Is Preschool Important? by Shelley Titzer

Two weeks ago we considered the importance of evaluating schools in order to make the most informed choice when deciding where to send children to elementary school. It occurred to me that just as important is the decision of where to send children to preschool. Perhaps, most important is WHETHER to send your child to preschool. I talked once with a parent who had asked a local administrator what the biggest challenge that kindergarten teachers face. The answer wasn't the low income population or the English Language Learners or funding or class-size or any number of other challenges that we hear about in the news. The answer surprised me.

The administrator said that the number of kids that don't go to preschool is the biggest challege for our kindergarten teachers.

I was surprised, but also hopeful! There is a real chance to affect change in that area. Deanna Durica wrote a blog post months ago about the possibilities in Illinois and Berwyn of increasing the preschool opportunities in our community. More and more states are looking at publicly funded preschools. Berwyn Public Schools do offer some preschool classrooms with a preference given to at-risk students, including English Language Learners and Low Income. But, as Joanne Zendol once said to me, a $50,000 per school Early Childhood grant from the state is not enough to build a new building. So, most of the preschoolers in our community must pay for quality preschool programs and so many do not attend preschool and are less prepared for kindergarten. There are some good free (or nearly free) program options for young children in our community who do not attend a preschool or whose family wishes to supplement. The Berwyn Public Library offers story times regularly that are free. The PACT Center (795-7228) has excellent programs in art, music and movement, playtimes, and parent workshops. However, private preschool (not free) and community programs do not begin to fill the need for early childhood education opportunities in our community. The real impact on our community, schools and especially those all-important standardized test scores will be felt when our school districts (and state via funding) prioritize early childhood education.

Notre Dame's Institute of Latino Studies (branch office in Berwyn) estimates that the average minority and low income child ENTERS school already one year behind their white, middle income counterparts.

Publicly funded quality preschools that target low-income, minority and at-risk children is an effective way to address the ever present achievement gap. But, it is expensive. As we look to the future of education in Berwyn, we must ask ourselves what our priorities are. Are we a community that values education? Are we listening to the researchers and educators who repeatedly conclude that quality Early Childhood Education is a long-lasting, worth-while investment? What kind of school system do we want for our community? Are we willing to pay for it?