Support programs for young children

        If you could give your child a lifelong advantage when he or she is only 2 years old, would you? I have been in the early childhood field for nine years, with experience ranging from elementary school children to 2-year-olds. I have seen firsthand the drastic difference in a child who had access to quality education at a young age and those whose first education experience was kindergarten.
According to studies, children who take part in a quality early childhood program are less likely to drop out of school or repeat grades. These children are also said to have a better relationship with their parents, as well as improved social/emotional behavior.
Contrary to what many people think, children do learn more in early childhood programs than how to recite the ABCs and recognize shapes. There are some things parents may not be able to teach their children, no matter how hard they try, such as social interactions with other children. Children will learn in a quality early-childhood program how to interact socially as well as how to solve problems.
Want something you can observe for yourself? Go to a park and watch children playing in the sandbox. If a child tries to take a toy from another child, there is a drastic difference in a child who has been taught how to interact with others and the child who has not.
These are just a few of the ways that quality programs for young children help our society, even after the children grow up. I know as a parent, I would want to give my child every possible advantage in life I could. This is a very easy way to do that!
– Jessica Stewart
China Grove

Union conundrum
 Chicago politics present a conundrum for our president. Whom does he speak out against, or for, the union or his ex-chief of staff, Mayor Rahm Emanuel? If he supports Emanuel, he suffers the wrath of the teachers’ union. If he supports the teachers’ union, he undermines the Democratic mayor.
I note that he had no problem speaking out against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in the governor’s fight with the union to make the hard choices needed to salvage the state’s budget.
Moreover, just what is the union demanding in Chicago? Someone reported it was demanding a 35 percent pay increase for teachers. In their defense, this was not true – they only wanted a 25 percent increase and thumbed their noses at the 16 percent offered. Oh, yeah, they also demand guarantees that dismissed teachers will be brought to work at some future time, along with some other more demands, like smaller classes, equal distribution of wealth and sundry other truly noble issues. Unfortunately, their demands for higher wages at a time when so many have no wages dilutes their legitimacy.
The 25 percent pay increase they are demanding for 26,000 teachers making an average of $71,246 for nine months comes to about $463 million. (My math could be wrong since I rarely calculate higher than a grand or two before I become overwhelmed.) If my math is correct, that would pay for many of the legitimate issues they claim to be fighting for, including about 6,500 new teachers.
My daddy taught me to know when the wetness on my back is from rain and when it is not, so don’t tell me, the strike is NOT about salaries.
– Chuck Hughes
Salisbury