GUEST COLUMN | The truth about the Seattle Preschool Program

The recent column “But It’s for the Kids” (May 2015), by Geov Parrish, is rife with inaccuracies and misleading statements about the content and intent of the Seattle Preschool Program.

First, Mr. Parrish states the city developed this program via a rushed process “despite some obvious logistical flaws.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

Over the course of two years, the city developed the Seattle Preschool Program with input from a wide variety of stakeholders, including current preschool providers, the school district, teachers, union representatives, academics, parents and community advocates.

Stakeholders visited other cities that have successfully implemented public preschool programs and heard from the experts about the key ingredients for a high-quality preschool classroom environment. The city built its program on the foundations of what has been proven successful elsewhere.

The evidence is clear: High-quality preschool changes lives.

Around the same time, two unions submitted an initiative that would have created substantive challenges to the city’s evidence-based plan by limiting the city’s control of crucial elements. The City Council and mayor placed the Seattle Preschool Program on the ballot as an alternative to the union-backed initiative using the process outlined clearly in Washington state law for such a circumstance, not “[a]pparently out of pique,” as Mr. Parrish claims.

The King County Labor Council supported the city’s proposal, and critically, the public did so as well last November (with 69-percent approval).

A diverse model

Second, Mr. Parrish’s column raises questions about the use of private providers. The Seattle Preschool Program employs a “mixed-delivery approach,” meaning that the city will select various providers and not place all kids with a single provider, like a school district or city staff-led program. The city will provide funds directly to its approved preschool providers, not “vouchers” to families.

The mixed-delivery approach recognizes the diversity of educational environments in our city but does not compromise on quality. Providers must meet the program’s high standards. Teachers must achieve specific certifications and will benefit from higher salaries (on par with public school teachers) and from intensive coaching and professional development. The city’s program will go a long ways toward standardizing and raising the professional profile of this important workforce.

High-quality preschool has been proven to reduce the academic achievement gap that exists when students enter kindergarten. Seattle’s program prioritizes preschools serving students who will enter low-performing elementary schools, kids who are more likely to be children of color or from low-income families. Families earning less than 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level — likely to be a significant percentage of the students served — will receive free tuition; families above that income threshold will pay based on a sliding scale. Immigrant and refugee children can receive additional supports when teachers and coaches identify unmet needs, a plan element ignored by Mr. Parrish.

After spending most of his column complaining and arguing how the city isn’t ready for rapid preschool expansion, Mr. Parrish seems to admit that putting Seattle on the path to universal preschool is a positive thing — we’re glad he agrees.

Quality first

The Seattle Preschool Program intentionally starts small, with a focus on quality over quantity. Funding for 14 classrooms in the first year will grow to 100 classrooms serving 2,000 kids by year four. Ramping up over time, the city can develop the necessary infrastructure for a citywide program, including expanding facility needs and teacher credential pathways.

Why is it so important to get this program right? Too much is at stake for our littlest learners. Nearly a quarter of all schoolchildren in Seattle Public Schools can’t read at grade level in the third grade. This statistic is significantly worse for our African-American, Hispanic, Native American and immigrant children. Not reading at grade level in the third grade is a very strong predictor that a child won’t graduate from high school.

This tragic reality has existed in our public schools for decades. We believe high-quality preschool can change this reality. We’ve seen it happen in other cities — and we can see it happen in Seattle, too.

TIM BURGESS is president of the Seattle City Council and the council’s primary sponsor of the Seattle Preschool Program. To comment on this column, write to MPTimes@nwlink.com.