Let’s Get Moving on Universal Preschool in Hawaii

I am frustrated. As an early childhood major and a Head Start teacher for 15 years before moving over to the Department of Education, I know there is a need for universal preschool. This morning, I read an article in the Star Advertiser titled, “Push & pull over preschool.” Clearly, we still have no real plan and a lack of funding to make universal preschool a reality for those students who need it most.

This is not a new issue. In 1989, the Berman Report recommended universal preschool in Hawaii. At the time, I wrote a letter to then-Lieutenant Governor Ben Cayetano who was the chairperson of the Child Care Task Force. I was so hopeful that all of our kids would benefit by having positive preschool experiences, and I wrote him to express some of my concerns regarding staffing, the cost of maintaining a quality learning environment, and the availability of suitable facilities. I realized that establishing universal preschool would require a transition, and that our State was not yet prepared..

Since then, very little has been done. Yes, there is an Executive Office on Early Learning and a few preschools have been established in public schools across the State. A few families applied for Preschool Open Doors and qualified to have part of their tuition paid using a sliding scale. But we went backwards when the State Legislature changed the age to begin kindergarten. Starting with the 2013-2014 school year, students needed to be five years old by the first day of school, so the cutoff date to begin kindergarten was changed from December 31 to July 31. This meant that if parents could not afford to send their child to a preschool program, that child who was born after the cut-off date would have to wait a whole year to begin kindergarten. That is one year of learning lost. In Stability and Change in Human Characteristics (1964), Benjamin Bloom stated that half of the growth in intelligence is made between birth and age four. Research shows that the early years are crucial to a child’s development, and a quality preschool program will provide students with opportunities to learn through exploration, problem-solving, collaboration, and discovery. Yet, here we are 30 years later, and we are still trying to figure out how to provide universal preschool for our youngsters in Hawaii..

Here are my ideas:

• I have seen the benefits of preschool opportunities for children from low-income families. Perhaps more Title I schools could agree to host a Head Start program on their campus if space is available. Some schools are partnering to provide inclusive classrooms where students with special needs are in classrooms with typically-developing Head Start students. The DOE preschool teacher and educational assistant partner with the Head Start teaching staff to provide a quality program for all of the students. This is a win-win for students from both programs. 
• If Head Start is not an option, the school can opt to have a similar program with the preschool special education staff and DOE-hired staff who are trained in early childhood education.  
• Title I schools are not the only ones who should qualify for preschools on public school campuses. Daniel K. Inouye Elementary was not a Title I school, but there was a definite need for a preschool program. According to data, less than half of our students had some preschool experience because of a lack of space at the center on-base. Additionally, when families transitioned into our area, the Child Care Center already had a lengthy waiting list.  
• If schools have the space and an identified need for a preschool, and if the State can provide funding for start-up costs as well as any capital improvements to ensure that the school meets the licensing requirements, perhaps the school could then use weighted student formula funding to purchase staff. The school would then determine details such as the number of students in the program, half-day or full-day program, and expectations for parents.
• Perhaps the EOEL could look for preschool sites that are not on DOE campuses to expand the program. For example, there is a Head Start classroom at Kahauiki Village, the homeless community in Honolulu. There is a definite need for preschools for those students; perhaps a nearby facility could be transformed for that purpose. 

I am positive that the Department of Education and the Executive Office on Early Learning can figure things out by discussing this issue. Right now, there is a learning gap and students who are able to attend preschool begin kindergarten with the readiness skills to be successful. Students with no preschool experience may likely start kindergarten at a disadvantage that may impact their learning.

All students deserve the same opportunities. Let's problem-solve to make universal preschool happen for all our keiki.