For Educators
Staffing
Various factors, unique to each school district or program sponsor, will determine the best way to staff READY! for Kindergarten at the local level. Our pilot program may serve as a useful model, so we share it here.
The Kennewick (WA) School District began hosting READY! for Kindergarten classes in 2003. For the preparation and delivery of each session, Kennewick READY! employs the following staff members:
-A program director to oversee the various aspects of program execution in its entirety
-A Spanish director to develop and execute a version of READY! for Spanish speakers
-An office manager or clerical employee to assist both directors in any capacity needed
-A materials manager to assemble class supplies and parent kits; set up and clean up classrooms
-Instructors for each scheduled class. Depending on enrollment, Kennewick READY! typically employs 8-10 instructors per class day.
-Licensed child care providers for children while parents are in class. Because we maintain the legal standard of adult-child ratio, the total fluctuates from day to day depending on enrollment.
-Volunteers: Kennewick READY! for Kindergarten has been fortunate to employ a generous team of volunteers to assist on class days with such tasks as greeting and directing participants at the door, helping with sign-in sheets, and helping out in the child care rooms.
A Word About Instructors
Instructors with various backgrounds and experience (not necessarily professional teachers) are employed to teach the majority of READY! for Kindergarten classes.
Though not essential, Kennewick's READY! for Kindergarten program has maintained a standard of placing school district kindergarten teachers as instructors in the age 4-5 class. This provides parents with a first-hand teacher's perspective on what would be ideal for their children to know and be able to do when they enter kindergarten the following year. Parents have typically been very pleased to have this opportunity to meet the teachers who, in some cases, end up teaching their child.
All READY! instructors, whether professional teachers or not, participate in a training class before each session.
