Here are some of the best recent news and opinion pieces written about preschool in 2005.

See recent news coverage from 2007.

2005

December 29
Fresno Bee: Carol Whiteside: Valley needs preschool for future success
Suppose we could find a way to improve our children's future at the same time we create meaningful reforms for our state's education system. Suppose, too, that the cost of doing so is measurably less than the benefits. Would such a proposal find strong support? Let's hope so.

December 28
San Diego Union Tribune: Julie Meier Wright: From preschool to a high-tech workplace
A recent report from the RAND Corporation provides important insight on how to ensure that San Diego, and California as a whole, continues to produce the kind of well-educated workers we need to power the creative industries that will generate our future prosperity.

December 19
Fresno Bee: Mounting Evidence
Preschool works. That much we know, and one more study released last week added more documentation to the argument.

December 15
La Opinión: Un antídoto contra problemas juveniles
Si la mayoría de los niños de entre 3 y 4 años de California asistieran a un curso de un preescolar cualificado antes de comenzar el jardín de infancia, el estado no sólo ahorraría millones de dólares que más tarde debería invertir en educación especial o en procesos judiciales de menores, sino que vería disminuir considerablemente el índice de abandono escolar en la escuela secundaria.

December 7
Los Angeles Times: David L. Kirp: Universal preschool's big payoff
It has long been an American article of faith that early schooling for poor children can work wonders...These days the rallying cry is preschool for everyone, not just poor children.

December 1
Red Bluff Daily News: Metteer kindergarten teacher part of poll
Metteer kindergarten teacher Pam Purcell was recently part of a statewide poll of kindergarten teachers that found that more than nine out of 10 kindergarten teachers in California say it is important for children to go to preschool before they start kindergarten.

December 1
Sacramento Bee: Marjie Lundstrom: Politicians need courage to bridge the gulf on children's issues
How wide is the chasm between what we say and what we do?  Is children's well-being really our top concern in California, as a recent poll reflects? Or is it just sort of important, so long as it doesn't cost us anything extra?

November 21
The Nation: David L. Kirp: Before School
The scene at San Francisco's Grace Child Development Center could have been lifted straight from a feel-good movie. On a perfect summer day the cameras rolled and reporters crowded around as filmmaker and preschool activist Rob Reiner joined a table of 4-year-olds.

November 16
Whittier Daily News: Out of the sandbox
A vast majority of kindergarten teachers - nine out of 10 - believe 4-year-olds who attend quality preschool programs do substantially better in kindergarten than those who do not, a report released Tuesday showed.

November 16
Eastern Group Publications: Escuelas Preescolares Esenciales en Educación
La escuela preescolar es necesaria para un futuro escolar exitoso de un niño antes de ingresar a un kinder, según una encuesta dada a conocer el pasado martes en Los Angeles.

November 14
North County Times: Free preschool for all could become reality
By August, many Escondido and Valley Center families may be taking their 4-year-olds to free preschool classes, courtesy of a countywide program to be considered next month.

November 2
National Public Radio: Study Backs Benefits of Preschool
The journal Developmental Psychology has just published new research suggesting that Oklahoma's pre-kindergarten program is a success at helping kids prepare for school.

October 7
Los Angeles Times: Universal Preschool Provider Celebrates Funding of 100th Facility in Los Angeles
In a ceremony that attracted state and local civic leaders, the Los Angeles Universal Preschool program awarded a contract to its 100th children's center Thursday and announced that it will commit $42.7 million to increase classroom capacity in the most underserved communities around the county.

September 15
San Jose Mercury News: Report: Child care teachers lack training and education
A national report jointly published by three research institutes has found that early childhood educators -- the people who take care of our nation's youngest children -- often earn less than $10 an hour, lack college degrees, and have no specialized training in childhood development.

August 17
Los Angeles Times: Russell Hammer: Investing in 4-year-olds
While all eyes are trained on the political theater surrounding the November special election, the real showstopper may come from an initiative on the ballot in June. It's called the "Preschool for All Act," championed by children's advocate Rob Reiner. If passed, it will provide every 4-year-old in California with an opportunity for one year of preschool.

July  24
Sacramento Bee: David W. Gordon: A good start for kids' lives
Should all parents in the Sacramento region and in California have the opportunity to send their children to a quality preschool? The evidence is now clear and compelling. The benefits - for children, for taxpayers, for the economy, for all of us - are too well documented to ignore.

July 24
Sacramento Bee: Q&A with Ross A. Thompson: A scientific journey into the mind of a child
In a question and answer session, Ross Thompson takes us through a scientific journey into the mind of a child.

