugely positive change. In elementary schools the head start programs tend to be separated from the rest of the school and when the preschool children do walk through the halls or eat in the lunch room, they are surrounded by children twice their size. It will be filled with age appropriate resources and teachers who are trained for this age group. The head start programs at RPS were good, but with all these resources and teachers in the same building things can only improve. However, since this announcement parents have been making it clear that they are not happy about the change.

The parents in opposition are primarily the parents of students who were supposed to be enter William Fox and Mary Munford elementary schools. These schools are arguably the best public elementary schools in Richmond. Both schools have to use lottery systems to fill any empty spots for out of zone children. William Fox took on the lottery system after parents started sleeping outside the school the night before registration to ensure a good place for the first come first serve policy. Needless to say these parents are very active and vocal about their childrens' education. Among the arguments against the relocation are difficulties with transportation, losing spots in future kindergarten classes, and a delayed start in learning Spanish.

While I understand that these parents were blind sided by an unexpected change, I believe they need to calm down for a few minutes and think about the benefits of such a program. This school will be focused entirely on preparing students for kindergarten. They will have a firm understanding of all the basics heading into school the following year, and most importantly they will be surrounded by people who understand them. These preschool students will no longer be the children that are rarely seen, they will be the focus of the entire school. This can only improve the quality of their learning.