Universal Preschool

April 1, 2003

Two years ago, a task force of educators, advocates and legislators crafted a plan for universal-access preschool that would be high quality and staffed by certified teachers. The plan calls for 202,000 3- and 4-year-old children to be served by 2012. Fully implementing a universal preschool program would cost an estimated $441 million a year. However, a state budget crunch—projected revenues are expected to fall $5 billion short—and a tough economic climate limit the outlook.

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Demand, but no money, for universal preschool Debra Williams Until recently, Chicago Public Schools and the state of Illinois have been viewed as leaders in early childhood education. In the 1960s, CPS was one of a few pioneering school districts to create child-parent centers in low-income communities. As their name indicates, the amply staffed centers worked with children and their parents. In the 1980s, Illinois joined a handful of other states in launching a state-financed pre-kindergarten program for youngsters who were considered at-risk of educational failure due to poverty or other socioeconomic factors. However, in... > Read More
Better teachers, more space, easier access for parents Debra Williams Advocates of universal access to preschool are not looking to simply create more programs. Rather, they want to improve the quality of early childhood programs by hiring better teachers, finding enough suitable space and making it easier for parents to use them. This message repeatedly came through in Catalyst interviews with more than 40 early childhood educators, researchers and leaders from Chicago and across the state. Associate Editor Debra Williams takes a closer look at the three priorities mentioned most often. Quality teachers In... > Read More
Pre-preschool an option for children birth to 3 Debra Williams Barbara Abel takes offense when people use the word "baby-sitting" to describe the new infant-toddler program at Chicago Public Schools' gleaming new National Teachers Academy. Someone did just that during a recent tour of the new school facility led by Abel, who oversees the infant-toddler program. The comment stopped Abel dead in her tracks. "That drives me crazy when people say that," she says. "I told them, 'Let me make this perfectly clear: We do not do babysitting. What we do is a lot of hard work. What we do takes a lot of knowledge.'" What Abel and other... > Read More
Fiscal woes threaten access to universal preschools Genevieve Lill The concept of universal access to pre-kindergarten has been slow to take hold across the country, and in some pioneering states, fiscal crises are threatening to cut back or eliminate the programs entirely. Here's an update of recent events in selected states with existing or proposed universal preschool programs. Georgia Former Gov. Zell Miller gets credit for creating the nation's first universal access pre-kindergarten program in 1997. His vision of providing preschool to all 4-year-olds began to take shape during the 1992-93 school year with a pilot... > Read More
Navigating the maze Debra Williams Tuition-based program fits bill for family The tuition-based preschool program at Blaine Elementary has been a blessing for Beth Ryan, the mother of a 4-year-old with special needs. "This program is fabulous," says Ryan. "The school has a magnet curriculum, a Suzuki music program, a computer lab. Blaine is very progressive." Chicago Public Schools launched full-day, tuition-based preschools two years ago to lure middle class families to enroll their children in district schools. Currently, there are 16 programs serving 360 students. Last year, when... > Read More
Network connects neighborhood preschools Genevieve Lill The Edgewater and Rogers Park communities have roughly seven state pre-kindergartens, seven private preschools, eight Head Start centers, 64 licensed home day cares and a multitude of social service agencies serving 2,300 children ages zero to 5. Four years ago, the leaders of many of those services began talking with each other for the first time as part of a program that was the brainchild of state Sen. Carol Ronen (D-Chicago). Called the Early Childhood Network of Edgewater and Rogers Park, the program provides a meeting ground, training and information about common... > Read More
Universal preschool Catalyst The issue Brain research shows children's greatest opportunities for learning begin before they reach kindergarten. Based on those findings, early childhood advocates in Illinois want to make it possible for all 3- and 4-year-olds to have access to affordable, high-quality preschool and birth-to-3 programs that accommodate parents' schedules. More than a third of the state's 3- and 4-year-olds—about 148,500 children—are enrolled in government-funded preschool or child care programs. Of those, 56,000 are in state pre-k, 36,400 are in federal Head Start programs... > Read More
Acceso universal a la educación pre-escolar Catalyst "Los niños no votan. Ese es el gran problema con los asuntos infantiles. Así que nosotros, los adultos, tenemos que hablar en voz alta y claramente para crear la voluntad pública, la cual crea una voluntad política." Adele Simmons vice-presidenta y ejecutiva de Chicago Metropolis 2020 El asunto Estudios sobre el cerebro indican que las oportunidades más favorables de aprendizaje para los niños comienzan antes de que lleguen a el jardín de niños (kindergarten). Basado en los resultados de esos estudios, los defensores de la educación... > Read More

En Español

Mamá toma camino lento y seguro hacia su meta de maestra

By: Irasema Salinas-González

Cuando Leticia Barrera dejó su hogar en México hace doce años, había estado enseñando escuela primaria por cinco años. En Chicago, tuvo que conformarse con un trabajo como obrera de fábrica, ensamblando una variedad de partes plásticas.

"Esperaba que algo pasara porque sentí que mi lugar no era ahí," Barrera recuerda. "Mi vocación fue siempre eseñar."

Sidebar

Leadership, trust make the difference

By: Elizabeth Duffrin

In 1996, Chase and McNair elementary schools were both placed on probation. Chase got off probation in 1997, but McNair is still on. These two schools, chosen by Catalyst are examples of a pattern identified by researcher Jennifer O'Day: Test scores rose more sharply at schools where teachers trusted their colleagues, collaborated and took responsibility for all students—not just their own.

Chase elementary:

In 1996, Chase and McNair elementary schools were both placed on probation. Chase got off probation in 1997, but McNair is still on. These two schools, chosen by Catalyst are examples of a...

Sidebar

Tougher income eligibility

By: Debra Williams

Daycare operators like the Carol Robertson Center that run full-day programs by combining state funds for subsidized care with federal funds for Head Start are facing a new rule that is squeezing out many families.

Last October, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services mandated that new families applying for such blended programs must meet the income guidelines set for Head Start, which are even lower than the outdated guidelines set by the state for subsidized care.

Sidebar

How they were helped

By: Genevieve Lill

Daycare operator Charlotte Manteaw got advice that solved a problem plaguing one of the seven children she cared for.

Malcolm would not follow directions, had trouble speaking and would rarely play with the other children. At first, Manteaw suspected Malcolm, then 2, had a short attention span, but a fellow network member speculated that he might have a hearing problem. The boy's hearing was found to be normal, but he was diagnosed as having a speech disorder. A local agency went to his house to conduct therapy. "He speaks wonderfully now," says Manteaw.

Daycare operator Charlotte Manteaw got advice that solved a problem plaguing one of the seven children she cared for. Malcolm would not follow directions, had trouble speaking and would rarely play...

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