The storm resulted in the loss of employees stuck in “doing things the way we always did it” and lost many of their old school ways. According to Robert W Kovacs, child care consultant “The storm destroyed classrooms, administration and many old school practices. Many new processes, new efficiencies, and new tools replaced the outdated ones. Curriculum will be added reinforcement to make the center more apt to implement developmentally appropriate practices to avoid another catastrophe.”
Most child care centers in urban and low income neighborhoods often are neglected in terms of having the “latest and greatest” as most are operated their centers as “mom and pop” operations. According to Kovacs, “The initial socio-economic divide occurs early as a result of the ‘haves and have nots’ as seen in the lack of technology, developmentally appropriate supplies and equipment and the ability to afford on-going staff training.” Kovacs, the consultant funded through a grant has been charged with clearing the remains from the great blizzard and rebuilding the center.
According to recent Annie E Casey Foundation studies, “Nearly 24 million children have parents without full-time jobs, and many others earn too little to help their families flourish.” “Complacency becomes the norm when staff are not reinforced with new, innovative curriculum, supplies, equipment and ultimately training” according to Kovacs.
Overall, this results in less options for quality early childhood education as centers are doing the same, repeated programs results in quality issues for the center as a whole. Ultimately, leaving the community with more inadequate quality programs. Consequentially, contributing to children not prepared for ready-to-learn initiatives as they enter pre-kindergarten programs offered by the local school district.
Observing a training led by Kovacs on developmentally curriculum. He introduced thematic approach to implementing a curriculum. Along with the customary pre-school arts supplies, he had waiting at each learner’s chair a pile of newspaper, garbage bags, Styrofoam and recycled products.
Once the learners all were settled, he introduced the theme and shared his own stories of growing up outside of Detroit and facing dreadfully cold, snowy winters and how moving to south Florida found it bizarre how locals dressed for the cold.
Armed with the arts and crafts supplies, he began to lead the activities by sharing we are going to have a winter recess, building snowmen, having a snowball fight and transforming the classroom a winter wonderland for the children’s return on Monday morning. Today’s thematic approach was about winter and building a day’s worth of activities centered around what most Miamian’s have never experienced and according to Kovacs, “this was just the beginning of clearing the damage” from what most Miamian’s will have dubbed the day as “The Great Blizzard Of ’94”.
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