Schools Matter: Before You Sign On to Universal Pre-K, Ask This Question:

Schools Matter: Before You Sign On to Universal Pre-K, Ask This Question::

You Sign On to Universal Pre-K, Ask This Question

How much does your city or state plan to spend?  

If parameters are in place for professionally-trained teachers, adequate resources, research based pedagogy, socioeconomic integration, and competent leadership, I am all in.  

If, however, your state is like Florida trying to do it on the cheap with half the resources needed, segregation, poorly trained teachers with scripted programs, and "entrepreneurial" bottom feeders running the programs, forget it.  What you end up with are damaged kids in chain gang holding pens learning nothing of any value, but learning that school is all about taking orders and working.

Clip from story by David Kirp in the New York Times:

....New York decided early to make pre-K available to every child, rather than just poor kids. A study of Boston’s preschools found that poor and middle-class children who attended pre-K did better on subsequent tests of literacy and math. Poor youngsters also became more socially and emotionally competent. In short, everyone benefits from pre-K.

In New York, the percentage of 4-year-olds in prekindergarten is essentially the same in every neighborhood, in part because the city made an effort to attract families across the demographic spectrum. A door-to-door campaign was mounted to persuade parents in poorer precincts, many Schools Matter: Before You Sign On to Universal Pre-K, Ask This Question::