False Starts: The Segregated Lives of Preschoolers

The article "False Starts: The Racial and Class Divides Between Head Start and Private Pre-K Classrooms for Children and Their Families" examines the racial and class divides between Head Start and private pre-K classrooms for children and their families. It found that two-thirds of American preschools are segregated, with poor children of color or affluent white children concentrated in separate schools. This segregation has an impact on children's experiences, such as how they spend their time, receive supervision and instruction, and learn and socialize with other children. The article suggests that we need a fuller understanding of how segregated classroom environments impact children's educational outcomes and their ability to thrive as we continue to invest in preschool as an anti-poverty policy.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 14 November 2023
Publisher: New York University Press

The benefits of preschool have been a topic of national discussion since the 1960s, when Head Start, a publicly funded program for low-income children, was established. Over the past two decades, forty-four states have expanded access to preschool, often citing it as an anti-poverty policy. However, as Casey Stockstill reveals, two-thirds of American preschools are segregated, primarily clustering poor children of color or affluent white children in separate schools. Stockstill argues that this segregation perpetuates rather than disrupts inequality.

Stockstill conducted a two-year observation of children and teachers at two preschools in Madison, Wisconsin, a city characterized by segregation, with affluent and middle-class white people and working-class or low-income people of color occupying different sectors. She observed one preschool that was 95% white and another that was 95% children of color. Stockstill demonstrates that segregation had a profound impact on children's experiences, particularly in terms of how they spent their time, the supervision and instruction they received, and their ability to learn and socialize with other children.

Even in high-quality preschools that appear to have similar resources, de facto segregation creates distinct school experiences for children, ultimately reinforcing racial and class inequality. Stockstill's research highlights the need for a deeper understanding of how segregated classrooms impact children's education and well-being. As we continue to invest in preschool as an anti-poverty policy, it is essential to address these issues and work towards creating more inclusive and equitable preschool environments for all children.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781479815005