Advice about Transitional Kindergarten in Public Schools

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Future plans for California transitional kindergarten

June 2014

Re: Transitional kindergarten at Sequoia in Oakland?

No feedback on the Sequoia program specifically--we are looking at TK for 2016 so curious to hear!--but more broadly, keep an eye on what's happening at the state level. Senate Bill 837 was recently passed by the State Senate. This bill eliminates the current TK program and reintroduces it as PreK for all low-income four-year-olds. Beginning in 2015, children born in the Sept-Dec window (current TK group) who are not low-income would no longer be eligible. (The original bill was for PreK for all four-year-olds, but to cut costs they limited it to low-income, as defined by free and reduced lunch eligibility.) I have very mixed thoughts on this for many reasons, not the least of them that recent studies of Head Start have shown far greater benefits for low-income children when the programs are mixed income. The bill still needs to make it to the governor, but it's definitely worth watching, as it may mean that TK/PreK is no longer an option for your family. Another prospective TK mama


Transitional K for Dec 2 birthday girl?

May 2014

Recently talk about TK (Transitional Kindergarten) has come up among friends and several assured us that we were in a good spot because of instead of having to pay for an additional year of preschool, our child will be able to go to TK since she's a winter baby!

Even though we have a few more years to really think about this before she'll be going to one, I decided to look up more information about TK since so much of it is new to me. Turns out she's born the day AFTER the cutoff date (but I was in labor before then, I swear! Does that count?!) which is December 2.

Any thoughts or advice on what our options are? Is there really a super duper strict cutoff date? Do we not stand a chance? Do we fudge the birth cert? Is there any movement or reality on TK for all (4 year olds) by the time she hits that age (in a few years)?? decembermama


The cutoff was changed to September 2 at every Public School I am aware of. It used to be Dec. 2 but not anymore. Ellen


We also have a TK-eligible kid so I've followed this with interest. First--yes, keep an eye on the state budget negotiations this year and next. TK for all four-year-olds is a hot topic and while it's not in the currently proposed budget, it's the top issue identified by the Democrats this year going into budget negotiations. So if you're a few years out, it could be a different ball game by then. As far as the cutoff, how strict it is varies by district, but many will accept children who just miss the cutoff (in either direction) if there are spots remaining once all of the Sept/Oct/Nov children have been placed. So I definitely wouldn't give up! Another prospective TK mama


You need to call your school district and talk to the program manager in its preschool division to ask what your district's approach is. My understanding is that currently each district has flexibility to extend the TK window, at least as far as the state is concerned. The May revise of the proposed 2014-15 state budget does not have any changes (or expansion) of TK programs, but you can keep an eye on it as it progresses to see if the Legislature's Democrats are successful in including universal pre-K (Gov Brown has rejected their proposal thus far). In the WCCUSD, I had many conversations with the preschool program manager about getting my son in TK (his bday falls just before the start date, so he was eligible for kindergarten), and they kept an interest list for kids outside the range. However, there's not much point in having those discussions more than the fall prior to when you want your child to start, because it does change year to year.


At the present time, the only children who are admitted to TK's are those who would have been able to attend kindergarten, if it had not been for the change in the cut-off for beginning kindergarten (so, kids born in September, October, November). Previously, those kids would have started kindergarten when they were not quite 5, but now they have to wait until the following year. Your child, born December 3, would not have been able to go to kindergarten previously either. So, currently, they would not qualify for TK. There is some movement toward the idea of TK for all-- I think that would be awesome! But I'm not sure that it's going to happen. It's going to be incredibly expensive and though the state isn't in quite the dire financial straits it was a few years ago, we're not exactly rolling in the money either. So, although it would be great, I wouldn't really plan on it!


You're kidding about fudging the birth certificate, right? You wouldn't start your daughter's official schooling with a big, fat lie, would you? Sometimes you just get the shorter end of the stick. Not everyone can have the perfect birthday (which now is probably sometime in October--you get to be one of the oldest in your class and get free TK for a year). Not everyone can be good at math and a super athlete and highly attractive, either. You get what you get (and you don't get upset). You might find yourself in a wonderful preschool situation that you don't want to trade in for free TK anyway. Don't start worrying about TK before your baby or toddler has even started preschool! Mom of 3, with very different birthdays