It's About Time

Again, though, Fort Bend's main focus was the changing needs of students, Wey says.

"When you look at the kindergarten curriculum, the number of things that kindergartners are required to learn has almost quadrupled," Wey says. "We weren't giving the teachers enough time to teach and the children enough time to learn."

Margaret Downing

Jan Randolph looks forward to spending more time with each student in full-day classes.

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More About

• Paul Sadler
• Jan Randolph
• Susan Wey
• Elementary Education
• K-12 Funding and Administration

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For parents still convinced that half-day is better, there's always the private-school route. Private schools should have a lot of spaces opening up -- maybe they'll make the transition to the half-day alternative. The market always fills a need.

Fort Bend has made a great decision in joining the ranks of full-day kindergartens. It has recognized that the crescendo ending to the kindergarten year is no longer making butter or constructing a spewing volcano, delightful as both activities can be. It has freed up some time for children and teachers to think, learn and be challenged. It has built in some rest stops along the way. So everyone can take off their running shoes, sit down and listen to each other a little bit more.