Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Mona Charen’s recent column, “Why, Goodness, Who Could Possibly Oppose Universal Pre-K?” mixes apples and oranges, and a few bananas. Her column mixes up daycare and preschool (two very different programs) and a parent’s desire to work while parenting young kids. All three concepts deserve a separate column.
I have no doubt that some of the surveys that she quoted are accurate. It is exceedingly difficult to balance work and parenthood. Part-time work is a great compromise, as mentioned in her column. But balancing work and parenting is not the point of the president’s desire to expand preschool for all. Nor is it the point of his desire to offer two free years of junior college to all. The point is more education for more kids.