Full-Day Kindergarten: Oregon Officials Cheer, Children Question

Teachers, parents, and elected officials celebrated the official launch of full-day kindergarten in Oregon Tuesday, at a Beaverton school. But not everyone cheered the governor.

Flanked by Oregon state Sen. Mark Hass (D-Beaverton) and Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle, Gov. Kate Brown greeted parents and children as they showed up for the first day of school.

"You have a favorite subject?" Brown asked one student.

"Art" was the student's response. Brown said "good," and then confirmed with Hass that Nancy Ryles Elementary had art classes.

Many of the kids Brown met were kindergarteners coming to public school for the very first time. They're part of an inaugural class — as of this school year, every kindergartener in Oregon is attending a free, full-day, public school program.

Officials were in good moods, anticipating the day-long programs will help students become better readers.

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But when the governor talked to kindergarteners inside the school, Brown got a different reception.

"Nice to meet you," Brown said to a few children, seated on the colorful carpet in front of her.

One child asked, looking around, "where's kindergarten?"

"Kindergarten is right here," Brown responded. "It's going to be all-day, and it's going to be great."

Not everyone was convinced of that.

"Not all day," a kindergartener countered, generating howls of laughter from officials, teachers, and reporters in the classroom.

"Pretty much," Brown responded with a smile.

Kindergarteners in Oregon will now stay generally until the rest of the elementary kids go home. Until now, Oregon kindergarten was a mix of half- and full-day programs  — depending on the district.