If we set our minds to it, Washington State could make high-quality, universal, voluntary preschool available for all of our three- and four-year-old children. And, we could do it in just ten years.
Should we set out on this journey? That's the key question.
We have nearly 60 years of research documenting the value of preschool for our youngest learners. High-quality preschool is certainly not a panacea, but over 60 years of research shows us it can have dramatic, life-changing benefits for our children. (Click on the image to the left or here to read and download the PDF.)
Preschool done right produces huge benefits, including a very strong economic return-on-investment for society at large. Frankly, the decades of research paint a very clear "why wouldn't we do this?" picture.
Former State Representative Ruth Kagi — Washington's decades-long champion for children — and I, along with several academics, published a detailed policy paper yesterday on the value of universal preschool. We believe high-quality preschool is essential for our state's three- and four-year-old children if we are to successfully address the inequities we see in education, economic opportunity, criminal legal system involvement, and adult earning power and health.
Our state already provides limited preschool services through the Early Childhood Education Assistant Program (ECEAP) and the federal government's Head Start program. But these combined programs only reach about 30% of our children statewide.
Here are a few key facts to keep in mind as you consider our proposal for universal preschool in Washington.
- Washington ranks 38th among all states in preschool enrollment for 4-year-olds and 17th for 3-year-olds. We have failed, so far, to provide all of our state's children with the strong and fair start they need and certainly deserve as they begin their journey to adulthood.
- Approximately two-thirds of the public preschool classrooms in Washington are only part-day. This fact represents a vast, harmful barrier for working families who need full-day services to keep working.
- Because of opportunity gaps, nearly 50% — one-half — of Washington's five-year-old children arrive at Kindergarten already behind on six age-specific measures of learning preparedness. These children face a steep climb as they attempt to catch up. Think about this for a moment. Due to lack of opportunity, one-half of Washington's five-year-old children enter Kindergarten already behind. This is a red-flag warning to the political leadership of Washington that our systems, policies, and practices are creating life-long harm to children and our society.
- Today, public preschool tuition subsidies are provided to families with incomes below $37,100 per year. There is almost no assistance for families earning more which means families with moderate-to-low incomes are left on their own, unable to afford quality preschool services for their children.
- There is a severe shortage of qualified preschool educators and facilities in Washington. This is why our proposal for Washington Preschool for All is designed to be phased in over ten years; we need time to do it right.
Implementing Washington Preschool for All is good for children and families, and it's good for our long-term economic growth and sustainability. High-quality preschool is a public good we should diligently pursue.
There is another compelling reason these recommendations are essential right now. President Biden has proposed universal preschool for America's children as part of his American Families Plan and the Build Back Better legislation. It's being considered by Congress now. If adopted, the framework we recommend in our policy brief will set Washington up to fully implement universal preschool and take full advantage of the federal dollars that will flow to the state.
I've written a lot about preschool, including the Seattle Preschool Program. You can review all of these earlier musings here.