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Universal Preschool Commentary

We've assembled provocative opinion and commentary on the value, or lack thereof, of universal preschool and the importance of parental involvement in early childhood development. Whether you agree or not, we hope this section will at least make you scratch your head and say, "hmmmmm..."

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Is case for preschool elementary? It is ludicrous even to consider adding preschool to our public schools' duties. First, MEAPs show our children score the highest in the early elementary grades and consistently get worse until they reach high school. This means the longer our children are in public schools, the worse they do. August 03, 2007 [More Results from The Detroit Free Press]
Preschool reality check in New Jersey IN NEW JERSEY the promises made about the benefits of universal preschool in the Abbott districts have reached unparalleled heights. Recently, Record Columnist Mary Ellen Schoonmaker explained why preschool is "a new front in the nation's war on poverty." Yet, in the United States preschool enrollment has increased from 16 to 70 percent since 1965. This massive growth in preschool attendance and time spent in the classroom has not resulted in increased student achievement, with U.S. test scores rising only very slightly since 1970 when standardized national testing began on the National Assessment of Education Progress. by LISA SNELL July 30, 2007 [More Results from North Jersey News]
2005 Study of Preschool Effects The Influence of Preschool Centers on Children's Development Nationwide - How Much is Too Much? The study of preschool effects, led by Stanford Professor Susanna Loeb, examines the social development and early cognitive growth of 14,162 kindergartners nationwide, almost two-thirds of whom attended a preschool center in the prior year. March 27, 2007 [More Results from PACE - Policy Analysis]
Poor Behavior Is Linked to Time in Day Care A report from the largest study of American child care finds that keeping a preschooler in a day care for a year or more increased the likelihood that the child would become disruptive in class - the effect persisted through sixth-grade. Every year spent in day care centers for at least 10 hours per week was associated with a 1 percent higher score on a standardized assessment of problem behaviors completed by teachers, said Dr. Margaret Burchinal, a co-author of the study and a psychologist at the University of North Carolina. by Benedict Carey March 26, 2007 [More Results from The New York Times]
Denver tots offer lesson for Ohio By approving a massive, citywide pre school initiative, Denver voters have given Ohio leaders a model to watch. Gov.-elect Ted Strickland made improving early childhood programs a major part of his campaign platform, while Cuyahoga County officials recently announced plans to launch a preschool effort next fall. December 02, 2006 [More Results from The Cleveland Plain Dealer (OH)]
Universal Preschool study committee packed with pro-u-pre-k ringers. Should Vermont expand the K-12 public school system to include two years of taxpayer financed preschool for all 3 & 4 year olds regardless of special or financial need? The debate has been raging fiercely for over a year. According to the law, the senate sends three members to the committee, not all of the same party. It is safe to say that the current member Senators minds' are more than made up. Vermonters deserve an honest debate over early education policy. But this committee, as it has been constructed, is not likely to give them one without significant attention and pressure from voters. by Vermont Education Reporter August 25, 2006 [More Results from Ed News]
I was wrong: Schools should raise our kids The Scottsdale Unified School District is going to spend $535,000 for additional counselors, which proves once and for all that schools have become a substitute for parents when it comes to raising children. It's humiliating and embarrassing for me to admit this, but I've been wrong all these years about public education in general and the Scottsdale Unified School District in particular. Clearly, government schools are more effective than parents in raising children. What else can explain the fact that most Arizonans are in favor of free all-day kindergarten? Or how about the fact that no one seems to think it's peculiar that SUSD is going to spend $535,000 for additional counselors. by Craig J. Cantoni July 08, 2006 [More Results from The Arizona Republic]
The Price of Day Care Can Be High There is one place in North America where parents of young children don't have to worry about child care. In Quebec, full-time day care costs just $7 a day, thanks to a government program aimed at one of the thorniest problems that workers in their 20's, Starting in 1997, the Quebec Family Policy subsidized day care for 4-year-olds at government-approved centers around the province. By 2000, the program had expanded to cover any child not old enough for kindergarten, all the way down to infants. This is universal day care, an audacious idea that recognizes the revolution in women's work over the last 30 years. by David Leonhardt June 14, 2006 [More Results from New York Times (Canada)]
