Westfield’s early childhood education program has about 140 youngsters enrolled.
WESTFIELD – A group of local educators are looking at preschool programs and services to see if any changes are necessary to better prepare youngsters for regular school.
The review, led by Abner Gibbs principal Margaret M. Adams comes at a time when the School Committee and School Department is relinquishing its overseer status with Westfield Headstart, a federal funded early childhood program.
The review is informal but local school officials anticipate recommendations involving the city’s preschool programs offered at Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center on White Street.
“We all have an interest in pre-kindergarten programs, they are very important,” said School Committee member Laura K. Maloney, the committee’s liaison to Headstart.
Adams said the review is “selfish” on her part, because “as an elementary school principal I know when children has strong and good early childhood education experiences, they are better kindergarten students in public school.”
Superintendent of Schools Shirley Alvira said that although the review is unofficial, “we appreciate the fact that they are talking about this. This is an important step in a child’s education and early childhood programs are a concern because it is an area not mandated but absolutely necessary for the development of children.”
Currently about 140 pre-school youngsters attend Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center.
“We are exploring what is in place and if there is anything we can do better,” said Adams.
The School Committee, earlier this year, opted to severe its formal position with Headstart after 25 years of overseeing its operation. Westfield is only the second community in the state to oversee Headstart, the other being Worcester.
School Committee member Mary Beth Ogulewicz Sacco said this week “We just have enough on our own plate and they (Headstart) deserves their own body. It is not appropriate for the School Committee to be responsible for Headstart.”
The committee has agreed to continue serving as grantor for the federal program until a new Headstart overseer agency is found. Headstart has received no response to a request for proposals from agencies interested in supervising the program here and is preparing to readvertise for proposals in January, said Maloney.