I’m a kindergarten teacher. Pre-K for KC deserves your vote

Like a lot of people in Kansas City, I’ve been following the conversation about pre-K in Kansas City very closely. I thought it might be helpful to offer my perspective as a kindergarten teacher.

Every August I get my classroom ready for a new roster of students, all of whom are starting their academic careers with what should be an equal opportunity to succeed. Unfortunately, it becomes clear very quickly that not every student is starting from the same place. Within the first month of school I can immediately tell which students have had some access to early learning and which have not.

Students who have participated in an early learning program are ready to learn on day one. They have some foundation in language, numbers and social interaction. Students who have not are simply academically and emotionally behind their peers. This disparity exists because not enough Kansas City children participate in early learning. In fact, out of the 6,750 4-year-olds in the city, only 34 percent are enrolled in a high-quality pre-K program.

Part of the challenge is that for too many parents, high quality pre-K is simply not accessible. Either there isn’t a good enough provider in their neighborhood, or the cost is prohibitive.

That’s why I am supporting the Pre-K for KC plan. A sales tax of just three-eighths of a cent will fund a citywide investment in the program. Increasing the number of children who participate in high-quality pre-K in Kansas City would have a revolutionary and positive impact on our city.

First, it would ensure that more kids enter kindergarten classrooms like mine around the city ready to learn. That means students are equipped with critical physical, social and cognitive skills that set the stage for growth and development. We can teach children to count from one to 10 in just a few days, but helping them learn to follow directions, share with their peers or adjust to new routines can take much longer if they haven’t yet acquired these skills before they begin school.

Second, it will set them on a path to long-term success. Ninety percent of a child’s brain development occurs before they turn 5, which means by the time they reach my kindergarten classroom, much of their brain development is complete. We need to teach them life skills at an earlier age.

Third, ensuring that students are developmentally on track and ready to learn when they start kindergarten improves the entire K-12 school system, as it results in a stronger learning environment, less need for remedial teaching and lower dropout rates.

Finally, students who participate in high-quality pre-K are more likely to read at the appropriate level by the third grade. Third grade reading proficiency is crucial, as it marks a turning point in a child’s education. Children who aren’t reading at the appropriate level at this moment fall behind, and that gap will continue to grow for most of them.

Forty percent of children in Kansas City who should be enrolled in pre-K do not have access to any program in their neighborhood, let alone a high-quality one. In cases where geography is not a barrier, available pre-K seats remain out of reach for most families because of the high cost. The average yearly cost of a high-quality pre-K program is $12,000.

Revenue generated from the Pre-K for KC plan would fund access to high-quality early learning programs for at least 80 percent of 4-year-olds in Kansas City. It would increase the number of high-quality early learning centers in the city and provide tuition support for parents and families who need it most.

I read the Pre-K for KC plan on the mayor’s website, and I encourage everyone to do the same at kcmayor.org/pre-k.

With any effort to improve our schools, and by extension our city’s future, we can’t forget that our children are the first priority. Any proposal must first answer in the affirmative the fundamental question: “Is this good for our children?”

As someone who sees this issue from inside the classroom, I can say without a doubt that Pre-K for KC answers that key question with a resounding yes. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a meaningful, life-changing investment in Kansas City — one we can’t afford to let pass us by.