Amend Utah Kindergarten Requirements

Ya one of my kids was ready for school.but could because of her birthday I agree this need to be in affect

My daughter is ready for kindergarten. She is writing her name and letters, she processes information on a kindergarten level, her social skills are sufficient, and she is interested in learning. Unfortunately, with a September 4th birthday, she cannot attend kindergarten this year. She has one cousin 7 days older who CAN attend kindergarten, and a cousin 10 days younger who must also wait. I think assessing the situation and treating each child as an individual is an excellent idea.

I have 2 kids born the first week of September. They were so bored in kindergarden and first grade because they had an extra year of preschool. I'm glad I'm not the only one frustrated by the September 1 cutoff!

This is great!

I am one of these children. My birthday, November 5, qualified me to start kindergarten a year after the year I wanted to. When I finally was able to go to kindergarten, my teacher saw that I could read above the first graders level which allowed me to simply skip kindergarten. Since that point in time there have been many opportunities that have been withheld from me because of my age. Today I stand though as a 18 year old senior (by credits) and Student Professor at BYU for thier Swedish program who has managed Provo City Swim school all while starting before the "prescribed age." I hope that other children will be able to find their voice and show their true potential through easier means that what I went through.

I'm sorry but I'm all for the cut off date and utah is not the only state Arkansas is too and I think that instead of complaining that your kid is going to be bored then do stuff at home too there is alot of stuff you can do with your kids my daughter is a November v baby and ya she is more advanced education wise but was so not ready for the classroom itself and so i just taught her at home and had her in other things to help her get ready and even tho she does the school work quickly I have her do what I call my homework she loves it and it gets her extra stickers at home and if she turns it in at school she gets extra credit so just look at it a different way instead of blaming it on someone or something

The testing is a great idea!

I would like to see the cut off date stretched through the month of October, there are so many children born in October who miss out and are more than ready to attend Kindergarten. Why keep a child who is ready to learn and experience all that Kindergarten has to offer enrolled for another year of preschool? I do agree that it adds to behavioral problems later on, when a child is bored and not being challenged. I would love to see this happen, by the time my daughter is 5, which is just a tad over a year away.

ugh I'm so frustrated that my daughter who was born in September has to wait an entire extra year. She will be so bored, and she is more then her birthdate! I'm actually trying to test her into first grade but I'm afraid I might run into issues. This makes me upset and I'm glad to see this petition.

A part of the amendment would mandate that the childs parents or legal guardians will be required to pay for a social and developmental test typically done by a psychologist. This will confirm the child is at the appropriate level to begin socially and developmentally and not just educationally. This will also make it so it won't be an easy childcare alternative for children whom barely miss the existing deadline. It will not cost the taxpayers any extra as it is the parents responsibility. There would need to be clarification about allowable places for the testing (via existing school district psychologists or private ones approved by the state for this purpose).

I think this is a great idea. I do, however, think that some sort of social aptitude should be tested as well.

i have 3 children with September bdays! Two of whom would have done just fine if allowed to attend early! Now they are in ALL which has been good for them, but struggled in k-2 because of their boredom!

This law needs to change. It's absurd that I have to send my daughter to an expensive private kindergarten because she was born in September.

I'm already worried for not been able to enrroll my child to preschool,now imagine what's going to happened at kindergarden.

I agree.

I was just talking to my neighbors about this tonight. My daughter has a September birthday. She is very advanced, and I would consider the option to start her at 4 (almost 5), if she were tested and found "ready".

Please consider this change. Two of my children have been held back when they were more than ready.

Hey Everyone! Thank you so much for your support. Please continue to share our petitio, so we can help make this change. Our children are our future and we are here to support them and encourage them as we grow. If you feel there would be a date different from on or before October 1, please include it in the comments. We can then use that as a consideration to see how many children are truly affected by the existing law and whose parents are not wanting or willing to wait the additional year because their children are ready. Thank you again for your support. We truly hope to share this and make a positive change for our childrens' future.

My daughter missed this deadline by two days. She is now in the 4th grade and the effects are still apparent. This needs changed!!

This would have been great for my little girl who missed the cut off this year by just a couple weeks. Her dad and I are both very tall, so she is very tall and also very advanced for her age. My only option was private school which I could not afford at over $10,000 a year. Kids should be allowed to test into Kindergarten.