Californians will vote today on Proposition 82, the Preschool for All Initiative, which if approved would provide free, universal preschool to all 4-year olds throughout the state. The proposal has drawn widespread praise from education experts across the country but also criticism from some opponents who say the initiative is both unwise and too costly.
Debate over cost is one thing, but arguments about the merits of a preschool education are quite another. The typical arguments against are encapsulated in the Reason Foundation’s late February report slamming the Preschool For All Initiative. Alas, the Reason Foundation misleads the public and even gets some of its facts wrong.
Last month, the Center for American Progress today published a new report, "The Role of Preschool in 21st Century Learning: A Look at California’s Preschool for All Initiative," by Elena Rocha, an education policy analyst at the Center, which casts a discerning eye on the arguments against the merits of preschool education. Rocha notes that 11 specific assertions by preschool opponents are misleading or untrue.
Rocha’s rebuttal highlights the proven value of preschool education as young Americans move through grade school, middle school, high school and onto college and into the workforce. She also challenges assertions by the Reason Foundation about the costs of the Preschool For All Initiative. Read Rocha’s full report here:
For more, read the full report:
The Role of Preschool in 21st Century Learning (PDF)
A Look at California’s Preschool for All Initiative, by Elena Rocha