By Frank Wells and Dale Martin
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Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (center), serving as Prop. 82 campaign co-chair, and CTA Board member Don Bridge (at podium) speak at a news conference at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy's preschool. With them are (from left) Camino Nuevo Teachers Association President Kate O'Brien, UTLA preschool teacher Irma Fraigun and parent Mercedes Martinez. |
The passage of Prop. 82, the Preschool for All initiative, is critical to improving student achievement in the Los Angeles Unified School District, said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at the campaign kickoff.
"I believe that improving our schools starts with providing quality preschool for all kids in Los Angeles. Right now, too many kids are falling behind because they don't get an equal start."
"We need to accelerate our ambitions," added Villaraigosa, who's serving as co-chair of the Prop. 82 campaign. "It's not enough to simply set high expectations for students; it is our responsibility as policy-makers and as parents to give them the tools they need to succeed."
The mayor was joined by teachers and parents from Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, a public P-12 school founded in 2000. Its preschool sites employ qualified teachers, limit class size and require parental participation, all of which are hallmarks of a quality preschool program.
Prop. 82 is an investment in the future no matter what part of the state you live in, said CTA Board member Don Bridge, a Chino Hills high school teacher. "Teachers are supporting Prop. 82 because we know firsthand how important preschool is to a child's success.
"Quality preschool builds a strong foundation for literacy, reduces the need for remedial education, and increases the chance that a child will make it to high school and graduate on time."
Los Angeles has a chronic shortage of preschool spaces. Although the county is home to 30 percent of California's 4-year-olds — more than 150,000 children — there are only half as many licensed child care and preschool slots. In addition, the average cost of part-day private preschool is $3,783 per year, more than a year of college tuition at a California State University campus.
"Our preschool program serves 60 children, but we have a waiting list of about 100 more," said Camino Nuevo Charter Academy Executive Director Ana Ponce. "Prop. 82 will make sure that no child is denied a quality preschool education because of long waiting lists or high costs."
A 2005 study by the RAND Corp. found that the benefits of a universally available preschool program in California would greatly outweigh the cost. Economists estimate that every dollar invested in quality preschool would generate $2.62 in savings for California's schools and the criminal justice system, and additional tax revenues for state and local governments. Benefits for Los Angeles County alone include 3,200 fewer high school dropouts, 4,500 fewer children held back in school and 9,600 fewer juvenile arrests — a 26 percent reduction — each year.
At a mid-April news conference in Sacramento, CTA joined representatives of California Professional Firefighters, the California Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the California Labor Federation, and the Service Employees International Union in urging fellow Californians to support Prop. 82. The California Labor Federation (AFL-CIO), which acts as the umbrella organization for more than 1,200 affiliated unions representing 2.1 million public and private sector members, has also endorsed the measure.
"Last year, teachers in California said no to ballot measures that would have cut funding for our schools and public safety," Elk Grove Education Association President Maggie Ellis told the assembled news media representatives. "This year, we're coming together to support Preschool for All, which will strengthen our schools and give all children a head start on learning."
Prop. 82 received overwhelming support from CTA's 800-member State Council of Education in January. The policy-making body saw it as an important investment in California schools and a positive, progressive and proactive agenda for the public school system. As San Diego Education Association member Carol Wheeler told Council, "This initiative would contribute to the success of every child in the state, and that's what CTA is all about."
CTA is 100 percent behind Prop. 82, says CTA President Barbara E. Kerr. "As a kindergarten teacher, I know that students who have been to preschool are more likely to succeed in school. It makes complete sense for California to provide quality, voluntary, universal preschool. It's really a no-brainer."
CTA recently took Gov. Schwarzenegger to task for his decision to oppose the initiative.
"Rather than supporting programs that would help students, public education and California, the governor is again aligning himself with the same big-business supporters who wanted to cut public school funding in the special election last November," says Kerr. "I can't say that that surprises me."
