Late to early childhood: New plan can fix longtime pre-K disparity

The moniker “pre-K for all” certainly sounds better than “pre-K for most,” but in practice the latter has been the more accurate descriptor. Hopefully, that will be a thing of the past come next year.

We certainly had our qualms with Bill de Blasio, but no one can take from the former mayor his crowning achievement in giving the city’s young kids a better shot at educational fulfillment and the lifelong opportunities it brings. You’ve probably seen the research: decades of studies conclusively establish that children who attend pre-K programs perform better in kindergarten than those who don’t, a lead that holds throughout their educational careers. The benefit is even starker among those children who don’t have certain advantages at home, namely those from lower-income families or English language learners.

When de Blasio unveiled his pre-K initiative on the campaign trail then implemented it early into his first term, families around the city had reason to rejoice, helping their kids learn free of charge, yet one group of parents quickly saw the blind spot. They were, after all, used to their children’s particular disability needs — everything from mobility to intellectual impairments — being ignored. Without some concerted focus on bringing children with disabilities into the mix, they were being de facto shut out.

With Mayor Adams’ and School Chancellor David Banks’ announcement last week of a dedicated program to provide early childhood special-education slots to those who need them, this disparity is being rectified. Specifically, the effort is slated to create an additional 800 early childhood special education seats by next spring, with funds set aside to bring special needs educators up to pay parity with other teachers and better integrate special education with general education classrooms, among other things.

While de Blasio could be lethargic in implementation of his sweeping plans, he was able to get pre-K set up with admirable speed. Adams and Banks should try to follow suit, and take this from a good announcement to a great program as soon as possible.