The divergences K-8 teachers are encountering in their classrooms could help support increasing calls from advocates for more robust early childhood education options. In addition to a strong return on investment for costly upfront expenses, early childhood education could help to get students to a more equitable plane by the time they enter kindergarten.
It is also problematic to penalize educators for the challenges of wildly differing grade levels in one classroom, as social promotion can often lead to inequitable classroom settings. Municipalities have attempted to stem the issue, but it can continue to be a challenge for educators on a class-by-class basis.
