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National Kindergarten Recognition Day: a Senate Matter

By Donna Gundle-Krieg April 18, 2009 Note: to comment on this story or other stories about education in America, please go to Examiner.com

I suspected a hoaky Hallmark-created holiday when I first read that there was a National Kindergarten Recognition Day on April 21 of each year.

However, I soon found out that this day is actually a creation of our busy and important United States Senate.

National Kindergarten Recognition Day was adopted in 2005 to “recognize the critical role the kindergarten year plays in the lives of our children,” according to then Senator Ken Salazar, who introduced the resolution.

Salazar is a Democrat from Colorado who is now Secretary of the Interior for President Obama, who wants to offer universal preschool.

In 2005, Salazar wanted to “call attention to kindergarten and to discuss ways in which we can improve kindergarten classrooms throughout the Nation.”

Who can argue about kindergarten being a special and important time? The kids are still so sweet at that age, and the learning that occurs is fun to watch.

However, I am concerned that parents are so willing to give their kids over to the government at a younger and younger age, like they do in China. By the time Chinese children finish kindergarten, they are already well programmed to believe a one-sided government.

Sure, it is easy to send the kiddies off to school and enjoy freedom while feeling secure that they are safe and learning.

However, I really enjoyed my children during their preschool and kindergarten years. Many future habits and attitudes are formed during that time, and I wanted to be part of helping form those habits and attitudes.

Kindergarten was first introduced to American communities in 1856. Now, close to four million children participate in kindergarten programs throughout the country.

Kindergarten started as a voluntary half day program, but soon it became standard. Many districts now offer all day kindergarten.

By the way, I found the information about the Senate resolution on a website called, Govtrack.us, which calls itself “a civic project to track Congress.”  

On this website, you can follow issues, blog about them, or study any of the thousands of bills and resolutions that are constantly being discussed and passed right under our noses.

Often the website contains the Congressional Record, which is the official journal of Congress’s daily proceedings.

The site is also an excellent educational tool for high school students studying government.

For more information, see the full Senate text below

See also:

Will Universal Preschool Become the Law?

Send an E-Card to Your Favorite Kindergartener

 next meeting of the Senate is Apr 20, 2009; the House next meets Apr 21, 2009. next meeting of the Senate is Apr 20, 2009; the House NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN RECOGNITION DAY

The United States Senate

Apr 25, 2005

Section 6

Govtrack.us

Sen. James Inhofe [R-OK]: Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 119, submitted today.

Chair: The clerk will report the resolution by title.

There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.

Sen. Ken Salazar [D-CO]: Mr. President, I rise today in support of the resolution that nationally recognizes the critical role the kindergarten year plays in the lives of our Nation's children. This resolution designates April 21, 2005 as National Kindergarten Recognition Day.

I have chosen this day because exactly 168 years ago the first kindergarten classroom was opened. In 1837, many believed that young children did not have the ability to focus or to develop cognitive and emotional skills. However, Fredrich Froebel, a German school teacher and private tutor, held a different opinion and opened the first kindergarten classroom with the goal of shaping young children in a nurturing, educational, and protected environment.

Since then, Mr. Froebel's idea has been confirmed time and again by research--early years are learning years and kindergarten has a long history of enhancing children's cognitive, physical, and social development.

In the United States, kindergarten was first introduced to American communities in 1856. Now, close to four million children participate in kindergarten programs throughout the country. With attention now focused on increasing access to high-quality child care and pre-school programs, kindergarten is frequently overlooked.

While I support both of these laudable goals, I believe we cannot ignore the impact of the kindergarten year on the development of our Nation's children. And as policy makers, we must ensure that the kindergarten programs are using developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate curricula and have teachers who have specialized knowledge and skills to address their unique needs.

On a personal note, I fondly remember my kindergarten year with my teacher, Mrs. Espinoza, who encouraged my curiosity and creativity. As a parent, I recall taking my daughters to their first day of kindergarten--they came home excited to tell my wife and me what they learned and to showcase their art and science projects in our home. Kindergarten prepared my girls for their later school success and cultivated their life-long love of learning. I will be just as proud to see my daughter Melinda graduate from high school next month as I was the day of her first school graduation, her kindergarten graduation.

It is a pleasure to introduce this resolution that honors kindergarten. It is my hope that we can use this day now, and in the future, to call attention to kindergarten and to discuss ways in which we can improve kindergarten classrooms throughout the Nation.

Sen. James Inhofe [R-OK]: Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolution and preamble be agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and any statements be printed in the RECORD, without intervening action or debate.

Chair: Without objection, it is so ordered.

What's this?

The Congressional Record is the official journal of Congress's daily proceedings.

Though often a transcript of the debates on the House and Senate floors, like C-SPAN transcripts, the Congressional Record can be significantly modified by Members of Congress after the fact. Entries in the Congressional Record can reflect the edited, prepared versions of statements actually made on the floor, and on very rare occasions can contain seeming entire debates between Members of Congress that never took place.

Only floor proceedings are a part of the Record, and so committee meetings are not available this way.

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