Submitted by Charlotte Harris (not verified) on January 18, 2007 - 18:25.
For my city, Boston, Massachusetts, the greatest single barrier to participation in after school programs is lack of transporation. Lack of transportation is concealed within the "lack of funding" catch all that garnered the most votes in your poll but should be separated out and looked at as a single issue. Likely funders of all stripes - state, federal, private foundation and individual donors - have demonstrated willingness to fund all aspects of program growth and improvement but none has been willing to begin to help local districts to pick up the costs of "late buses" so students ca get safely home. True enough, districts and funders have not given enough to make after school programs widely available or even high quality where they exist, but until there are late buses for after school programs there will be inadequate parent confidence and student participation to push after school participation past the tipping point to make the programs an integral part of public schooling.
For my city, Boston,
Submitted by Charlotte Harris (not verified) on January 18, 2007 - 18:25.
For my city, Boston, Massachusetts, the greatest single barrier to participation in after school programs is lack of transporation. Lack of transportation is concealed within the "lack of funding" catch all that garnered the most votes in your poll but should be separated out and looked at as a single issue. Likely funders of all stripes - state, federal, private foundation and individual donors - have demonstrated willingness to fund all aspects of program growth and improvement but none has been willing to begin to help local districts to pick up the costs of "late buses" so students ca get safely home. True enough, districts and funders have not given enough to make after school programs widely available or even high quality where they exist, but until there are late buses for after school programs there will be inadequate parent confidence and student participation to push after school participation past the tipping point to make the programs an integral part of public schooling.