It is about preparing our children for success in
school and beyond. It is not about indoctrinating
kids in any religion.
Giving all of Denver’s kids an equal chance at success is the best investment we can make in our community’s kids and future.
Research shows that 80 percent of brain development happens before children reach age 5, when they’re eligible to enter a public kindergarten program. Colorado teachers report one-third of kids enter kindergarten unprepared to learn. Once those kids fall behind, they rarely catch up, limiting not only their own educational achievement but holding back other students who must wait while teachers understandably devote special attention to their needs.
If we want to close the achievement gap, build a well-educated workforce and responsible citizenry, we must start with our youngest children.
The social and educational value of preschool is undisputed. Study after study shows that preschool provides IQ gains, positively impacts language skills and behavior, and lowers rates of special education needs.
The economic development benefits of preschool are just as impressive. This is why the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Denver Partnership, Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, Denver Hispanic Chamber, Colorado Black Chamber, Denver Latina Chamber, Colorado Women’s Chamber and countless business leaders support 1A.
Initiative 1A will provide access to high-quality preschool for Denver’s 4-year-olds. All Denver families will be eligible to participate in the program, but the tuition credits will operate on a sliding scale, so the lion’s share of the money will go to working families who have a hard time affording quality preschool for their kids.
It will be funded by a modest sales-tax increase – just 12 cents on a $100 purchase – that will make a major difference for Denver. Even with this increase, Denver’s sales-tax rate will remain in the bottom one-third of metro Denver cities.
There have been two questions raised about this proposal that I want to address directly:
Is this a voucher program that will undermine our public schools? The answer is no.
The tuition credits proposed in this measure are only akin to vouchers in the sense that they are public dollars used by parents to help cover the cost of an educational program – in this case, any accredited, quality preschool program that parents choose for their child, regardless of whether the program is public or private.
Unlike K-12 education, however, there is currently no public, uniform system of preschool available to all Denver children. The Denver Preschool Program will not divert financial resources or attention away from public schools. In fact, Denver Public Schools, as one of the major quality preschool providers, will benefit directly from increased enrollment in their preschool programs.
Providing access to preschool for more Denver children will further strengthen DPS because more children will enter kindergarten ready to learn. This helps close the achievement gap, improve student performance and maintain academic momentum within every classroom. That is why Superintendent Michael Bennet and the DPS Board of Education unanimously endorsed 1A.
Does this proposal violate the separation of church and state? No. This proposal is about getting more of Denver’s 4-year-olds into high-quality preschool programs. It is about preparing our children for success in school and beyond. It is not about indoctrinating kids in any religion.
The Denver Preschool Program gives parents the option to choose the preschool that is best for their child – public or private – but it does not cross the line separating church and state under either the U.S. or Colorado constitutions. It is a neutral, even-handed program that treats all participating preschools equally and because parents – not the government – choose which preschools to use. The U.S. Supreme Court already ruled a similar program legal in Cleveland, and Denver will put safeguards in place to ensure that the program complies with all federal guidelines.
The bottom line is 1A is the best investment we can make in the success of Denver’s children and our city’s future. Please join me and a bipartisan coalition of educational, business and community advocates in voting “yes” on 1A.
John Hickenlooper is mayor of Denver. For more information, go to www.PreschoolMatters.org.
