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Candidates call for expanded high-quality preschool as a foundation for K–12 equity
Summary
Forum candidates said expanding access to high-quality preschool and strengthening early-childhood services are crucial to improving readiness and long-term district outcomes, and urged district-led articulation from pre-K through grade 12.
Three finalists for Waterbury Public Schools superintendent said high-quality preschool access should be a district priority to raise kindergarten readiness and long-term achievement.
Why it matters: Candidates framed preschool expansion as preventive investment: better early-learning access reduces remediation needs later and supports long-term equity across racial and language subgroups.
What candidates proposed: Dr. Schwartz said, “Unless the city finds a way to high to offer better high quality preschool education for all students, we're going to continue to have students entering kindergarten that are ready.” Dr. Lewis and Dr. White echoed the priority: Lewis described pre-K as the start of a K–12 continuum and recommended K–12 vertical articulation so early learning links to later coursework and acceleration opportunities.
Candidates suggested concrete steps including needs assessments, expanded classroom capacity, partnerships with community providers and targeted bilingual early-learning options for multilingual newcomers. Dr. White emphasized that strengthening preschool is tied to workforce and family engagement strategies.
No action taken: The forum recorded candidate proposals and examples; the Board of Education did not adopt a preschool expansion plan during the session.
