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Pre-K for Va.? Not if we're smart Date published: 5/28/2006
False start
WHAT HEARTLESS PERSON wouldn't want to help a little kid get a good start in life? Who wouldn't invest a few dollars now for great social dividends in the future? That will be the thrust of the arguments voiced by advocates of Gov. Tim Kaine's Start Strong preschool education program. But lawmakers, taxpayers, and even educators should take a second--and third and fourth--look before buying into what could be one of the biggest boondoggles ever foisted on this state. Mr. Kaine proposes spending $296 million per year to provide preschool education for 100,000 4-year-olds. Why? Because "high-quality preschool is vital to a child's success later in school and in life," he says. Really? While dueling social scientists disagree, there's some pretty strong evidence that government preschool education not only doesn't help many kids, it actually hurts some of them. For example, a February 2006 study by the University of California, Santa Barbara (confirmed by other surveys) shows that any scholastic advancement achieved by children in a preschool program disappears by third grade. Researchers Darcy Olsen and Lisa Snell analyzed data from a 2005 RAND Corp. study and other sources and found "strong evidence that the widespread adoption of preschool and full-day kindergarten is unlikely to improve student achievement." One RAND study showed mainstream preschool programs failing to have any effect on "high school or college completion, earnings, or criminal justice system involvement." Furthermore, research from Stanford and the University of California at Berkeley (that most famous of right-wing institutions) found that such programs can actually hurt: In middle-class kids, "preschool hinders social development and created poor social behavior, such as bullying and aggression, and a lack of motivation to take part in classroom activities." In other words, average kids did not benefit in the long term and were actually worse off socially and emotionally by being enrolled in preschool. Nevertheless, the push for pre-K presses on. Why? Because some kids are at risk and need extra help. Because people love kids and believe the hype that structured schooling is the best hope for them. Because some parents are looking for state-funded day care. Because many fail to recognize the untestable, nonquantifiable value of the nurturing that a family best provides.
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