ASHLAND — A chorus of preschool children’s voices filled the classroom at Heartland Technical Education Center.
“Hello neighbor! What do you say? It’s going to be a beautiful day, so clap your hands and stomp your feet, so let’s bend down and have a seat.”
Every day at Heartland Tech’s preschool starts with a group activity. On one chilly Tuesday morning, the students sang three songs, including the daily welcome song.
A typical day continues with practicing skills like counting, listening and identifying letters, then a snack break, recess, centers, closing circle and dismissal — all packed into a two-hour and 15-minute schedule.
Days begin and end with circle time, led by one of the six high school students who are enrolled in Heartland Tech’s early education program.
These high school juniors and seniors command the classroom, learning hands-on what a career in early childhood education requires.
“‘Peter tried again to whistle, but still, he couldn’t. So Willie just walked on,'” one high school student read from a storybook. Then she paused and asked the students a question.
“How do you think Peter feels right now?”
“ Sad,” the children responded in harmony.
Preschoolers prepare for kindergarten
Preschool students at Heartland Tech receive an education that aligns with the state’s early learning and development standards, which outline what children should know and be able to do before kindergarten.
The curriculum also incorporates portions of Heggerty— a curricula focused on building early reading and writing skills.
Heartland Tech’s curriculum is ultimately developed by Shannon Donelson, the preschool director, teacher and early education instructor.
“I get to model and mold what we do here, without having to worry about people in control that don’t know developmentally-appropriate methods,” Donelson said.
“Having that emergent curriculum, having the child-led interest guide everything that you do is really important,” she added.
“By the time they enter kindergarten, I would like them to know a majority of their uppercase and lowercase letters because that is significant to everything else. But more importantly, I want them to have a love for school.”
Shannon Donelson, heartland Tech preschool director
“We do have a progress report based on those early learning standards, but ideally, by the time they enter kindergarten, I would like them to know a majority of their uppercase and lowercase letters because that is significant to everything else,” Donelson said.
“But more importantly, I want them to have a love for school.”
Donelson also emphasizes conflict-resolution, independence and negotiating skills through activity stations, where the students choose what they want to do.
When lots of students want to be at the same station, they have to learn how to take turns and share by talking through issues themselves.
Donelson also said her program offers more individualized attention than a typical child care center because of the amount of teachers in the classroom.
“The ratio is almost two big people per child,” she said.
High schoolers walk away with early childhood education accreditations
Even though Donelson is the listed teacher, she takes a back seat in the preschool classroom, letting the high schoolers administer the lessons.
On Fridays, she works with the students to develop lesson plans and prepare for the coming week.
At the end of their two years in the program, the high schoolers walk away with several credentials that can help them get jobs in the child care field, including:
- CPR, first-aid and defibrillator certifications
- A child abuse recognition and prevention credential
- A communicable disease recognition and prevention credential
- Hours toward a Child Development Association, or CDA, credential
- Experience in curriculum, instruction, health and safety, nutrition, principles of education and observation and assessment
The CDA credential is worth nine semester hours of college credit through North Central State College. And the early education program is one of seven at Heartland Tech offering Tuition Freedom Scholarships to North Central State College, allowing students to get an associate’s degree for free if they maintain a certain GPA.
Donelson said the biggest challenge working with high school students is attendance and their reliance on previous school experiences, which are largely worksheet-based.
“The hard thing is trying to open up their minds to what research says is best for children, instead of relying on what they know from their past,” she said.
She hopes high school students graduate from the program knowing if this is a career they want and gain foundational life skills in any path.
Career technical school preschools offer unique environment, but often lack full day care
Heartland Tech offers two preschool sessions: the morning class from 9-11:15 a.m. and the afternoon class from 12 to 2:15 p.m. Both are offered Monday-Thursday.
The program, offered to 3 to 5-year-olds, costs $600 for the school year, which can be paid at once or in monthly installments.
Other Ashland County preschool rates are higher:
| Preschool | Price | Details |
| Park Street Brethren Church | $63 a week for four days of preschool | Only offers 9-11:50 a.m. class |
| Ashland YMCA | $270 per month for four days of half-day preschool as a member, and $375 for guests | Half-day preschool is offered from 8:30-11 a.m. The YMCA also offers full-day preschool. |
| Foundations Community Childcare | $190 a week for four days of preschool | |
| Milestones Learning Center | $100 a week for four days of preschool | Preschool runs from 8-11 a.m. Monday-Thursday |
| Heartland Tech Preschool | $600 for the school year | Classes offered from 9-11:15 a.m. and 12-2:15 p.m. Monday-Thursday |
However, the other agencies listed all offer one thing Heartland Tech does not: care for the full day.
For parents who have the flexibility to drop off and pick up their children from Heartland Tech’s preschool, it is the cheapest option.
But if a parent’s needs include day care before or after preschool, other facilities might make more sense.
This limitation is not unique to Ashland’s career center.
High school students enrolled in early childhood education programs at career centers still have academic courses incorporated in their schedules, meaning they lack the time to offer full day care services.
Wayne County Schools Career Center’s preschool program, the Knox County Career Center, the Delaware Area Career Center and the Career & Technology Education Centers of Licking County all offer half day preschool without full day care available.
The Pioneer Career and Technology Center in Shelby offers child care for infants and toddlers from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. as well as half day preschool, but day care isn’t available for preschool-aged kids.
What career center preschools lack in hours, they make up for in passion
Career center preschools may not always offer full day care, but Donelson said the high school students provide carefully-curated lesson plans with preschooler interest always at the top-of-mind.
Senior Felix Harper said parents shouldn’t worry about high schoolers teaching their kids.
“Miss D. gets the best of the best,” Harper said. “She enforces a lot of our policies, like, ‘Hey, you’re not going to mess around. This is a professional environment. You are actually teaching people’s children.'”
Harper joined the program as a junior after being denied entry to the cosmetology program due to capacity.
“Once I got here, I just immediately was like, ‘Oh, I’m so glad I’m here and not in cosmetology,'” Harper said.
Harper is looking into post-graduation options, such as attending the Ohio State Mansfield campus in an early education program or continuing to work at Foundations Community Childcare. Harper currently works there as an assistant teacher on weeknight evenings.
One thing is certain in Harper’s future: pursing a career in childhood education.
Evangeline Moran, another senior, started the program thinking she wanted to be a social worker. Now, she wants to start her own school.
In fact, she’s already working on it.
Moran entered into a Family Career and Community Leaders of America competition in the entrepreneurship category, where she will design and present her business plan.
The competition is against other high school students at the regional, state and national levels. If she makes it to the finals, she could win FCCLA ratings and scholarships.
“It’s a learning curve for me too, because I’m not a business person, so learning the ropes around business is a big opportunity,” Moran said.
Moran said her school would model the Foundations Community Childcare center in its program structure, offering day care and preschool for children aged 8 months to 5 years old.
She also hopes to make the facility unique by partnering with Ashland University’s music program students to offer music lessons. She dreams of having a greenhouse on site.
“It’s very encouraging to know that you’re the one who’s helping the young minds that will hopefully run our futures,” Moran said.