Submitted by Mary Donegan-Ritter (not verified) on June 2, 2007 - 01:15.
I am concerned about some of the misinformation out there. Publicly funded preschool is voluntary so families can choose to enroll their children. Programs like Head Start that serve low income familes have wait lists and reach only about 45% of eligible children. Families who struggle to make ends meet but earn too much to be eligible for programs for low income children are often left with few options- including low quality child care. Publicly funded preschool holds promise of making sure that young children can have access to preschools with specially trained and certified early childhood teachers. These teachers know about the importance of learning through play and hands on activities. Children who are English language learners will be much more likely to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. We should be concerned that states adequately fund preschools so that they are of high quality and can yield positive results.
publicly funded preschool is social justice
Submitted by Mary Donegan-Ritter (not verified) on June 2, 2007 - 01:15.
I am concerned about some of the misinformation out there. Publicly funded preschool is voluntary so families can choose to enroll their children. Programs like Head Start that serve low income familes have wait lists and reach only about 45% of eligible children. Families who struggle to make ends meet but earn too much to be eligible for programs for low income children are often left with few options- including low quality child care. Publicly funded preschool holds promise of making sure that young children can have access to preschools with specially trained and certified early childhood teachers. These teachers know about the importance of learning through play and hands on activities. Children who are English language learners will be much more likely to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. We should be concerned that states adequately fund preschools so that they are of high quality and can yield positive results.