Here is a headline from Monday’s Republic: “Youngsters slide with ease into Arizona’s first year of free, full-day kindergarten.”
“Free”? But according to the story, “In late June 2006, state lawmakers pumped $160 million over two years to launch the program in all public schools.”
Friday’s newspaper included a story carrying this headline: “State’s budget deficit getting worse:
2008 shortfall now $1.15 billion.”
But at least we have “free, full-day kindergarten.”
Noteworthy, indeed!
Nothing is really free, is it.
Thanks Len.
KIndergarten is ‘free’ as in ‘free’ highways. There is no ‘toll’ to get on the freeway; there is no fee for your child to enter kindergarten.
There was a time that the only kindergartens in this state were those parents paid there children to attend.
The revolution D.L. Moody started when the opened Moody church was noted by the sign over the door: ‘Every seat free’. Until Moody’s time you and your family paid ‘pew rent’. There were no offerings taken to pay for the cost of keeping the church doors open – every family ‘bought’ their pew. After Moody’s revolution, you came to church and, if you were able, you contributed to the running of the church through your donations. Were the seats really free? I guess it depends on how interpret ‘free’.