Many San Benito County educators believe preschool and
kindergarten are more important today than ever before because of
California’s high educational standards, but questions about how to
fund early education programs have yet to be answered.
Hollister – Many San Benito County educators believe preschool and kindergarten are more important today than ever before because of California’s high educational standards, but questions about how to fund early education programs have yet to be answered.
Some area educators support the idea having state-funded preschool available to all students, but others are convinced the state needs to adequately fund its current programs before establishing new ones.
Director and political activist Rob Reiner has collected more than a million signatures to get an initiative on the June ballot that would fund preschool for all California children by increasing income tax rates for the top 0.6 percent of earners.
Currently some poor families are able to secure funding for preschool, which can cost between $100 and $300 per week, through state organizations, such as First Five California. But those who don’t qualify for state funding are often left with few alternatives, Hollister School District Board of Trustees member Dee Brown said. Brown supports the idea of having state-sponsored preschool available for all students.
“I think it’s a great idea, but I’d rather see the programs we have now being fully funded,” she said.
Although many parents are able teach their children basic preschool skills at home, home schooling is not an option for all, Brown said.
“Some parents are quite qualified to take care of that early education on their own,” she said. “The kids who really need preschool are those whose parents both work or who are not aware of children’s developmental needs.”
San Benito County Superintendent of Schools Tim Foley also supports the concept of preschool for all, but wasn’t sure about Reiner’s proposal to tax the wealthy.
“I don’t know if that is the way to pay for it,” he said. “Sooner or later we are going to have to find money from everyone to pay for (preschool).”
But Foley recognizes that California’s kindergarten standards have made preschool nearly indispensable.
“Historically kindergarten was a place for children to explore the universe with classmates and learn socialization. It was a year of preparation,” he said. “But now kindergarten is very academically oriented – children have to learn to read whether they are ready or not.”
Funding issues aside, few doubt the benefits of early education.
Veteran Calaveras Elementary School kindergarten teacher Jennifer Molina recommends preschool for all students.
“Kindergartners learn what used to be first grade standards,” she said. “Preschool makes a huge difference. We can tell who has gone to preschool and who hasn’t.”
The most important thing students learn in preschool is how to socialize with their peers in a classroom environment, she said.
San Benito High School teacher Diane Bates, who operates a preschool designed to teach high school students how to interact with children, believes early education provides a foundation for subsequent educational experiences.
“What we’re doing is beneficial for everyone,” she said. “Preschool is about getting a good start.”
Brett Rowland covers education for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or
br******@fr***********.com
