SACRAMENTO, CA - The pro-Proposition 82 campaign is bombarding California with television ads featuring cute kids and union teachers talking about how government-run universal preschool is the new magic bullet for education. In truth, the arguments for Prop. 82 are merely myths.

Myth #1: For every taxpayer dollar spent on government-run universal preschool, society will reap more dollars in future benefits.

This claim is based on a RAND study that uses data from a Chicago preschool program targeted only at low-income black children. Extrapolating the benefits of the Chicago program to a statewide California preschool program targeted to children of all income groups and all races, and which doesn't yet exist, is empirically unsupportable.

Myth #2: Preschool bestows long-term benefits to middle- and upper-income children.

Even RAND admits there's no evidence for this claim, acknowledging that the one study that examined the long-term benefits of preschool on non-poor children "found that children participating in preschools not targeted to
disadvantaged children were no better off in terms of high school or college completion, earnings, or criminal justice system involvement than those not going to any preschool.''

Myth #3: Universal preschool in California will mirror successful preschool models.

Pro-82 forces contend that their preschool program will mimic successful experiments such as the Chicago program. Key features of the Chicago program, however, such as a multi-faceted parent involvement program, home visitations, health screenings, speech therapy, and nursing services, are not included in Prop. 82.

Myth #4: Higher requirements for preschool teachers will improve student achievement.

Under Prop. 82, preschool teachers must have a bachelor's degree and a teaching credential. However, UC Berkeley researchers warn: "Claims that a Bachelor's degree further advances child development simply cannot be substantiated by studies conducted to date.''

Myth #5: There's no downside to preschool.

According to a 2005 Stanford-UC Berkeley study, "attendance in preschool centers, even for short periods of time each week, hinders the rate at which young children develop social skills and display the motivation to engage classroom tasks, as reported by kindergarten teachers.''

Myth #6: One year of preschool is necessary for best results.

Ready to Start is a five-week preschool program held during the summer before children begin kindergarten in Kern County, California. It costs only $350 per child versus up to $8,000 per child under Prop. 82. Initial test scores of participating students show encouraging improvement. According to one local education official, 'We can do something in five weeks at lower cost than programs that take longer and cost more money.''

Myth #7: Low-income minority children need preschool in order to succeed.

At Sixth Street Prep public charter school in Victorville, large numbers of students are poor, immigrant and Hispanic. These children never attended preschool, but their test scores have improved greatly. Principal Linda Mikels says that her students are succeeding because of the proven research-based curricula and teaching methods used at the school.

Myth #8: High preschool participation explains why French students outperform American students.

U.S. fourth-graders test better in reading and literacy skills than their French counterparts. Only in the later grades do U.S. students lag behind their French peers. The better inference: poor middle schools, not lack of preschool, explains U.S. student underachievement.

Myth #9: Taxing the rich is the best way to pay for preschool.

Former state Legislative Analyst William Hamm estimates that because of likely tax-avoidance actions by high-income earners responding to Prop. 82's proposed higher state income-tax rate, the state's General Fund would lose revenues. Between 2007 and 2011, the General Fund would sustain an average total loss of $4.2 billion in revenues, causing a loss in education revenues of $1.5 billion between 2008-09 and 2011-12.

Myth #10: The cost of government-run preschool will be affordable.

It is likely that Prop. 82 will cost much more than the anticipated $2.4 billion per year. Reason Foundation researchers point to Quebec, where government-run preschool was supposed to cost $230 million over five years. Today it costs $1.7 billion every year - 33 times the original estimate.

Unlike David Letterman's top 10, there is nothing funny about the myths deployed in favor of Proposition 82. These are being used to convince voters to approve a risky, expensive and untried program, and to entrench it in the state constitution where it will be virtually impossible to change even if it proves to be a failure. Californians should make their voting decision based on facts, not myths.

Lance T. Izumi is Director of Education Studies at the Pacific Research Institute. He can be reached via email at
lizumi@pacificresearch.org.