Universal Pre-K Is Harder Than We Thought
Originally published with The Progressive on April 3, 2024
I was a guest on EdSource’s Education Beat podcast as part of their series on Black teachers in California! Listen and let me know what you think!
… While universal preschool is still on Biden’s radar, bringing the program to fruition at the federal level is not politically possible. And so, it placed the burden on states to do the impossible, and blue and red states alike have outlined their ambitions to do so. Alabama and Georgia are looking to transform their current first-come, first-serve, lottery-based system of free state-funded preschool to all families. The governors of Illinois and Michigan have made promises and budgetary commitments towards free preschool for all four-year olds in the next few years. But California is providing a model right now of what universal preschool could look like—and revealing all the challenges that come with it.
New piece out with The Progressive! Follow @mcizmane on Instagram to stay up to date with updates and make sure to subscribe if you haven’t already :)