LA Unified may expand preschool with new state funds for disadvantaged kids
Grant Slater/KPCC
The younger sibling of a graduating student plays in a Transitional Kindergarten classroom's toy school bus at Stanley Mosk elementary school in Winnetka.
The Los Angeles Unified School District is considering spending new state money for disadvantaged kids to restore preschools and other early education programs to set them on the right path from the start.
"Studies show that early childhood education is impactful in terms of making sure that children that come from at-risk neighborhoods that are low-income benefit appreciably from having the foundational skills that are imparted in early ed," said Kim Patillo Brownson, a member of L.A. Unified's new ad-hoc early education committee and Director of Educational Equity at the Advancement Project.
"After the fact costs," she added, "are much much higher than dealing with prevention costs."
The money would come from California’s new Local Control Funding Formula, which gives school districts extra money for students who come from low-income families, are still learning English or are in the foster care system. Districts are given freedom on how to spend it - as long as their plans help those populations. More than 80
The younger sibling of a graduating student plays in a Transitional Kindergarten classroom's toy school bus at Stanley Mosk elementary school in Winnetka.
The Los Angeles Unified School District is considering spending new state money for disadvantaged kids to restore preschools and other early education programs to set them on the right path from the start.
"Studies show that early childhood education is impactful in terms of making sure that children that come from at-risk neighborhoods that are low-income benefit appreciably from having the foundational skills that are imparted in early ed," said Kim Patillo Brownson, a member of L.A. Unified's new ad-hoc early education committee and Director of Educational Equity at the Advancement Project.
"After the fact costs," she added, "are much much higher than dealing with prevention costs."
The money would come from California’s new Local Control Funding Formula, which gives school districts extra money for students who come from low-income families, are still learning English or are in the foster care system. Districts are given freedom on how to spend it - as long as their plans help those populations. More than 80