>>The teachers were great and fun [...] Isn't this sufficiently enough for pre-K childcare? If pre-K caregivers are able to make the program both fun and educa

>>The teachers were great and fun [...] Isn't this sufficiently enough for pre-K childcare? If pre-K caregivers are able to make the program both fun and educational, I can't help but feel that this is extra gravy on top for a parent. Perhaps part of the issue is that "educational" is interpreted differently by families. For example, before the age of 5 (when children enter the K-12 system) some children have difficulty holding a pencil, so having more time working with pencils, crayons and scissors (!!) to improve motor skills could fall under the "educational" category during pre-K. >>We got negative feedback from the teachers and administrators about keeping our kids home when we could -- "they won't understand what's happening to the project they started on Wednesday if they don't come in on Friday". If one of the proported benefits of a "warm, safe and stimulating" environment happens to be socialization and instilling a sense of group belonging, then this sort of feedback might make sense. Having said this, I can also emphasize when teachers may not necessarily deliver the message in the clearest manner to parents.