A new school year is right around the corner.
Usually, I don’t pay much attention to the start of a new school year. I have friends and relatives who teach, and I listen as they describe their preparations for the coming session. Other than that, a school calendar isn’t part of my list of important things I need to remember.
Until this year. My oldest will be starting preschool in September. His preschool follows the same schedule as the local school district, so all of those important school dates will be added to my list.
My 4-year-old is ready to take on the world. He’s excited about going to school and can’t wait to meet new friends and learn new things.
Then there’s me. I can’t get over the fact that he’s old enough for a first day of school, let alone face all of the other firsts that go with that.
My husband and I debated on whether to send our son to preschool. Is it worth spending the money? Does he really need to go?
Recent studies and actions by federal and state governments support sending children to preschool. Studies have touted the benefits, and governments are providing funds to make it more accessible to families.
Follow-up results from a 20-year study of the Chicago Child-Parent Center Program, which provides comprehensive education and family support services to low-income children ages 3 to 9, show that children who go through its program have higher educational achievements and fewer felony arrests. Enrollees, who are now in their late 20s, also were more likely to graduate from high school, are less likely to describe themselves as depressed and are more likely to have health insurance. Forty-three percent of program participants also reported having full-time employment, compared to 36 percent of nonparticipants. The findings, which were released this week and will appear in this month’s issue of the Archive of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, affirm the long-term value of a public early-childhood enrichment program.
Chicago’s program has been around since 1967 and is more intense than the federally funded Head Start, which is the main federal assistance program for low-income children and families.
Chicago’s Child-Parent Centers provide education, health, job and family services throughout the school year for kids and their parents. Children are enrolled in the program when they are 3 or 4 and receive help through third grade. Parents are expected to participate in classrooms and on field trips. Teachers also have four-year college degrees with special training in early childhood education. Chicago’s program serves as a benchmark of excellence for other programs to strive toward.
Iowa’s lawmakers are paying attention. This year, they approved spending $15 million during the next fiscal year to fund high-quality preschool through school districts. Another $15 million would be added to the program over each of the next three years.
With so much public attention being devoted to early childhood education, my husband and I thought it would be in our son’s best interest to seriously consider the option. We agreed to send him if we could find a preschool that met our criteria. We wanted a school that was affordable, offered a low child-to-teacher ratio, teachers who had four-year degrees and a program that focused on social as well as academic skills. We found one that we think will fulfill our expectations, and then some.
I just hope it will meet our son’s high hopes. It won’t be long before we find out.
Parents, did you send your children to preschool or plan to send them? Why or why not?