Texas is the first state to rate academics of early childhood centers

This morning’s edition of the Dallas Morning News (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/082407dnmetprekratings.37af961.html) has an informative article on the actions by the state to rate early childhood centers on their ability to prepare kids for kindergarten. There is little in the way of push-back or analysis of the implication but it is a logical next-step for government agencies that have increasingly been pushing for (1) compulsory 4/5 year old early learning and (2) lobbying for the funding of that early learning. I am personally aligned with decidedly non-academic settings for early learners that allow more play and less worksheets. It’s not clear just WHAT is being evaluated besides the general “ready for Kindergarten” and the allusion to knowing words, colors and numbers.