Laurie Tachmeier urges support for transitional kindergarten, praises Vallejo school community

Laurie Tachmeier, a transitional kindergarten teacher at Stephan Manor Elementary School, used her public comment to urge continued support for transitional kindergarten, praise past professional development programs and call for stronger parental involvement.

"TK is really a gift," Tachmeier said, adding that it is "a special gift to the young ones who haven't been in school before." She described watching students learn routines, expectations and problem-solving skills and said early positive experiences help children stay engaged through the 13 years of schooling that follow before college.

Tachmeier, who said she has taught for 26 years and serves on her union's executive board, recalled that Vallejo once offered strong professional development and benefits, noting a particularly robust PD center in 1999. She said she ran network meetings for TK and kindergarten teachers when those programs began and described those leadership roles as producing valuable learning opportunities for teachers.

She also described classroom progress she said typically appears after a difficult first month, with many students showing marked improvement by December. "I have a friend who is slightly challenged in behavior. He has bloomed in the last week and a half," she said, using the anecdote to illustrate the effects she sees when young children receive early support.

Tachmeier urged school staff to pull parents into classrooms as volunteers and partners, saying students respond when parents participate. "Not everyone has had a good school experience," she said, arguing that parental involvement can help change that impression for children.

She closed by describing her personal ties to the community and thanking VCUSD, saying, "I love my kids here ... this is my community."