Lifting his head from the worm farm tray full of dirt and creepy crawlers, Kevin Blevins introduces himself. "My name is Kevin, and that's spelled K-E-V-I-N.
"I can't write my name yet, but I will soon," says the 4-year-old with pride.
Nearly all of the preschoolers in Diana Beutler's class at Sullivan Creek School in Sonora can spell their names. They recognize most letters of the alphabet and, through tracing, are learning how to write them out.
They are also learning about the world in which they live. Recently, the 15 youngsters were studying the cold, hard facts of winter in hands-on fashion, rotating their time between various classroom stations. One group coated pinecones with peanut butter, rolled them in birdseed, and then hung them outside to help the birds survive harsh temperatures. Playing with ice cubes, children at another station talked about snow and how water freezes and melts. Another group played a form of Bingo, covering such items as umbrellas and snowmen. At easels, the remaining students took turns painting winter landscapes.
Through a combination of work and play, the students learned about academics, cooperation and friendship.
"I love school," says 4-year-old Andrew Blevins, the cousin of Kevin. "I love making things with paper and paints. And I love my friends."
Two prekindergarten programs for low-income children debuted this fall at Sullivan Creek School. Beutler's morning class is state- funded. An afternoon class taught by Elaine Emmons uses Title I federal money and is for children assessed as being "at risk." The Curtis Creek Faculty Association members, both of whom used to teach elementary school, now have the responsibility of getting rural children who are often isolated from academic stimulation "kindergarten ready."
Diana Beutler tries to help her only ESL student, Lorena Jurado, make conversation with English-speaking students during recess at Sullivan Creek School in Sonora.
"Already, I have seen so much growth in the four months they have been here," says Beutler. "It is very exciting to me to see them accomplish so much so quickly."
"I believe that in the future all school districts will offer preschool programs for all of the children who will eventually attend their schools," says Emmons. "I believe that publicly funded preschool programs for all 3- and 4-year-olds is the direction we should be going."
Opportunities like those at Sullivan Creek would be available for all children in California if the idea of universal preschool were adopted statewide. Enthusiasm for the concept is growing, along with evidence that children in quality preschool programs do better academically, socially and financially throughout their lifetimes.
"It's definitely an idea whose time has come," says Betty Ann James, chair of CTA's Early Childhood Education Committee. "I didn't always think this way, but now I think it should be mandatory that school districts offer preschool to all students."
"There should be a big push for universal preschool in America," asserts state Superintendent Delaine Eastin. "This should be the equivalent of our generation going to the moon. It's a challenge like building the Hoover Dam, building the railroads and conquering polio, without being afraid of the price tag attached."
At the state superintendent's request, a Universal Preschool Task Force consisting of legislators, educators and administrators was convened in 1997. It set the goal of providing a half day of high quality preschool for every 3- and 4-year-old in California by 2008. Legislation by Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento) was introduced in 1999 that would have established a commission to determine the feasibility of the 10-year-plan recommended by the task force. Criticized as being too expensive, the bill died in committee.
"Full implementation of universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds will be costly," notes the task force report. "Providing universal preschool will add two full grade levels of children to the public education system .... The projected annual cost in today's dollars is an estimated $5 billion for a half-day school-year program for all preschoolers. Clearly this is a major investment."
The task force concluded that the investment is "essential if California is to regain its national role as an education leader."
At present, preschool programs funded by the state and by the federal Head Start initiative serve some, but not all, of California's poorest youngsters.
Recently the Democratic chairs of the Assembly and Senate Education Committees, Assembly Member Virginia Strom-Martin and Sen. John Vasconcellos respectively, endorsed universal preschool as part of their 2001 agenda for student learning and achievement. The 2001 Democratic Education Package includes an initiative "assuring every California child the early head start education essential to succeeding as a lifelong learner."
Senate Bill 248, introduced recently by Senators Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento) and Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo) and co-authored by Strom-Martin, would establish a new state-mandated school readiness program. Envisioned as a local program, it would require school districts, county offices or consortia to offer part-day and part-year programs (three hours per day, 180 days a year) to meet the needs of all 4-year-olds whose parents or guardians are interested.
It would also authorize state funding for school readiness programs offered by full-day and full-year child care program providers if accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Church-run preschools could qualify.
April Alberto plays with Legos at Sullivan Creek School
CTA's Early Childhood Committee reviewed a conceptual draft of the proposal prior to its introduction and continues to have concerns over the issues of local control, separation of church and state, mandated public funding for private child care programs, and the impact on Prop. 98 funds. CTA is trying get the bill amended to address those concerns.
In Los Angeles, Mayor Richard Riordan recently pledged enough money to provide prekindergarten classes for all children in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Such a program would double the number of children presently enrolled. Riordan said he will seek funding from private sources and the federal government.
Universal preschool has been successfully implemented in a few other places.
Universal prekindergarten in Georgia has been funded by the state lottery since 1995. More than 60,000 4-year-olds are enrolled, with three out of every four parents participating in the voluntary program. The cost is $3,584 per child, or approximately $217 million per year.
"Our pre-K program has been a model for the country and is a very good program," says Ralph Noble, president of the Georgia Association of Educators.
Despite a lack of classroom space and no money to build additional classrooms, Georgia went full speed ahead with its plan for early learning. The investment seems to be paying off, but the program isn't perfect. "Some places do a great job, but other places have developmentally inappropriate curriculum," says Noble. "The biggest change we need to make is to have standardized curriculum statewide."
Angel Ceja practices his numbers at Mecca Preschool
New York launched a pilot program in 1998 with the goal of making prekindergarten available for all students by 2003. Since then, it has built a voluntary prekindergarten program expected to serve more than 52,000 students in 162 school districts this year.
France pays about $7 billion a year, or $5,500 a child, to send nearly all 3- to 5-year-olds to voluntary, all-day preschool. Along with academics, there is a rich curriculum of art and culture. Teachers there hold the same credential and earn the same rate of pay as elementary school teachers.
Eastin believes that it's only a matter of time before California steps up to the universal preschool plate.
"We started compulsory education in 1865, but we still seem stuck in that kind of thinking," she says. "New research tells us that early childhood education is one of the most important indicators of how children will do later in life. There is a moral imperative for states to take a bigger responsibility in dreaming a big dream for kids."
