![]() When he clicked them together properly, they made a light flash. The room, meant to inspire interest in science and technology, was paid for with a district-wide grant from the Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust.Īt one table, Matthew Hernandez, 5, played with LEGO-like toys that contained tiny electronic circuits. At Nance Elementary School, the town’s center for all of its prekindergarten through first grade students, Anita Smith’s pre-K students had scattered around a basement “maker space” stocked with high-tech toys. On a fall afternoon in Clinton, it was easy to see how preschool students benefitted from having the power of the K-12 system behind them. rank for preschool enrollment among OECD countries. And most states don’t do that.”ģ0th - U.S. “So that means bringing all of the quality standards, all of the focus on learning and teaching, to the preschool program. “Oklahoma provides universal preschool as part of the public education system,” Barnett said. ![]() Steven Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research, called Oklahoma a role model for the many other states currently considering expanding their public programs. “That is not a conversation that I hear.” “We’re certainly not battling this at the legislature,” Hofmeister said. While the discussion of a federal expansion of early education funding has become mired in partisan politics, free universal preschool is widely accepted here. Related: Want a free year of preschool in California? Have a fall birthday Even Massachusetts, generally seen as a leader in education, only serves 14 percent of its 4-year-olds in state preschool. ![]() Photo: Lillian MongeauĪ few other states, like Wisconsin and Georgia, come close to offering universal programs, but most states are light years behind the leaders. Principal Janalyn Taylor exclaims as Layla Lee, 5, shows her how she’s made a moving robot out of “cubelets” in the maker space at Nance Elementary in Clinton, Oklahoma. Likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has also made early education - an issue she’s championed for 40 years - a priority in her campaign.Īlthough Congress hasn’t approved Obama’s grand vision, it has incrementally increased funding for Head Start in recent years and awarded nearly $1 billion in competitive grants to states hoping to start or expand early education programs. In 2013 President Barack Obama called for $10 billion in federal funding to help states start new programs, primarily for children from low-income families - a call he has repeated every year since. Public preschool is high on the Democratic agenda right now. Related: Should college tuition be free or paid on a sliding scale? Just ask preschool advocates “As more attend, you can have a more enriched opportunity for everyone.” “I think it is popular because it is funded,” said Oklahoma State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister. Seventy-six percent of the state’s 4-year-olds were enrolled in 2014, a total of 40,823 children and one of the country’s highest enrollment percentages, according to the latest annual State of Preschool report by the National Institute for Early Education Research. 1, he or she is qualified to attend school for a year prior to entering kindergarten. Since 1998, Oklahoma has had fully funded preschool for every child, regardless of family income. The same might be said of the state as a whole. “It’s been around long enough now, I don’t think anyone thinks about it,” said Bridges of the town’s preschool program. “ has been around long enough now, I don’t think anyone thinks about it.” Tyler Bridges, Assistant Superintendent in Clinton, Oklahoma.īut in Clinton, some things are just taken for granted: movie-worthy sunsets, churches on nearly every corner, and sending kids to preschool when they turn 4.
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