A universal lesson on preschool
GOVERNOR Mitt Romney's veto of universal preschool legislation in Massachusetts, like the recent failure of a ballot measure to fund universal preschool in California, is a signal to early-education advocates across the country that there is much grass-roots work still to be done to ensure that all children start kindergarten ready for success in school and in life.
What's most surprising in the governor's decision is the language of the veto statement itself. Romney states that the value of universal preschool is unproven. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, one of the most wonderful things about preschool -- compared with so many other services for children and families -- is just how much we know about what works, and how clear it is that children benefit greatly.
Regular newspaper readers may have seen the latest research on the economic, educational, and broad social payback that just one year of universal preschool can bring, but since the governor questioned the existence of such research, it bears repeating.
Children who go to quality preschool are:
More likely to become good readers in elementary school.
Less likely to be placed in special education or held back a grade.
More likely to graduate from high school and attend college.
Less likely to need public assistance as adults.
During the recent California campaign, the case for universal preschool was made by business and education leaders. In fact, the chambers of commerce in Los Angeles and San Francisco endorsed its funding by a tax on incomes over $1 million. This was the first time the LA chamber endorsed any income tax proposal. Their support wasn't altruistic -- economists also place a high value on preschool. In 2005, the RAND Corporation reported that every dollar spent on quality preschool programs now will save more than $2.50 later.
But Massachusetts, like California, lags behind some of the leaders (Oklahoma, Georgia, New Jersey, and soon Illinois) in providing access to high-quality preschool. About 15 percent of Massachusetts 4-year-olds are served by the federal Head Start program or the state-funded prekindergarten program, both of which target the state's neediest children. At the same time, nearly two-thirds of the state's children under age 6 have both parents or their only parent in the workforce, and, therefore, need care during the workday. Across the country, families have too few options for quality care. During the campaign for Proposition 82 in California, advocates heard from families across the income spectrum who could not find quality care or quality care that was convenient and affordable.
Massachusetts families deserve better. Those who say preschool isn't necessary need only ask one of these parents having trouble finding care or forced to make the tradeoff between quality care and convenient care. As a preschool advocate, I understand the research and the data that make the case for universal preschool. But as the parent of a 3-year-old who attends a high-quality preschool just blocks from my house, I understand the emotional struggles made public in the recent campaign in California and elsewhere.
Developing universal programs for children as young as 4 touches on concerns that everyone has about when to give children independence, and when to hold them close. The recent campaign in California to fund universal preschool was, in part, undone by an inability to speak honestly with neighbors about these decisions, without fear of being branded as a less-than-ideal parent.
But there are times when research, economics, and social realities converge. This is such a time, and universal preschool is, in fact, the issue. Too many programs have been launched that aim low, to help a few rather than transform a country. With universal preschool, supporters aim high -- toward a society where all children enter kindergarten with the same advantages and the same eagerness to learn, and all parents have the freedom to choose whether they will work or not, without worry that their child will be left alone untended, except by an unmonitored television.
In the weeks ahead, Massachusetts legislators will have the opportunity to consider the governor's decision. Let's hope that they reflect the desires of parents across the state and the interests of children everywhere by voting to overturn this shortsighted veto.
Moira Kenney is the statewide program director at the First 5 Association of California. 
