Dear Julie

Julie Williams
Jefferson County Board of Education

Dear Julie,
At the March 13 Board of Education meeting you once again showed a total lack of understanding of education by making a comment about preschool education not having any effect on student achievement.  If you're going to be on a school board, try reading about education:

• Well-designed preschool education programs produce long-term improvements in school success, including higher achievement test scores, lower rates of grade repetition and special education, and higher educational attainment. Some preschool programs are also associated with reduced delinquency and crime in childhood and adulthood.

• The strongest evidence suggests that economically disadvantaged children reap long-term benefits from preschool. However, children from all other socioeconomic backgrounds have been found to benefit as well. 1 Keep reading.

 Julie,  try this little piece from the New York Times about how a good kindergarten teacher can have lasting effects on adult outcomes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/business/economy/28leonhardt.html?_r=0







1 Preschool Education and Its Lasting Effects: Research and Policy Implications

W. Steven Barnett, National Institute for Early Education Research