I do agree that students still have unequal access to educational opportunities. Depending on where you live, the "majority" and your intellectual abilities are main concerns as to how "educational opportunity" are passed out. Minorities are put at great risk by the American tradition of allowing enormous variation in the qualifications of teachers. Schools with the highest percentages of minority with low-income students are more likely to employ beginning teachers than those with the lowest percentage of minority. Teachers who have higher test scores, attended higher quality colleges and universities, and have more experience teaching mainly teach upper middle class students, very few of whom are minorities. Students in poor or predominantly minority schools are much less likely to have teachers who are fully qualified or hold higher level degrees. These students shouldn't miss out on the chance to be highly educated because of their low income. I think Thomas Jefferson made it clear that by stating that everyone should have an education not for ourselves, but for our society to build our nation. He understood educating people is a superior way to establish an organized society - in means of having a greater understanding of cultures, resourcefulness, building our careers, having the quality of life, and so forth.

The first five years of a child's life are fundamentally important. They are the foundation that shapes children's future development and leaning achievements in school. The brain is one that is adversely affected in the early years. In preschool children are exposed to shapes, numbers, and letters. More importantly, one learns how to socialize - get along with others, share, and participate as a group. I have a little brother that started kindergarten this year and I had the privilege to sit in on his first day. What I witness were instilled morals of those who came into class with good social and behavior-management skills ready to learn. Kindergarten teachers seem to appreciate preschools more because it usually gives them the opportunity to focus academically while those without preschool tend to struggle to adapt to the classroom settings. Some may disagree, but preschool builds a strong foundation that is needed to be successful in life.