Aid Critical to (New Jersey) Public Preschool Plan

New York Times ^ | February 27, 2009 | John Mooney

[reaganaut1]

This Morris County community [Rockaway Borough] of 6,000 residents and two schools has been among a growing number of suburban districts in New Jersey expanding into public preschool, seeing the benefits of starting early to teach children learning and social skills.

Now, more programs may be on the horizon, under an ambitious — some say overly ambitious — plan approved by Gov. Jon S. Corzine and the State Legislature in last year’s new school funding formula.

Modeled after court-required preschools in the state’s urban districts, the far-reaching law calls on virtually every district to start providing all-day programs for their low-income 3- and 4-year-olds by the fall.

For 86 middle- and working-class districts — from Hackensack to Carteret to Cape May City — that will mean universal programs available for all their children. Four hundred other districts will have to provide at least some preschool, and will decide whether to extend beyond their low-income students.

The state would ultimately pay an estimated $350 million to cover the costs for the neediest kids, or up to $12,000 per child.

That would raise the total number of needy children served to close to 70,000 by 2014, up from the current 46,700, officials said.

[reaganaut1]

From what I have read , the academic benefits of preschool fade out pretty soon. If a $12,000 a year benefit is offered to a household earning $20K a year but nothing for the middle class family with income of $60K that may be paying for preschool/daycare out of its own pocket, the middle class parents may feel like suckers for working. There will be pressure to expand government preschool to all families, which will be expensive.

Kindergarten was supposed to be preparation for "real" school. Now the government will prepare kids for kindergarten. Where does it end?

[Doogle]

$22,000 a year per student in Asbury to fail....and they think it's critical for pre schoolers.

[Lancey Howard]

Kindergarten was supposed to be preparation for "real" school. Now the government will prepare kids for kindergarten. Where does it end?

With the end of the "family" as the basic unit of society. Live with it. The Democrats have won.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

The government masters need to put children in a creche
in order to indoctrinate them at an earlier age.

[HoosierHawk]

Kindergarten was supposed to be preparation for "real" school. Now the government will prepare kids for kindergarten. Where does it end?

There is no end to it. Are New Jersey parents required to buy the brown shirts?

[Leo Carpathian]

First lesson: conservative bad, bad, bad,
socialism good, good, paradise....

[Free_SJersey]

At some point, the residents of this state have got to find a way to start standing up to this unconstitutional court and make them realize that their job isn’t to legislate from the bench. I know that not one of them has read the New Jersey Constitution, let alone the U.S. Constitution. I even question that these morons can read at all.

[Coleus]

From what I have read , the academic benefits of preschool fade out pretty soon. >>>

I've read that too. Head Start is a failure and is a socialized babysitting service for low-income moms who watch soaps all day long. Once the child reaches high school they are on an even keel with those students who didn't have pre-school.