RE: Question 1: Pre-school support

In response to Tony Salso, the draft master plan does not propose to mandate any education below Kindergarten.  However, the school readiness working group recommended that preschool be available for all parents who wish to give their children that opportunity without regard to access or affordability.  Many parents do not have much choice in early care arrangements when they must use them, and their children are placed in settings that do not provide the enriching experiences they would hopefully get at home.  The working group also recommended that preschool space be made available in many different venues, which we have currently in California, so that parents could choose from public, private for-profit or non-profit, or other settings of the parents' choice.  The draft Master Plan does not propose to unduly separate parents from their babies, but many parents put their child in care so they can work--let's try to make sure that child care is high quality care. The working group also recommended providing paid family leave for parents with a new child in the home, so that parents can remain home with their child longer than just the few weeks many parents have before economic circumstances force them to return to their jobs.  One of the basic tenets of the working group's discussions was how best to support parents in the parental role, recognizing all of the other demands society also places on each of us.  It is the intent of the Master Plan to support parents, not usurp their responsibilities.