State preschool plan makes Christian educators skittish

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Kailey Uribe is working on turning 4 and she’s already in school—preschool. She’s one of an estimated 40 percent of eligible California children who are learning their ABC’s under the guidance of a preschool teacher.

Many state educators and business leaders are hoping the percentage grows as they work to implement what they hope will be a taxpayer-supported preschool program called the Preschool for All initiative.

A petition organized by Hollywood director/actor Rob Reiner, business and state leaders has reached a million signatures, sending the Preschool for All initiative to the voters on the gubernatorial primary ballot in June. If it passes, the wealthiest .6 percent of Californians will be taxed to pay for the program.

Some of those who have seen the results of current preschool programs say the early schooling does make kindergarten an easier transition for students.

“Children benefit from preschool,” said Rita Palet, coordinator of early childhood programs for National School District in San Diego County. “The demands for children now in kindergarten are tighter, stricter, and there’s more accountability. I feel that preparing them before they enter kindergarten will give them the head start they need.”

Kindergarten teacher Roy Vicente, who has taught at Eastlake’s Thurgood Marshall Elementary School for six years, agrees that students who are prepared by preschool or attentive parents have a running start.

“I definitely see preschool programs now are preparing the kids much more academically than they were in the past,” Vicente said. “Pre-K students are doing what kindergarten was doing a few years ago. Kindergarten is doing what first-graders used to do.”

If the new Preschool or All program is put into place, the requirements for teachers is also set to change. Teachers would be required to have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood.

There’s little debate that more children would benefit from the preschool experience, but there are still questions about how the Preschool for All program will affect faith-based programs.

“I think at this point, there are 10 times as many questions as there are answers,” said Denise Cruz, director of Eastlake Community Church’s Preschool program.

Fuzzy details
Cruz recently attended a conference for preschool directors where program supporters offered answers to some of the questions, but she said some areas of the plan are still a little fuzzy.

One area that Cruz, and others who run faith-based programs, are waiting to find out about is how their current programs, which include prayer and chapel, would be affected.

The concern stems from a list of qualifications that preschool centers would have to adhere to if they want to apply for the program, which would offer financial assistance.

Cruz said she doesn’t like the idea of taking religion out of the curriculum, and neither do some of her parents.

“I want my daughter to be introduced to religion in preschool,” said Lisa Uribe, little Kailey’s mother. “I like that they help explain God to her and what He has done to create the world that she lives in.”

June Close, who has directed Chula Vista’s First United Methodist Preschool since 1968, said that the mandate about no prayer would be hard to swallow.

“The no prayer part, that’s the hardest part,” Close said. “That’s the only part I’m against.”

Those working with the state’s preschool program say that in order to include all preschoolers, current private, public and faith-based centers will need to be used.

Complex procedures?
But it isn’t as simple as that, said Cruz, who is busy studying up on the initiative.

“There will be an application process and they’ll evaluate your program,” she said. “You will have to have results-based evaluations and show that the students are learning the standards set for California.

“I think it can be a good thing as long as it continues to be developmentally appropriate. If they are trying to turn it into kindergarten, I don’t think it will be such a good thing.”

Cruz, whose program averages a 20-child waiting list, has her own ideas about keeping God in her faith-based program if the new mandates are implemented.

“The state requires preschool to be three hours, and that’s what they’ll be funding. ‘Well one of the ideas I had that I’d make my program three hours and 15 minutes and use that time to teach spiritual development.”

Published, February 2006

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