Views on California's Proposition 82 (preschool for all 4 year olds)

Two articles on Proposition 82:

• Dana Hull:

  It sounds like a no-brainer for advocates of early childhood education: a state ballot initiative that would offer preschool to every 4-year-old in California, free of charge to parents. What preschool wouldn't be all for that?

  But as the June 6 election approaches, an increasingly vocal number of preschools are lining up against it.

  Some Montessori schools fear Proposition 82, dubbed the Preschool for All Act, would lead to state standards that could compromise their teaching methods and mixed-age classrooms. Faith-based preschools say they would be at a competitive disadvantage because the measure wouldn't fund schools that offer religious instruction. Others worry a requirement that teachers earn a bachelor's degree would drive them out of business.

  ``I am going to vote no, and I am very much in favor of universal preschool,'' said Bonnie Mathisen, director of Discovery Children's House, a Montessori school in Palo Alto. ``I just feel that Prop. 82 is not the right way to go about it. When you get down to the nitty-gritty, a lot of preschools will be left out.''

• Dana Hull:

  The children, ages 3 to 6, are part of a class of 28 at Casa di Mir Montessori School in Campbell. While many schools group children by age, Montessori believes children of different ages teach, help and learn from each other.

  Tara started the year as a kindergartner at a local elementary school, where her parents were stunned to learn there was homework. She rebelled against its structure, and her parents struggled with what to do. In January, they enrolled Tara at Casa di Mir.

  ``Montessori is perfect for her,'' says Haleh, Tara's mom. ``They don't ring a bell to start class; they play a flute. She wrote a four-page journal about cats.''

• Joanne Jacobs has more

Posted by James Zellmer at April 15, 2006 6:44 AM
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