Latino Children\u27s Kindergarten Entry: Views of Parents and Teachers

This study examined parental and teacher expectations of kindergarten readiness of Latino children. The perceptions of Latino mothers, Latino fathers, and kindergarten teachers were analyzed and compared. Specifically, parents\u27 and teachers\u27 responses were compared in three areas: perceptions of what parents can do to prepare children for kindergarten, priorities for requisite kindergarten entry skills, and rankings of the importance of specified skills to be emphasized in kindergarten. Differences between kindergarten teachers\u27 expectations for nonnative English-speaking children and native English-speaking children were also examined. The parent sample consisted of 35 Latino mother/father pairs. AJI were parents of children who entered kindergarten Fall, 2000. The teacher sample consisted of 33 kindergarten teachers from two large school districts in a western state. Major findings indicate that some differences do exist between teachers\u27 and Latino parents\u27 priorities for requisite kindergarten entry skills as well as their rankings of the importance of specified skills to be emphasized in kindergarten. Supporting previous research, both mothers and fathers rated academic concepts such as counting, reading, and writing higher than teachers. By contrast, teachers rated more developmentally appropriate concepts higher. All groups agreed that parents could do more to prepare children for kindergarten, but parents and teachers differed in their responses of what parents could specifically do to encourage this preparation. Teachers mentioned reading to children, enriching the child \u27s environment, and communication more often than both mothers and fathers. Parents were more likely to mention emotional support and discussing school with their children as ways parents could foster kindergarten preparation. Teachers expected native English-speaking children to know how to follow directions upon kindergarten entry more than they expected it for nonnative English speaking children. Furthermore, teachers who had training in ESL education placed more emphasis on incorporating speaking skills in nonnative children\u27s kindergarten curricula than did teachers without multicultural training. Also included in the study are concrete examples of concerns Latino parents have as their child enters school, challenges teachers face in having linguistic diversity in their classroom, as well as teacher suggestions for improving ESL kindergarten preparation. Implications of these findings for parents, schools, and children are discussed. Suggestions for future research are then offered

2020 Women in Thoracic Surgery update on the status of women in cardiothoracic surgery

Background Women in Thoracic Surgery (WTS) has previously reported on the status of women in cardiothoracic (CT) surgery. We sought to provide a 10-year update on women in CT. Methods An anonymous REDCap survey link was emailed to female diplomats of the ABTS. Survey questions queried respondents regarding demographics, training, accolades, practice details, and career satisfaction. The survey link was open for 30 days. Results were compared to the 2019 Society of Thoracic Surgeons work force survey. Descriptive analyses were performed using frequency and proportions. Comparisons were performed using Student’s t-tests, Fisher exact and chi-squared tests. Results Of 354 female diplomats, 309 were contacted and 176 (57%) responded. The majority of respondents were age 36-50 (59%), Caucasian (67.4%), and graduated from traditional-track programs (91.4%). Most respondents reported practicing in an urban (64%) and academic setting (73.1%). 36.4% and 23.9% reported a general thoracic and adult cardiac practice (22.7% mixed practice, 9.6% congenital). Fifty percent of respondents reported salaries between $400,000-700,000 annually; 37.7% reported salaries <90% of their male colleagues. 21.6% of respondents in academia are full professor; 53.4% report having a leadership role. While 74.1% would pursue a career in CT again, only 27.3% agreed that CT surgery is a healthy and positive environment for women. Conclusions The number of women in CT surgery has steadily increased. While women are rising in academic rank and into leadership positions, salary disparities and the CT surgery work environment remain important issues in achieving a diverse work force