Preschool for all in Illinois

Once again the big picture looms over us without any of the details.

Governor’s Proposal Would Provide ‘Preschool for All’
by Sarah Tompkins
March 03, 2006

Peter Koconis is a stay-at-home dad with a mission: find a preschool for his daughter. Tuition costs, few class openings and finding quality programs are just a handful of obstacles parents are up against.

“You don’t just want a babysitting service,” said Koconis, 43, of Evanston. “You want (the children) to learn something.”

Koconis might soon have some help.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich proposed a state-funded preschool program in his fiscal year 2007 budget, according to a press release from the governor’s office. The program, called Preschool for All, would make Illinois the only state to provide free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds.

The program would increase funding for preschools by $135 million over the next three years. Preschool teachers would be required to have a bachelor’s degree and specialized training in early education.

“The real question it comes down to is how will it be paid for and where will the preschools be,” said Mary Rita Lueke, president of the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 school board. “The schools are overcrowded. It is hard to figure out exactly where it would happen. And you really need to have special facilities for the children.”

Judith Yturriago, coordinator of District 65’s Early Childhood Center, said she thought the governor wanted preschool options to be freely available the same way as kindergarten is. But she said the proposal has not been clearly defined.

“The details are kind of sketchy,” Yturriago said. “It would probably just make (preschool) larger. We would be serving more kids.”

As a mother of two, Peggy Latko said she understands the pressure of finding openings in preschools. The 38-year-old office manager said she did not have much time to investigate local programs and took the first opening available for her daughter.

“I wasn’t even sure if we would be able to find a spot,” said Latko. “There are many preschools that have waiting lists. Once there was an opening, I didn’t check anywhere else because I was just happy to get her in.”

The governor’s proposed program comes as educators are becoming more aware of the social- and educational-development advantages that preschool attendance can provide. Children that attend preschool enter kindergarten with a head-start in interpersonal and academic abilities, Lueke said.

“(Children not in preschool) don’t have the same social skills,” Lueke said. “Many of them have not been exposed to reading and number concepts. They are just behind.”

Latko said teachers in preschools stress positive interaction through games. She looked for schools with small class sizes to ensure her daughter received individual attention.

“Having her in a formalized school setting and following rules that other people set, that was really important to us,” Latko said.

Koconis said interactions between children on a playground are not sufficient. The sunshine determines which days his 2-year-old can be outside while preschools provide a consistent environment.

“In the winter we are on lockdown,” Kokonis said.

With an outlined program and sufficient funding, Yturriago said the governor’s program would be an asset to Evanston.

“If we had state subsidized preschool for all kids, that would be great because that would really even the playing field for 3- and 4-year-olds,” Yturriago said.