Education Law

: BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog

Pre-K not quite a priority yet

Last week, BoardBuzz was pleased to see Congress recognizing the critical role that early childhood educators provide in the preparation and advancement of our nation?s youngest students. (Check that out here) But, an article in The New York Times reminds us that opportunities for Pre-K still have room to grow and expand.

New York is one of eight states (and D.C.) in the country that has adopted some variety of a universal pre-kindergarten program. In 1997, New York passed legislation to provide Pre-K classes for all four-year-olds,but ten years later only 38 percent of the state?s four year-olds attended Pre-K classes.

But, while Pre-K offers an opportunity for cognitive and personal development and the chance to level the playing field for children from different socioeconomic backgrounds, it seems that some districts aren?t finding it necessarily practical:

Few school administrators dispute the benefits of pre-kindergarten, but many say it is impractical to provide it to every child. In Smithtown, for example, Mr. Ehmann said that even if his district could find the money, it would have to contract with community groups to provide pre-K classes because there is no room in the schools, which would mean hiring administrators to oversee those locations, adding costs.

And...

In Westchester County, the affluent Bronxville district decided not to pursue a pre-kindergarten program for about 100 students because, as Superintendent David Quattrone put it, ?the vast majority of parents prefer to use the private programs in our community.? He also cited financial and space constraints.

Despite these challenges, BoardBuzz knows that the benefits of early childhood education can't be ignored, and the article does show the positive impact Pre-K can have:

?I?m disappointed by the slow progress, especially since over the last 10 years, there?s been even more evidence of how useful universal pre-K is in closing the achievement gap,? said Maria DeWald, president of the New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers, which has long advocated for universal pre-kindergarten.

Time, money, and space are all challenges for making Pre-K an available priority, but it?s great to see some states working on it. For more information on the benefits of early childhood education, be sure to check out the Center for Public Education.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on August 28, 2008 (boomark / email).