CALIFORNIA — San Diego Sheriff and State Legislator Tour Preschool, Discuss Crime-Prevention, Economic Benefits

Mar 5th 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — March 5,2010

Contact: Jennifer Ortega, (916) 837-3904, jortega@calfightcrime.org or Beth Helmsin, (916) 505-9149, bhelmsin@calfightcrime.org

ESCONDIDO — Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher (R-San Diego) and San Diego County Sheriff William Gore visited students at Felicita Elementary School’s state-funded preschool, to see first-hand how early education is preparing children for the future.

“When children attend preschool, they learn how to get along with other kids and resolve conflicts peacefully. Down the road, they perform better in school and are far less likely to ever be arrested,” said Sheriff Gore, an advisory committee member of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California – a bipartisan, anti-crime organization led by nearly 400 sheriffs, police chiefs, district attorneys and victims of violence. “Unfortunately, not enough kids have access to quality preschool.”

Assemblymember Fletcher joined Sheriff Gore in reading to the children and touring their classroom. They also met with local education leaders to discuss the benefits of high-quality preschool programs and the need for continued investments in early education. Other participants included: Felicita Elementary School Principal Henry Leso; Escondido Unified School District Preschool Director Jan Zelasko; Donald Klumker, Project Specialist for San Diego County Office of Education; Patty Chavez, Consultant for San Diego County Office of Education; and Vickie Ramos, Deputy Field Director for Preschool California.

“We all want bright futures for our kids, and a quality education is key to making that a reality,” Assemblyman Fletcher said. “Early learning opportunities deter crime and pave the way for our children to become healthy, thriving members of society. Today, I’m pleased to see our preschool programs at work and hope that the advantage of an early education will one day be available to every young Californian.”

Studies show that children who attend a high-quality preschool are less likely to get in trouble with the law than children who do not attend preschool, and they are up to 44 percent more likely to graduate from high school. Preschool also helps cultivate a well-educated, skilled workforce by giving young children a solid foundation of social and intellectual growth. In cost-benefit analyses, economists have found high-quality preschool provides an excellent return on investment.

However, access to quality preschool programs remains limited and many of the kids who need it most are not enrolled. Only 30 percent of eligible low-income 4-year-olds in San Diego County are enrolled in state- and federally-funded preschool programs. Moreover, low-income families have limited access to quality preschool. As of June 2009, San Diego County had nearly 2,100 3- and 4-year-olds on waiting lists for subsidized preschool.

Thanks to recent action in Washington, D.C., early childhood education has become a priority for lawmakers across the country. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), or stimulus bill, provides more than $5 billion in early care and education funding.

Additionally, if legislation introduced by California Congressman George Miller (D-Martinez) passes the Senate and is signed by the President, early childhood education around the nation would be eligible for $8 billion in competitive grants over the next eight years.

In November 2009 Governor Schwarzenegger signed an executive order creating the California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care that positions California to compete for and receive millions of dollars of federal funds for early education programs. The council, a statewide planning body, will ensure efficiency, effectiveness and accountability in California’s early childhood education system.

In 2008, the state made significant progress in the area of early education. AB 2759 (Jones) streamlined several preschool funding sources to assist in quality improvements, reduce administrative burdens and make preschool more accessible.

SB 1629 (Steinberg), also enacted in 2008, established the Early Learning Quality Improvement System advisory committee, which began meeting in March 2009. The committee will lay the framework for quality standards for preschool and child care programs. Development of the quality improvement system will consider research, policies, program information, and best practices at the national, state, and local levels.

On behalf of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, Sheriff Gore, along with law enforcement leaders around the state, have called for continued investments in access to quality preschool as a means of protecting public safety.

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Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California is a bipartisan, non-profit, anti-crime organization led by 400 sheriffs, police chiefs, district attorneys, and victims of violence. Its mission is to take a critical look at the research about what really works to keep kids from becoming criminals. Among the strategies proven to be effective are preschool, after-school programs, child abuse and neglect prevention programs, dropout-prevention programs and intensive interventions for juvenile offenders. www.fightcrime.org/ca