CKA can help you host a Kindergarten Forum in your district to discuss plans for Transitional Kindergarten implementation, kindergarten curriculum and other kindergarten issues in your district.
Debra Weller, a teacher at Bathgate Elementary in Mission Viejo in Capistrano Unified School District held a Kindergarten Forum in Feb. 2011.
Here are her suggestions:
Do an email needs assessment of your kindergarten colleagues. For example in CUSD the kindergarten teachers were struggling with assessments for the new standards based report card. The needs assessment showed that every site had created their own assessments. So Debra asked all teachers to bring copies of the site created assessments to share during the forum.
Debra notified the district Elementary Superintendent and said she wanted to present about the Kindergarten Readiness Act and Transitional Kindergarten.
Debra contacted the Professional Development organizer and submitted a description of the workshop. It was disseminated by district email to kindergarten and preschool teachers. It offered district credit for attending.
The one and a half hour Forum was held after school in the Bathgate Library.
On the day of the presentation Debra logged on to www.californiakindergartenassociation.org and opened the Power Point Presentation. She followed up with chart paper responses to the following questions: What examples of best practice would you like to see in a Transitional Kindergarten? How would you differentiate kindergarten, TK and Pre-K curriculum?
Debra had also obtained CKA membership brochures two weeks prior to her presentation.
Kindergarten teachers are leaders! Be a leader in your district!
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