On the first day of 2006, it's a good day to talk about what we can do as a state to improve the future health of our state. A broad coalition of educators, child advocates, religious leaders and leading business groups have been working together for four years to make early quality education for 3,4 and 5-year-olds a reality in Massachusetts. State law now only requires a child be in school at the age of 6. We join with that group in strong support of the long-range plan to ensure that every child born in Massachusetts has access to quality early education.

State Rep. Patricia Haddad, D-Somerset, is one of the most articulate advocates of quality early education and is the lead sponsor of a House bill to establish early education for all. The advocates have not yet put an accurate price tag on the bill. These details should be clarified soon so that this becomes part of the discussion. The initial estimate was $1 billion a year, but advocates say it will not be that high. It will be expensive to provide the state's many young children with quality early education. One of the most important parts of the legislation is designed to boost the educational level of early child educators through phased in requirements. With increased education, these workers must also be paid more. The field of early education currently is underpaid and has a 30-percent staff turnover. The bill is in the House Ways and Means Committee and should reach the House floor this year. A parallel Senate bill has also been introduced.

The research is overwhelming that quality early childhood education is essential for the success of children in later life. The human brain develops more rapidly in the first five years of a child's life than at any time. Children who have a strong, supportive family that reads to the child during those early years and gives the child love, attention, good health care and a healthy diet grow into more stable and successful adults. These children are less likely to need special education, less likely to be held back a grade and less likely to drop out before completing high school.
A 20-year study of a group of 1,500 low-income minority Chicago children showed that the 989 children provided with quality half-day preschool at ages 3 and 4 did significantly better in later years. More than 10 percent of these children were able to graduate from high school. They were also far less likely to be arrested as a juvenile.

Massachusetts would not be a pioneer if it instituted early childhood education for all. Other states have already realized how important this investment is for the future economic health of the state. Georgia was the first to offer publicly-funded early education to all 4-year-olds. New Jersey's courts decided that "at risk" children are entitled to free early education. Florida voters passed a constitutional amendment in 2002 that was endorsed by the governor, and required the state to provide state-funded, universal, voluntary pre-kindergarten to all 4-year-olds by last September. The issue is at the top of the agenda for many other states.

It's time for Massachusetts, a leader in many educational fields, to make voluntary early childhood education a statewide reality.

This story appeared on Page B2 of The Standard-Times on January 1, 2006.