'A godsend for kids'

Kathy Briney, Pablo, music teacher, interview with MEA-MFT Today:

Pablo has had full-time kindergarten for three years. "I had my qualms about it at first," Briney said. "I thought it was all-day babysitting. But it's not."

Instead, she said, full-time kindergarten is about building academic and social maturity so that children can succeed in school.

This is the first year students from full-time kindergarten have rotated into Briney's music classes. She said the difference is significant.

"I'm able to do so much more, especially with the second graders," she said. "They're more academically prepared. They can read out of music books, do some notation--things I couldn't ever consider doing before. Their focus and attention span are greatly improved, and I think it's because of this program [full-time kindergarten]."

Students in full-time kindergarten have more time to build bonds so that they want to come to school, she said. They're not rushing to complete assignments in just two and a half hours.

"It has been very beneficial," said Briney. "It has been a godsend for these kids; it gives them a sense of security they might not get elsewhere. They're happy, and they love being in school. I think it has been a godsend for parents, too."