I’m responding to Mike Byrnes’ letter to the editor, “Universal Pre-K suggestion is irresponsible at best,” in last week’s paper. The only thing that’s irresponsible is the letter’s unfounded claims that early education doesn’t work and isn’t effective. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.


A summary of actual research by the Society for Research in Child Development and The Foundation for Child Development makes clear that the benefits of Pre-K programs go far beyond testing. Whether or not their elementary school test scores improve, students who finish Pre-K are more likely than those who don’t to graduate high school, complete more years of education, see reduced rates of crime and teen pregnancy and enjoy higher earnings as adults. This has been true in programs large and small and in states and cities across the country. 


A study by researchers with the National Institute for Early Education Research examined the findings of dozens of other studies and confirmed both the educational and economic benefits. Many of these studies have been running since the 1980s, meaning that the kids involved are well into adulthood. The idea that $1 invested returns $3 is hardly “magic,” as Byrnes suggests, it’s actually a conservative estimate. Some studies have found returns of $7, $9 or even more.


This makes sense for the same reasons why we value public education to begin with. A strong education leads to career success and higher earnings, which in turn makes a person more likely to contribute to the community and less likely to require public assistance. In today’s economy, education is playing a larger roll than ever before. This means it’s even more important to set up Rhode Island’s kids for success. An investment in Early Education will help our state succeed in the future. This isn’t just good for kids and parents, it’s good for all of us.


Barry Brown
Warren