Opinion: I'm a superintendent. We have to make Gov. Whitmer's universal pre-K plans reality
In Wayne County, we have the privilege of serving more than 260,000 students in classrooms across our 33 public school districts and 99 public school academies. As the superintendent of Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA), I am proud to represent and serve each of our students and educators countywide, and I know that every one of our more than 260,000 students would have benefited from attending preschool in an equitable system where every family can enroll their child into a classroom free of charge.
I support Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s plan to expand the Great Start Readiness Program into universal preschool statewide. High quality preschool helps children build a solid educational foundation, and supports their families by offering a high-quality classroom experience five days per week. I wholeheartedly support the vision, and will work collaboratively and tirelessly to see it to fruition.
We know from research that attending preschool is critical for a child’s development, and sets them up for success for literacy and overall learning well into their elementary years. Our high-quality Great Start Readiness Program classrooms focus on essential instructional practices in early literacy skills, which directly and positively impact their likelihood of reading at grade level by third grade.
Growth in Great Start Readiness Program enrollment this year alone shows us there is a need to expand preschool opportunities for all families. As the largest Great Start Readiness Program provider in our state, Wayne RESA celebrates the recent expansion: since 2019, we have supported our partners who opened 122 more Great Start Readiness Program classrooms to service an increase of 960 students. As of this year, we are servicing more than 8,777 students. With more classrooms educating more students, it means we are offering families greater convenience when they choose where to enroll their child in preschool in their neighborhood.
Today’s expansion challenges must be overcome for our children to ensure a brighter future tomorrow, next year, and for years to come.
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Michigan faces a critical teacher shortage, and this is the number one issue impacting early childhood programs. One of our Great Start Readiness Program providers in Wayne County has a waitlist of students, but their classroom sits empty because they still need a certified lead preschool teacher. To help bolster recruitment, Wayne RESA offered pay incentives to new Great Start Readiness Program teachers hired during eligibility periods this school year throughout the county.
In Michigan, it is harder to become a certified preschool teacher than a K-12 teacher. We advocate to increase certificated preschool teacher salaries, and to allow more flexibility for teachers who are certified in other areas to be able to teach preschool. We thank the governor and our state lawmakers who are staunch advocates in addressing our teacher shortage, who have already passed funding to expand Michigan’s teacher pipelines, including for preschool teachers.
It is also more expensive to educate a preschooler compared to a K-12 student. The School Finance Research Collaborative conducted a study in 2018, with updated numbers in 2021, that shows it costs $14,155 to educate a preschool student, and $10,421 to educate a K-12 student. To achieve Universal Preschool, we must fully fund the cost of education for our preschoolers. Fully funding the true cost of educating students, both in preschool and throughout K-12, will not only allow providers and schools to increase teacher salaries in order to attract more teachers to the profession, but provide the resources needed to ensure academic success.
As we advocate for an increased budget, Wayne RESA offers classroom support daily and works closely with our partners operating Great Start Readiness Program classrooms to better serve students and their families by offering pay incentives, more transportation, and classroom services. Our early childhood consultants support program administrators to ensure high quality program implementation, that includes ongoing in-person coaching on research-based curriculum and instructional practices for Great Start Readiness Program educators. This school year, our early childhood team will provide at least 120 professional learning sessions for all Great Start Readiness Program staff.
Our Wayne County families matter. Through collaborative efforts with providers and community partners, we help families access programs that meet their needs, including providing translation services where needed. We raise community awareness about Great Start Readiness Program and educate families on program availability and the enrollment process. Regardless of the challenges, Wayne RESA is committed to working with the governor and Michigan Legislature and all interested early childhood partners to ensure that budget and policy hurdles experienced today and tomorrow are overcome in order to make Great Start Readiness Program expansion and eventual universal preschool a success.
We know that every child benefits from access to a high-quality education at a younger age. Universal preschool ensures all children in Michigan are given the critical opportunity for a strong start to their education by the age of four. Together, we can provide equitable access to a high-quality preschool education that is free for all children in Michigan.
Dr. Daveda Colbert is Wayne RESA Superintendent, which supports more than 260,000 students and represents and serves the 33 public school districts and 99 public school academies in Wayne County.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Opinion: Whitmer's universal pre-K proposal can happen in Michigan
