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An early start on school

Boston Globe Editorial
Tuesday, December 7, 2004

EDUCATION makes Massachusetts rich. But missing from the learning treasure-trove is universal preschool.

As speaker of the House, Thomas Finneran was a preschool champion who said a statewide system of early education and care should be in place by 2010. Finneran has left public life. But the campaign for statewide preschool remains, promising to become a new source of state wealth -- if it is wisely and fully implemented.

Set-up costs would be considerable, an estimated $1.2 billion over 10 years and $1 billion a year in maintenance. But as Finneran has said, "The dividends we will secure for our children and for our future are enormous."

Those dividends include helping children become "school-ready," equipped with the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills it takes to succeed in school.

So far, the state has laid an administrative foundation: Legislation and budget language call for a new department of early education and care, and outline a planning process.

Last week the local advocacy group Strategies for Children filed legislation that would deepen the state's commitment by, in part, putting the program in low-income communities first and having the statewide system up and running by 2012. To guarantee long-term benefits, a high-quality preschool system has to feed into high-quality public schools. So the legislation wisely calls for a special commission that would make recommendations on how to expand full-day kindergarten across the state.

One of the most challenging aspects of universal preschool is building a first-class work force. The state needs teachers who can get students excited about learning, and who speak many languages. Also, research shows that these teachers are more effective if they have college degrees. That means public colleges need early-education programs with enough capacity to supply a universal preschool system. And attracting and keeping these teachers means paying better salaries.

Early education officials should have a firm grasp on the behavioral and mental health needs of preschool children. Milton Little, the new head of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, has serious concerns about young children who are being expelled from early education programs for various reasons, including a lack of behavioral, social, and emotional skills.

Efforts must be made to help parents become more creative and effective partners in their children's early education. They need resources that could include reading lists, tips on developmentally appropriate outings, and voluntary information sessions.

In Massachusetts, preschool should be the first exciting step on the road to success that helps children fulfill their own as well as the state's potential.

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