July 24
Sacramento Bee: Graciela Italiano-Thomas: L.A. County offers model for preschool programs
I had the pleasure of visiting with children from Edison State Preschool recently and while there, I was reminded once again of why I became a teacher...They were "being 4-year-olds," talking with each other and sharing toys.

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May 20
Sacramento Bee: David W. Gordon: A good start for kids' lives
Should all parents in the Sacramento region and in California have the opportunity to send their children to a quality preschool? The evidence is now clear and compelling. The benefits - for children, for taxpayers, for the economy, for all of us - are too well documented to ignore.

May 12
Voice of San Diego: Sue Braun: Preschool For All: Has the Time Finally Come?
Lately we are hearing from all corners of the state about the importance of a good preschool for all children. Why now, when some of us child development people have been beating this drum for 50 years?

April 25
Los Angeles Business Journal: Andrew Clark: Benefits Outweigh Costs of Universal Preschool Program
The company I lead helps working adults finish their education, but lately I have become interested in how California can help its children begin theirs.

April 3
Los Angeles Times: Cheapskate Conservatives Cheat Students
Studies show that early childhood care and education programs are crucial to academic success.

April 1
San Jose Mercury News: Editorial: Study offers evidence: Preschool really does pay
Preschool for all children is not just equitable; it's sensible. The benefits are quantifiable and enormous.

April 1
Sacramento Bee: Editorial: Preparing kids to learn
In a small nugget in her State of the City address, Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo signaled that she's joining a host of mayors around the country in making the quality of education a high priority for the city.

March 30
Sacramento Bee: Study: Big Preschool Payoff
For every dollar California would spend on creating a public preschool program for all 4-year-olds, the state would yield more than $2 in economic benefits by reducing the number of students held back in school, increasing the number of high school graduates and slashing the number of children who land in the juvenile justice system.

March 30
San Jose Mercury News: Preschool pays off, study says
Experts have long touted the benefits of quality preschool, saying kids with preschool under their belt arrive in kindergarten socially, emotionally and educationally prepared. A first-of-its-kind study, released today, puts a dollar amount on the gain California would see if it offered preschool to every child.

March 30
Los Angeles Times: Study Touts Benefits of Universal Preschool
Universal preschool for California's 4-year-olds would bring about $2.62 in benefits for every dollar spent, greatly reducing special education needs, juvenile arrests and the number of children held back a grade, a Rand Corp. study concludes.

March 22
Fresno Bee: Editorial: Spreading the word
It's important, one teacher said, that children be screened for preschool. This would keep out those who were disruptive and in other ways "not ready" for preschool.

March 7
Modesto Bee: Editorial: State should make plans for universal preschool
Convincing evidence rests both in studies and in the personal stories of educators: Children who have had a quality preschool experience do better later in school and throughout life.

February 13
Riverside Press-Enterprise: Catherine Atkin: Universal preschool: A smart investment
There is little question, as "Edu-dreamworld" (Our Views, Jan. 26) put it, that California's budget troubles should force us to spend wisely and efficiently. We should be concentrating education resources on programs with proven benefits for both children and society.

February 12
San Bernadino Sun: Editorial: Building blocks, Every child deserves to go to Preschool
The link between preschool and success in adulthood is pretty elementary. The corollaries are predictable, and potent. Kids who go are much more likely to get a head start on learning and good, lifelong habits. Kids who don't are less likely to graduate from high school, and twice as likely to become career criminals.

February 9
Los Angeles Times: Many Children, Few Preschool Slots
A study finds that long waiting lists shut 326,758 poor children out of such programs. Officials in law enforcement decry the lack of spaces.

February 9
San Jose Mercury News: Editorial: Another failure: preschool slots
Here's yet another shocking example of how California's education system lags behind the rest of the country: The percentage of kids who attend preschool in this state is below the national average.

February 6
Fresno Bee: Preschool Power
A special opinion section including business, law enforcement and educator views on the importance of quality preschool:

Superintendant of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell:
State gears up for universal preschool
Assemblywoman Wilma Chan:
If only our political dream talks came true
Fresno County Sheriff Richard Pierce:
Laying Down the Law
President of Preschool California Catherine Atkin:
It's Not as Simple as ABC: Give all children a jumpstart on success in life
Fresno Bee Editorial Board:
Starting School Stronger

January 30
Ventura County Star: Editorial: Preschool gap must be closed
Among the reasons California schools aren't living up to all our expectations, there is the fact that some children attend classes years longer than others. The learning gap between them gets wider every year.

January 9
Palm Springs Desert Sun: Our Voice: Publicly funded preschool should be legislative priority
California must improve the academic performance of its public schoolchildren. A good way to start: Expand entry level educational opportunities so all preschool-age children get an equal shot at success.

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