Thousands of
preschoolers in Alabama will go back to school this year in a variety of
settings: faith-based, federally-funded, full-time, part-time, or private. But
the state’s diverse preschool market is dwindling, and if legislators continue
to support bigger federally funded programs, those choices will dry up.
Faith-based
providers are losing students to the ever-expanding First Class program,
Alabama’s state and federally-funded preschool. Right now, about one in five of
Alabama four-year-olds attend government-funded preschool.
Federal dollars
already fund preschool for nearly 20,000 underprivileged children in the state
through Head Start. Three times as many four-year-olds—15 percent of the
state’s population—are enrolled in the Head Start as are enrolled in First
Class, according
to the National Institute for Early Education Research, an advocacy group. First Class funding casts a net over
preschool programs, supporting those that agree to restrictive government
regulations. An extensive list of programs and classroom regulations dictate
everything from the length of the school day (6.5 hours) to the number of
students per classroom (16, with mid-year growth to 18 allowed). Even the
physical environment of state-funded preschools— displays, furniture,
materials—must meet specific requirements, and the daily classroom schedule
must be approved by the Alabama Office of
School Readiness.
A Bias Against Religious Institutions
Tight
restrictions on any expression of religion in participating preschools have
re-routed the majority of government funding to subsidize secular institutions.
Alabama’s preschool, like Head Start and most state preschool programs, works
on essentially a voucher system, where kids who qualify can take their
government funds to either government or non-government institutions—as long as
the institutions jump through government hoops first.
Approximately
300 preschools are enlisted in the program; only approximately seven of those
are faith-based, said J. Robin Mears, executive director of Alabama Christian
Education Association. Basically, religious preschools must give up their basic
mission to comply with state regulations, he said.
First Class has
gained gradual foothold in the state, because it is an annual line-item in the
state budget and advocates ask for more money every year.
“The
legislature added around $10 million this year, same as they did last year,”
Mears said. “The debate to adjust the budget is very clumsy and muddy, so even
legislators who may not like it or oppose it won’t vote against $10 million.
It’s a very manipulative process.”
Unthinking Acceptance
Touted
everywhere as an essential part of long-term education success, preschool has
become a definite and evident part of the nation’s consciousness. Parents may
not understand the implications of what appears to be the spread of quality,
free programs. But when government-funded programs come to town, their “free”
price tag and accompanying restrictions can drive out diversity and choice for
families.
Joy Berish,
teacher at a faith-based Alabama preschool and mother of two, said her school
has such wide appeal to parents because of its flexible attendance options.
“[Government
subsidized preschool] does away with choice,” Mears said. “There are still
those parents who don’t want their little child in class from 8 to 3:30 every
day.”
Research: Preschool Essentially Wastes Money
Preschool
institutions have not been found to advance a child’s learning long-term, according
to the best studies available.
Even popular pre-K advocates, such as W. Steven Barnett of Rutgers University,
have found that any evident academic advancement of preschool attendees fades
out, typically by the second grade. But state and federal lawmakers continue to
funnel increasing funds in that direction regardless.
Multiple
organizations in the state have studied the topic of federal and state-based
preschool programs and expressed opposition. Alongside the ACEA, Eagle Forum
and the Alabama Policy Institute have criticized mandating preschool state and
nationwide. It’s an excessive amount of money and effort and not even proven to
increase graduation rates, Mears said.
“How about,
instead of ‘universal for all,’ ‘options for all,’” said Vicki Alger, a senior
fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum.
Research by the
Alabama Policy Institute has found that the best solution to low-academic
achievement is, “not to increase government intrusion into child rearing at all
but rather to increase meaningful parental participation in the upbringing and
education of children.”
And yet state
policymakers continue to vote for a limiting, state-wide early education
structure.
“Alabama could
do a model program like Arizona’s Education Savings Account, and I would
recommend an Early Education Savings Account,” Alger said. “If the state itself
wants to start a program…put the funding into parents’ hands.”
With so many
organizations trying to improve school preparation programs, early education
and childcare tax credits would be another great model, Alger said.
“The challenge
is for policymakers to ensure that there are an array of options,” Alger said.
“There is no one-size-fits-all in [early learning]; the ones who know best how
programs are going to work in communities and cities are Alabamans.”
Source: http://thefederalist.com/2014/08/20/when-government-preschool-comes-to-town/#disqus_thread