Obama’s plan: Into preschool, out of poverty

WaPo ^ | 2-14-2013 | Jonathan Capehart

[ExxonPatrolUs]

President Obama went to Georgia to push his State of the Union proposal to work with the states "to make high-quality preschool available to every single child in America." He cited a statistic from the National Institute for Early Education Research that "fewer than three in 10" 4-year-olds are enrolled in this vital early education program. Just how vital was summed up in three charts from the White House.

One of them I showed you yesterday. At-risk children who don't go to preschool are 25 percent more likely to drop out of school, 60 percent more likely not to attend college and 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime. As one Alabama business leader said in a New York Times story today, "The evidence is, if we don't make this investment and we don't make it wisely, we're going to pay for it later."

That pre-kindergarten education is the gateway to a better life for poor, working-class children is highlighted in a chart that was used to highlight the importance of a college degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual income for people 25 and older with a college degree or higher is $60,004. Those without a high school diploma make considerably less, $23,532 annually.

Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia have preschool programs. The president is right to push to expand them nationwide. The plan unveiled today calls for a federal-state partnership to do so. And it calls for an expansion of Early Head Start to reach children ages 0 to 3. Folks will balk at the expense. They’ll push back against what they see as the expansive, meddling hand of government. But all of this is an investment in the future of this country and striving generations to come.

[SoftballMominVA]

Question for those who might know.

In my county Head Start *IS NOT* run by the local school system. It is a gov't entity on its own, operated with no oversight by the public schools. In the case of my county, this is not good because the teachers for the Head Start are not required to be teachers - in fact some of the very parents of the 'at risk' kids are the assistants and teachers. Only the Lead teacher of Head Start is required to have an undergrad degree.

Is this unique to my county or is it the same elsewhere?

[utahagen]

There is an unintended — or perhaps it is intended — benefit for Obama et al with regard to public pre-K: making it universal would drive a stake through the hearts of many private church pre-Ks. Once these programs are launched, they will quickly be opened up to middle class people, who would choose these free programs over pre-K at churches. Many, many Protestant churches these days are kept afloat by their pre-K programs.

[Gabz]

Last time I had any reason too know anything about Head Start in my county tells me it is the same as in your county.

[Ohioan]

There are so many "begged questions," in this analysis, which confuses cause & effect, as well as totally ignoring the non-beneficial aspects for a free people, in allowing Collectivist meddling in their children's earliest formative years, as to raise red flags to those still able to reason in America.

Hopefully, some of the Republicans in Congress will have the gumption, as well as common sense, to challenge this.

William Flax

[JenB]

My not quite four year old daughter learns more being at home with me than she would in any formal preschool. She has her assigned chores, her schoolwork, she helps me cook and clean, she sees me working and runs errands with me and we have intelligent conversations.

Pre-k is pretty much a waste of time. It’s just free daycare. Middle-class welfare, in many cases.

[Montanabound]

That’s the way it is here in Oklahoma. The mothers of the at-risk students are the “teachers” and assistants.

[napscoordinator]

Very good point. I think it is intended. I just feel that it definitely is part of the overall plan. Make the Protestant and maybe to a smaller scale the Catholic church’s close down due to the additional funding they receive from parents paying. Yep I believe intentional.

[napscoordinator]

How much more dang freebies do these so called poor folks need?

Seriously. The get a free education for 13 years (including Kindergarten); free housing; free food stamps (3 meals a day at school in some cases); free phone; free electricity and water; free clothes; free food from the local pantry; free monthly stipen; free medical; free dental; free optometry; free perscriptions; free tutoring; free counseling; free books at the library; free internet at the library; free transportation to various places (in some cases); and much more that I am forgetting I am sure.

[wac3rd]

Jonathan Capehart is an utter fool.

The breakup of the family via the War on Poverty are the obvious reasons of the decline of education...ushered in by the Socialist teachers unions munching at the trough...

There is a reason WaPo is a silly, useless rag...I cannot believe I delivered it for a year in my youth back in VA.

[shag377]

I don’t know about head start but we do have lottery-funded Pre-K which is excellent and Babies Can’t Wait for children with development disorders like Downs Syndrome.

All pre-k teachers in GA are certified in Early Childhood Ed. and teach basically the same schedule as their elementary counterparts.

Sorry if this is not helpful.

SBM: Spoke to Nat. She is ready to put some bacon in the cooler.:)