Opinion - Editorial: Preschool, the day after In their 61 percent to 39 percent drubbing of Proposition 82, voters showed they want to see evidence that something works before they commit huge resources to it. They're also wary -- and weary -- of attempts to dedicate funding to programs through constitutional amendments rather than the legislative budget. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has included $50 million in his revised May budget as part of a three-year plan to offer half-day preschool to 43,000 4-year-olds who live near low-performing schools. by Sr. Designer: Seth Van Booven June 08, 2006 [More Results from The Sacramento Bee (CA) - [free subscription required]]
David Beats Goliath - Again Today California preschoolers can breath a sigh of relief as the dust settles on the California Initiative - Proposition 82, otherwise known as the 'Preschool-For-All' initiative. Prop. 82 was soundly defeated 39.1% to 60.9% during the primary elections last night. For the past two years Diane Flynn Keith producer and editor of UniversalPreschool.com, has been pouring her heart and soul into rallying opposition forces, in what at times seemed like David vs. Goliath. by Annette M. Hall June 07, 2006 [More Results from Reliable Answers.com]
Props. 82, 81 rejected CALIFORNIA VOTERS soundly rejected an effort to create universal preschools throughout the state. In defeating Proposition 82, Californians wisely ended a two-year effort by actor Rob Reiner and other backers of creating state-operated preschools with revenue solely from high-income taxpayers. Evidently voters realized that Prop. 82 was unfair taxation of a mobile sector of the population and that the measure was a highly inefficient way to provide preschools for children who were not already attending classes. Proposition 81, the statewide library bond measure, also went down to defeat even though Democrats, who usually favor such issues, came out in larger numbers than Republicans. June 06, 2006 [More Results from Contra Costa Times (CA)]
Prop. 82 Is Not 'Preschool for All' "Preschool for all" is a great idea. The earlier children get in the habit of learning in a structured setting, the better learners they will become. Proposition 82 doesn't make a dent in preschool enrollment. Sure, it takes $2.1 billion the first year, and more in later years, from individuals with incomes over $400,000 and couples over $800,000. But it doesn't give it to families that could use it. It gives most of it back to the rich! June 04, 2006 [More Results from Santa Clarita Valley Signal]
Universal preschool would mean universal disaster for US kids Your March 27 editorial, "Universal preschool, universal benefits," was extraordinarily biased. The High/Scope Perry Preschool Project referred to in the article only focused on 123 disadvantaged African-American kids. The sample group was too small to make generalizations across all preschool populations. The results not only couldn't be duplicated, they came under fire for biased reporting. Using such a flawed report as a basis for a cost-benefit analysis to justify public universal preschool programs is absurd. by Diane Flynn Keith April 05, 2006 [More Results from The Christian Science Monitor]
The Reiner Initiative and Preschool Pressures: An Interview with Diane What might be the problem with preschool? Where can conscientious parents and educators find common ground? Diane Flynn Keith shares her views about California's "First Five" advertisements, Rob Reiner, standardized testing, and much more. "I can tell you, however, that last Fall, at a Preschool Advocacy Day in Sacramento that was sponsored by the non-profit Packard Foundation, I witnessed a presumptuous and cocky Reiner urge the audience to turn out the yes vote on Preschool-For-All in June 2006. Reiner acknowledged that he wasn't supposed to say that (due to IRS regulations restricting non-profits from political and lobbying activities) but told the audience he didn't care and invited the Feds to come and get him." by Diane Flynn Keith March 31, 2006 [More Results from HorseSense and Nonsense]
It's Time to Send 'PreSchool for All' It is remarkable how a committee of so many well-intentioned people can produce a disaster as uniformly flawed as Proposition 82, the "PreSchool for All" ballot measure on this November's California ballot. If there is fault to be found -- and there is -- it rests squarely on the shoulders of Proposition 82's huckster-in-chief Rob Reiner. While no one can deny Reiner's commitment to his utopian schemes, like many who presume to know what's best for the rest of us, Reiner has scarcely encountered a corner he hasn't cut. by Jon Coupal and Tony Strickland March 20, 2006 [More Results from Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (CA)]
ANOTHER VIEW: Abusing taxes to plump for more Ad campaign by First 5 commission in advance of Rob Reiner's initiative drive looks like politics to us You may have noticed the ads on television and radio touting the alleged benefits of preschool for all children. One of the ads, reported the Dec. 19 Sacramento Bee, "describes a 4-year-old named Amy who is helping to improve the economy and fight crime simply by attending preschool." by The Orange County Register December 22, 2005 [More Results from Victorville Daily Press]
LETTERS: Preschool-for-All is about money, not what's good for kids Re: John Ingersoll's response to "Preschool Propaganda" (Our Opinion, Daily Press, Dec. 15). He challenged the editorial's point that the RAND study was released deliberately to support Rob Reiner's proposal for universal preschool. Apparently, Mr. Ingersoll didn't do his homework. While the RAND Corporation describes itself as "a nonprofit research organization providing objective analysis," both RAND reports referred to by Mr. Ingersoll were commissioned by the David & Lucille Packard Foundation that seeks to achieve preschool for all in California by 2013. by Diane Flynn Keith December 22, 2005 [More Results from Victorville Daily Press]
