Buoniconti supports universal preschool
Springfield Republican, May 2, 2007

When the YMCA invited State Sen. Stephen J. Buoniconti to help celebrate the Week of the Young Child with them, he quickly accepted. Buoniconti has long been an advocate of early childhood education.

On April 23, he paid a visit to the Magic Years child care program at the downtown Y, bringing with him a book as a gift for one of the preschool classrooms. Fourteen 4- and 5-year-olds listened attentively as "Mr. B" read to them the story, "What do You Want To Be?" Then it was Mr. B's turn to be attentive as the children told him what they would like to be when they grew up.

"Princess" and "superstar" were the most popular career choices, followed by doctor, ballerina, race car driver, fireman, policeman, farmer or cowboy.

The senator explained to the children a little bit about his own job.

"My job is to make sure you have the best teachers, good food to eat for your tummy, and if you're sick - God forbid - you'll be taken care of," he told them.

The children presented the senator with two large cards they had designed and decorated, inscribed with messages they had written themselves. They thanked him for his visit in English, Spanish and American Sign Language.

"I came here and it made my day to read to you," Buoniconti said. "In return, I want you to be extra nice to somebody back."

The orderly classroom, full of self-confident, happy and busy children, is a model for what Buoniconti would like to see made available to all who want it: universal pre-kindergarten.

"We're trying to fund 3- and 4-year-old full-time education," he said. "All the data suggests it would have a tremendous effect. What we're doing now is giving some an opportunity, but not all.

"The belief is, if you give kids this opportunity at this age, they have greater self-esteem. (Universal pre-kindergarten) would reduce the dropout rate, reduce teen pregnancy and all those things," Buoniconti said. "Massachusetts is quite behind in this respect. North Carolina, New York and Connecticut are way ahead of us."

In Springfield, various groups have been meeting for years to work on the universal pre-kindergarten initiative, said Kathy Treglia, vice president and executive director of the Community Service Branch of the Springfield Y.

Representatives from the Department of Education, the Chamber of Commerce, providers like the YMCA and Springfield Day Nursery, and others comprise the group. They have the support of the Early Education for all Campaign, led by Boston's Margaret Blood, and the Cherish Every Child initiative of the George and Irene Davis Foundation, among others.

Because of the long-standing efforts of this coalition, Springfield is uniquely equipped to host a pilot program for the state, Buoniconti said. After Boston, Springfield has the largest school system in New England.

"I'm convinced this is the best hope for Springfield," he said. "Otherwise, we're just watching the erosion of the city."

The Week of the Young Child was established more than 30 years ago by the National Association for the Education of Young Children to highlight the need to invest in high-quality early education.

The YMCA of Greater Springfield was founded in 1852 and is the second oldest YMCA in the USA. Some 30,000 members and program participants are served annually in Springfield, Wilbraham and 11 surrounding cities and towns. For more information on YMCA programs or how you can get involved, call (413) 739-6951 (Springfield branch) or (413) 596-2749 (Scantic Valley branch), or visit online at www.springfieldy.org