Up in Smoke?

State School Superintendent Speaks Out on Prop. 28

By Donna Gifford

"The Politics of Literacy" was on the menu at a breakfast meeting held Friday morning in San Mateo County to discuss the potential impact of Proposition 28 in Tuesday's primary election.

Keynote speaker Delaine Eastin, state superintendent of public instruction, focused on the need for "universally available preschool" in the United States. She cited many statistics and studies that point to the importance of this early brain development in children's ability to learn throughout their education. This is one of the main components of the programs addressed by Proposition 10, the Children and Families First Act.

Proposition 10, which instituted a tax on cigarettes and tobacco products that is raising $670 million a year to fund early childhood development programs, was passed by a slim margin in November 1998.

According to the SF Bay Guardian, "Proposition 28 is not the result of grassroots anger on the part of low-income smokers. The entire thing was conceived and financed by the tobacco industry." The president of Cigarettes Cheaper stores wrote the argument in favor of Proposition 28.

Eastin's speech Friday focused on the need for these programs, as they are designed to lay the groundwork for successful future generations. She pointed to the establishment of compulsory public education at the end of the Civil War and the investment in higher education after World War II. She said these things were put in place at times when the country was not even economically healthy and that these generations invested in the future even though most of them did not enjoy the benefits of a college education.

Eastin argued that these examples illustrate how the United States led the way but that now we are falling behind, at a time when "this country has never been so wealthy." She said that this time we are not leading; this time we are following the Europeans and the Asians. She described visiting a preschool in France. "It was like a school that went through a dryer. Everything was designed and built for children, and their day is filled with music, reading and art."

Eastin said that here in the United States we should make kindergarten mandatory, which it isn't today. She also said that preschool shouldn't be mandatory but should be made universally available the way that kindergarten is. She stated that in France, 100 percent of 5-year-olds, 100 percent of 4-year-olds and 96 percent of 3-year-olds are in preschool. She said, "It is not because they don't like their children. It is because they want their children to be ready to learn."

"In the global economy, the failure to invest in the developmental opportunities of our preschools amounts to really a dumb thing. For a country, it is really a smart investment to spend the money on preschool instead of spending more than $30,000 a year to lock people in jail."

Eastin said, "I'm begging you to help us to continue Proposition 10. Please make this investment for us, for our country, for our children."

Patricia Siegel, member of the Children and Families Commission also addressed the group. She said, "Literacy is the bridge to success." She asked the group to be ambassadors to get the message about early literacy out to anyone and everyone they can reach.

The room filled with applause when she said, "Thank goodness for Prop. 10. But we do have hills to climb to convince our legislature and to convince our governor that you cannot just improve education starting in kindergarten; it has to start from birth."

The ultimate goal of Proposition 10, according to the San Mateo County 1999 Annual Report, "is to implement a comprehensive, integrated system of programs and services that will enhance the lives of county prenatal to 5-year-olds."

Siegel said, "Proposition 10 put California on the map as saying we're going to make California the first state, No. 1, for children 0 to 5. I think of Prop. 10 as a big cheerleader over here on the side of the legislature saying, 'State of California - wake up and pay attention to kids 0 to 5 and pay attention to them with a new vision of integrated services.'"

She described the allocation of Proposition 10 funds, stating that 80 percent of the money is distributed to the 58 counties in California so that local representatives can determine the best use of the funds at the local level. Every county develops a strategic plan and that plan is led by guidelines that were created by the state commission.

The state and county commissions have worked on these strategic plans over the past year and are about to begin presenting and implementing them as Proposition 28 threatens to put an end to their efforts.

According to Siegel, the current polls show that 59 percent of voters plan to vote "no" on Proposition 28. She said, "The polls look strong now, but turnout in this election is key. This is the first time California has had an open primary. There is a lot of energy around the Republican nominees. I am very sad to say that the Republican Party at its convention took a "yes" position on 28."