The Secret, Dirty Life of a Non-Preschool Student When advocates of universal preschool imply that a child's success in the world depends on a year of listening and learning at preschool, it's time to set the record straight. I have a confession to make: I never went to preschool. Yes, it's true. While other kids stacked blocks or lay in squishy beanbags, I was in the kitchen picking rocks out of piles of dried black beans with my mom. The worst part is, my secret is no longer safe with me. Now, thanks to the dubious claims of a campaign for universal preschool in California, I will have to admit to the world that while preschoolers were napping on plastic mats and drinking milk out of Dixie cups, I was taking in a half-hour of "Sesame Street" and digging up earthworms after a good rain with my brother. It's horrible, I know. by Daffodil Altan December 21, 2005 [More Results from New America Media]
Puffed up promise of preschool If preschool is a requirement for success, how did so many of us succeed without it? And why are so many students today failing with it? Robert Fulghum's bestseller All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten recounts the life lessons we carry from our early years. So it is with learning the ABCs: All Children Really Need to Know They Can Learn in Kindergarten. No preschool required. Nevertheless, kids are skipping off to class earlier and earlier. If the average mother in past generations felt pressure to be home with her children, the average mother today feels pressure to send her toddlers to preschool. by Darcy Olsen December 20, 2005 [More Results from The Arizona Republic [Free Subscription Required]]
As We See It Educational researchers have been saying for years that preschool experience can help pupils on the roadway for success. That's the reason behind a drive for universal preschool, with some supporters pushing for a ballot measure next year to make it happen. We acknowledge that the preschool might be a good idea. But we worry that the rush to put the matter on the ballot is not. December 19, 2005 [More Results from Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)]
Study shows economic, educational benefits of universal preschool plan North County Times - North San Diego and Southwest Riverside County columnists The First 5 Commission, which oversees money generated by a 50 cents per pack tobacco tax approved by state voters in 1998, has set aside $30 million for the five-year program. Opponents like Lisa Snell, director of education policy at Reason Foundation, a non-profit think tank organization, said the study is not only nebulous about its future social and economic promises but is also giving preschool advocates vague and inconsistent data which underestimates the actual cost of implementing the program. by Brenda Duran December 18, 2005 [More Results from NC times (CA)]
Our Opinion: Preschool propaganda California's RAND Corporation released a study today that claims universal preschool "would benefit each of the state's most populated regions by cutting the need for special education, reducing juvenile crime..." RAND's estimates for California were made assuming that a part-day universal preschool program would reach 70 percent of the estimated 550,000 4-year-olds living in California in each of the next 10 years. The report estimates that this level of universal preschool enrollment would result in: 9,100 fewer children in special education programs at some point during their school years; 10,000 fewer high school dropouts; 4,700 fewer children with a substantial case of abuse or neglect; and 7,300 fewer children involved in the juvenile court system. by Steve Williams December 15, 2005 [More Results from Victorville Daily Press]
Study shows free preschool changes kids' lives forever Experts say universal program is big investment with big returns If California offered free, top-notch preschool to every 4-year-old, the state would see a $2.7 billion return on its $2.4 billion investment, but it's about more than money, according a study released today. by Jill Tucker December 15, 2005 [More Results from Inside Bay Area]
Straighten Out K-12 Before Conscripting 4-year-olds Recently, we've seen a new wave of ads supporting state-funded mandatory preschool. Without directly saying so, the idea behind running the ads now is to subtly infuse the notion in our heads. Besides the cost to taxpayers, which doesn't seem to get mentioned in these slick ads, there is the question of where the teachers will come from - something that's vitally important in Gilroy, where budget and results are already constant, pressing (and sometimes depressing) issues. by Tom Mulhern December 15, 2005 [More Results from The Gilroy Dispatch]
Study of Preschool Effects - The Influence of Preschool Centers on Children's Development Nationwide - How Much is Too Much? The study of preschool effects, examines the social development and early cognitive growth of 14,162 kindergartners nationwide, almost two-thirds of whom attended a preschool center in the prior year. Children from poor families have displayed solid gains in their cognitive skills when attending preschools. Evidence for these effects stems from small, controlled experiments and from non-experimental data on children enrolled in a variety of local programs. Less evidence is available on whether youngsters from middle-class homes benefit from attending early childhood programs. by Susanna Loeb, et. al. November 10, 2005 [More Results from PACE: Berkeley]

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