Studies show that kids who attend preschool are more prepared when they get to kindergarten, and more socially skilled and able to learn. Standards for kindergarten have changed dramatically since we were kids, and kindergarten teachers will tell you that students from good quality preschools do better over the long run, than those that aren't.

There is simply no question in my mind that kids need to attend preschool to get the right foundation for later learning. Kids need every advantage society can offer, and getting kids learning when they are young will help not only them, but society as a whole.

So what are we going to do about it?

There are those who will say "we can't afford it" and well, that is true.

There are those that say it must happen anyway, regardless of the cost.

There are those who don't see the benefit of preschool at all.

The expense is enormous. Good quality preschools costs can rival the best private schools. When my kids were in preschool, it was a HUGE part of our family's monthly budget. Could we afford it? NOPE. Was it a necessity that became much more than "child care"? Yes. And it dramatically helped my kids be ready on their first day of "school" - because in reality, it was just another learning day for them.

So our nation has a question that needs answering, and I am proposing we debate it right here in our little blog. If you like some of the ideas, pass the link along to your friends. If you have ideas and comments post them. Keep it civil and constructive. This is not about politics, this is about the future of our kids.

I'll float my idea now:

What happens when kids get to college age and can't afford to go? Many simply give up and don't go. Others go to community college and work their way through. Others get student loans at low interest rates and pay them off for years...

I propose the following:

Student/Parent Loans to attend accredited preschools
An Accreditation System to monitor these schools and bring others online

Parents could take government backed student loans for preschool education, and the lending agencies could turn & package these loans into tradeable and income producing securities.

At low interest rates, parents are basically making a down payment on a lifetime of learning. The "system" is financing a necessity for the advancement of society, and kids get to go to quality preschool. 20 years ago, who had heard of Countrywide and their "mortgage backed securities"? Now, homeownership is at an all time high because of the money and flexibility in the marketplace. The entire business of getting a home loan has changed. Now, the entire notion of preschool should as well.
Think of the way our society would change with a securities marketplace driven to send kids to preschool?

Next would be an Accreditation system so that parents would know what preschools are of the highest caliber, and where their loans could be spent. This accreditation system would tie into the expectancies of the kindergarten curriculum, and would change and advance as the cirruclum would advance.

With money flowing into the preschool system, you'll see:

More qualified and capable preschools
Better qualified preschool instructors and higher standards
JOBS!
Competition for students
Better choices for parents
Kids ready for preschool and better students throughout the learning years

It might even change parental involvement in schools. If parents feel they've invested actual dollars in preschool, they may be more likely to see that those kids excel as they go through the public schools.

And finally, and even likely, it should change the performance and quality of public education as they begin to get a generation of kids who are ready to learn.

Is this a nutty idea? Perhaps. So was the personal computer. Is this an expensive idea? Perhaps to set up the system yes. Is it worth it? We are falling behind other nations in educational quality, and we are not innovating fast enough as a nation to make up the difference. And frankly, we're not really even debating WHY!

Is it worth it? You decide.

The debate has begun. And that is worth it indeed.

Tim Keaney