I posted an important blog entry on this topic.  Please check it out:

http://blogs.lotterypost.com/todd/2007/11/the-tennessee-lottery-strikes-out-again.htm

Preschool is the biggest need right now in education.  You would be surprised at the children who start kindergarten who have never picked up a book, ever read to, doesn't know their full name, nor their parents name.  There are children who do not know their colors... or even what a color is.  There are children who cannot even point to the sky when asked. 

Due to parents not taking any precious time with them as toddlers for whatever reason.

Reading begins in kindergarten now instead of first grade like years ago.   Reading wasn't taught until 2nd grade back when I first started.

The less time parents spend with the toddlers the more prep time is needed in school before hitting kindergarten.  OR those children will be left behind.  Not due to the educators, but due the parents who do not take up quality time with their children.

There are preschoolers who cannot not...

blow their nose

eat with a fork

drink without a training cup

turn the pages of a book

know the difference between up and down, in and out, over and under etc.

colors, shapes

any nursery rhymes

some not completely potty trained.

Some with speech problems

These children have already been left behind.  My opinion, parents should be fined for not taking up time with their children.

I totally agree with you tntea, but I'm thinking about helping the kids who are aready past kindergarten  and are already behind. TN needs better teachers. It really got to me a few months ago when we had this girl start working at my job as a temp. She was 18 yrs old and had just graduated high school last year and she couldn't add or subtract.  I had heard of people like this on tv and in the news but never seen anyone like it. She was from Michigan and always bragged about her graduating class and how small it was. I felt sorry for her because I felt her school system just shuffled her through the system. Now she's out on her own trying to make it and finding it is hard without a proper education. She was trying to get hired on as a regular employee where I work but it is a factory and like so many factories around here, a TABE test is required to be hired and you have to have atleast a 10th grade education level to get hired. She took her TABE test to get hired. I asked her what she got and she told me 6.3.  When she told me that I just busted out laughing because I thought she was joking. She looked like she was going to cry so I regrouped and asked her if she told anyone else and she told me yes. She said she told one other person and he did exactly the same thing I did. When she told me that I knew she wasn't playing. I told her she needed to go to the community college because they had classes to prepare her for the TABE test. I also told her to never tell anyone else what her score was. I really felt bad for her because I have a 7 year old 2nd grader who may be is smarter then her. Sometimes when I look at that coworker I think, what were her parents doing. I know I read to my daughter played games with her and the only channel she ever watched until she got to 1st grade was PBS. I wouldn't let her watch Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, or Cartoon Network because I felt they weren't educational and because of commercials. 

I just received an 8th grader whose first experience of school was when she put her foot in my classroom this year.  9 years of no formal schooling.  She had been homeschool...  she new the word "was"... and what a quarter is..

Now she misses every third day..

This 18 year old.... has anyone checked the school record to see how many days this girl attended school each year. 

I do not have but 2 of 19 students who is at school 5 out of 5 days a week.   When the students miss that much, it is hard for teachers to catch them up.  Basically the only way to do so is for the teacher and student to stay over in afternoon or come early.  Hell for the kids I  talking about they will not get there at regular time much less come early or stay late.