School districts that don't provide a robust pre-kindergarten program are costing their students and even their taxpayers dearly. Yet not all do.
An article Dec. 6 in New York Teacher, the publication of the New York State United Teachers union, cites research studies that say low-income students who had access to pre-K:
Were less likely to wind up in expensive special-education programs later.
Eventually earned more money.
Were more likely to own their own homes as adults.
Were less likely to receive public assistance.
Were less likely to be arrested and jailed.
To advocates of less school spending, those compelling findings still may not win the day. But this one might: A preschool program near Detroit cost $17,599 per child but led to savings and increased tax revenue totaling $184,086 per child. So the benefits are not only educational and social, but financial.
In years past, preschool programs provided by a school district were regarded as luxuries exclusive to wealthy districts. That is no longer true.
Imagine children of low-income parents, very likely with less education than would be expected among wealthier neighbors, being sent to kindergarten to fend for themselves in competition with students getting coached at home. The competition is unfair and unavailing for the poorer students, a situation an effective pre-K could help address.
Pre-K can even out some of the disparities of birth and upbringing.
The programs don't come without some sacrifice, particularly in rural areas. For example, many families -- especially those with single parents or both parents working -- have difficulty lining up care for half days. Transportation can be another headache. If students are to be bused, costs are increased.
State funding is available for districts with pre-K programs, though it sometimes isn't enough. And, if the funding is not renewed permanently, the districts would be facing more thorny choices down the road.
Identifying which districts in our region have pre-K and which don't is not easy, as the information isn't available from a single source. Nevertheless, in 2006-07, of 220,000 4-year-olds in New York state, 72,000 attended preschool, and the forecast is that that figure will increase to 117,000 this year.
Pre-K is a proven enhancement to a child's present and future and appears to be well worth the investment. Intelligence is not enough to ensure a child's success. Environment is equally important. If the educational environment at home is not favorable, pre-K is crucial.
We applaud the districts that provide this now-fundamental service and urge any that don't to look into how to get aboard. Nothing is more important than ensuring each child has an equal chance for success.
Opinion
December 18, 2007
EDITORIAL: Pre-school now critical
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Editorial: The real reason for the holiday
Today is for creating new memories. Tomorrow, we should pause to remember. Memorial Day weekend, being the first big holiday of the sun season, is all about barbecues, picnics and outdoor activities; it is all about family and friends. After a North Country winter, even a fairly mild one like we just had, we need to relax in the sun and enjoy the outdoors.
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Editorial: The real reason for the holiday
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Cheers and Jeers: May 21, 2012
JEERS to people who don't moderate their language in public; and CHEERS to the Plattsburgh Noon Rotary Club.
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Cheers and Jeers: May 21, 2012
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In My Opinion: Cultural issues need attention
Amid the various issues debated as we approach the next elections, two are important to all individuals here, as in the rest of the country: debates over birth control and over interest owed on student loans, writes Plattsburgh State professor Mark Cohen.
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In My Opinion: Cultural issues need attention
