Cindy Shields, Senior Policy Analyst for Early Care & Education at Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), testified before the New Jersey State Board of Education regarding the state's public preschool system. In her testimony dated September 4, 2024, Shields emphasized ACNJ's commitment to ensuring all children have access to high-quality education in safe and enriching environments.
Shields highlighted New Jersey's longstanding reputation as a national model for preschool education, noting that the program now includes over 200 school districts. She pointed out the advantages of a mixed delivery model that incorporates both private providers and public schools for educating 3- and 4-year-olds. According to Shields, this model offers several benefits:
1. Private child care providers bring extensive experience and community respect.
2. These centers can meet the needs of working parents by offering full-day, full-year services.
3. Utilizing existing child care centers' space can facilitate rapid classroom expansion and reduce taxpayer investment.
4. Collaboration among various early care programs can create sustainable initiatives and support families comprehensively.
5. It prevents financial strain on child care centers due to losing three- and four-year-olds to public preschools.
Shields also addressed barriers to implementing a successful mixed delivery system in Abbott Districts, where enrollment in private providers has significantly decreased from fall 2009 to fall 2022. She cited square footage requirements and educational qualifications for teaching staff as major challenges.
Additionally, Shields noted an apparent reluctance from some school districts to collaborate with private providers despite success stories in areas like Sayreville, Passaic, and Paterson.
"The rapid and necessary expansion of preschool programming for younger learners has laid bare some unintended, unfortunate consequences that can no longer continue unchecked," said Shields. She urged the creation of collaborative partnerships between school districts and private providers to foster positive relationships from the start.
For further inquiries or additional information, Cindy Shields can be contacted at cshields@acnj.org.
