I had an exchange yesterday with THE REAL TEAPARTY(tm) initiated by this tweet:
You can see the rest here.
I asked THE REAL TEAPARTY to make their case against preK in a form I could post. Here it is. I have asked early childhood advocates if they want to respond. I’ll post what I get.
It turns out the whoever tweeted permission to post this didn’t have the right, or didn’t mean it, or something. And Michelle Levell wants me to link to it rather than publish it. Here’s the link: School Choice New Hampshire
Advancing New Hampshire Public Education 
Mr. Duncan, you did not ask for permission to reprint my article. I am happy for you to provide a link to it.
Someone calling themselves THE REAL TEAPARTY seemed to give permission and I figured that must be you. Glad to take it down.
I know who that person is, but it is not me. I read the exchange on Twitter, and that individual did not give you permission, only provided the information.
Got it.
I didn’t want to interrupt the post with my own comments, but it’s worth pointing out that no one has proposed “mandatory” preK in New Hampshire. A decade on, even kindergarten isn’t mandatory.
Well, at least this person/these people aren’t irrational and crazy, answering their own questions, not really responding to yours, accusing you of a host of horrific crimes absent evidence, and generally making me really eager to . . . not pay attention to a bloody word “they” utter. Marvy.
Well, if kindergarten is not mandatory, it sure looks like it is mandatory. NH was the last state to call for mandatory statewide public kindergarten. Hudson was the last town to implement it. I am proud to be a resident of that town. As a matter of fact, the first issue being discussed at the then-new Redress of Grievances Committee was the force-feeding of public kindergarten to our state, an issue brought to that committee by Rep. Lars Christiansen. I testified against public kindergarten at that hearing.
Here is the link to that petition by Rep. Christiansen:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2012/PET0001.html
In my view, Judge Barry got it right. New Hampshire children have a fundamental right to an adequate education, now including at least a half day of kindergarten.
However, as you see from this exchange, that is not the topic here. Ms. Levell argued against extending compulsory attendance to 4 year-olds. I merely clarified that I have heard no discussion in New Hampshire about compulsory attendance for 4 year-olds (or 5 year-olds, for that matter).
So I would propose that we put that issue aside and more on to other aspects of the debate, like what we have to do to ensure that the children who do attend preK or kindergarten get the best possible early childhood development experience and how to provide parents who want it with the support they need to give their children the opportunity to make their own choices about their futures.