Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

A coworker just nosed into my conversation with another toddler mom about my childcare situation. This coworker couldnt comprehend why I'm not putting DS in daycare now (turning 2 in Oct) rather than sticking with my nanny.

She proceeds to tell me that this is how honors classes are picked In her kids' kindergarten, the school asked who went to daycare centers and who didnt and then split the class into high reading levels and low reading levels. They also apparently ding you if you go to a "church preschool" and not a center like Tutor Time (of course where her kids went). She goes on to say that once the honors classes are picked (in kindergarten) you can't get into them in subsequent years because the spots are all taken and that she's just glad her kids are "in" (they're now 12)

I'm sorry but this is one of the dumbest things anyone has ever said to me. First of all, so no child of a SAHM has ever gotten into honors? Second of all, kids who move into the district are locked out of honors no matter whether they are indeed smarter than the kids who went to Tutor Time when they were 2? I guess schools no longer actually TEST a child's skills as when I was a kid (in honors classes despite my grandmother caring for me ).

So basically she was insinuating my son who at 22 mos old knows all of his colors, letters and numbers and has an outstanding vocab is going to be barred from honors classes because he's not in a chain daycare center.... SO STUPID! If this is the assinine way they do things, I hate to break it to her but she's in an inferior school district!

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

This is so ridiculous, how did you not give her dirtly looks and tell her she's stupid?

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

oh please! don't even bother with her comments. she is just trying to justify her child care decision, and criticizing people who choose otherwise.I've never heard such a thing. Personally if I were you I would stick with the Nanny

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

that is the most ridiculous comment. there is no such thing as "honors" in kindergarten, wth is she talking about?

It may have been a long time ago, but I did not go to day care and I was always at a very high reading level - in 1st grade went to a 2nd gr class for reading, etc, and then when I got to MIDDLE SCHOOL, I was in honors classes. What a dummy, lol.

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

Posted by Salason
She proceeds to tell me that this is how honors classes are picked In her kids' kindergarten, the school asked who went to daycare centers and who didnt and then split the class into high reading levels and low reading levels. They also apparently ding you if you go to a "church preschool" and not a center like Tutor Time (of course where her kids went). She goes on to say that once the honors classes are picked (in kindergarten) you can't get into them in subsequent years because the spots are all taken and that she's just glad her kids are "in" (they're now 12)

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

She's a nut who needs to make herself feel better by putting your decisions down.

My next door neighbor teaches kindergarten locally and when I was asking for advice on the local nursery schools she gave me her opinions but told me she's had kids from the most expensive nursery/pre-k who couldn't keep up and kids who never went to daycare or pre-school who did phenomenally. She feels strongly it's more about how involved the parents are in a child's education than the dollar amount of the tuition.

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

Somepeople really should hear themself talk and how stupid what they say sounds!

Such a ridiculous statement!

Labels for at home care vs daycare center. That's a new one!

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

LOL!

Let me tell you something, my neighbor is a kindergarten teacher at one of the top districts in Nassau County. She has 3 kids. None of that nutty stuff is true. If anything, she always says it's the kids who have parents that spend a lot of time teaching/helping them that do the best academically.

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

Maybe her kids went to a private school and that really did happen? You always hear stories about Manhattan, where you have to get into the "right" preschools in order to get into the "right" elem schools, etc. There could be a sort of discrimination depending on how elite of a preschool the kids went to.

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

Shame. I hear they stack blocks a little higher in honors kindergarten classes. I may have to take my moron child for extra tutoring.

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

That's ridiculous...and further ridiculous to make a comparison between church pre-school and a regular one. I stayed home with my mom til pre-K (and it was a catholic school pre-K), and I was always ahead of my grade reading level.

Some people really don't think before they open their mouths.

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

Did you give her one of these

My nephew just finished day care last week and is getting ready for Kindergarten next week (its bittersweet)...
Anyway, when he went for the Kindergarten testing, lets just say, he did pretty darn good!
He is a very smart little boy and has been in daycare (PT & FT) since he's 2.

Message edited 9/2/2009 4:57:44 PM.

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

That is so idiotic I don't even know where to begin. I'm quite sure the road to being an honor student doesn't begin with which daycare or preschool you go to. The "church preschool" I send my kids to has prepared them extremely well for kindergarten too...I have honestly never heard that the education received at a daycare is better or more well regarded. Sometimes you just have to laugh.

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

I have never heard of honors kindergarten. Don't most schools begin testing in second grade for their TAG classes?

You are your child's first teacher. End of story.

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

Well i had no daycare as a child and ended up in Honors, GT and AP in HS.

Tho i do admit getting in so late in the game was a PITA as those 'groups' of classes were pretty much set since middle school.

I agree with PP who said its all about the parent's interaction with the child and not what daycare they go to or dont go to. Daycare is watching my child and yes teaching her stuff, but its my responsibility as a parent to be her tutor during these years before school to prepare for the 'system'.

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

As a teacher in a school with a competetive honors program....I give you permission to call her a moron and then slap her. She has no idea what she's talking about, and hopefully her children didn't inherit her lack of intelligence.

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

How did you keep a straight face?

I was in the "smart" class in grammar school (this was the 80's - pre PC) and I remember kids getting moved out into the regular class and other kids getting moved in... because their TEST SCORES indicated that this should be done, not because of where they spent time as toddlers. Everyone had a SAHM back then anyway (except me).

I'm thinking she was just hoping her DC would learn something at TT because it doesn't sound like he's going to learn anything at home.

Message edited 9/2/2009 5:19:21 PM.

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

I am teaching K this year and this is so utterly ridiculous. I can't even believe it!

Kids are screened and then they are randomly spread out between classes by ability. For example, you wouldn't want all of the same ability to be in one class. It has NOTHING to do with where the kid has been the past five years.

It's also just to give the teachers a little heads up. It doesn't mean if a kid did not score well that he/she won't succeed in K.

So ridiculous!!

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

Re: Ridiculous comment from a coworker about daycare/honors classes

that honestly is one of the most ignorant and stupidest things i've ever read!