Mayor Martin Walsh greets kids on the playground after the Universal Pre-K announcement at ABCD Head Start Walnut Grove. (Mayor’s Office Photo by John Wilcox)

Yesterday, at the ABCD Head Start Walnut Grove program in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, Mayor Marty Walsh announced that the City of Boston is investing $15 million to expand access to free, high-quality pre-K.

“ ‘This is a game-changer for the young people of our city,’ Walsh said Tuesday, surrounded by school administrators and representatives from community groups set to partner with the city to fully implement pre-K programming,” the Boston Globe reports.

The funding will support the “Quality Pre-K Fund,” which will guarantee equitable access “for all 4-year-olds living in Boston within five years,” a press release explains.

The Quality Pre-K Fund will “support the creation of 750 high-quality seats in the nationally recognized pre-K programs in Boston Public Schools (BPS) and in community-based organizations, such as ABCD Head Start, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, and many others,” the press release says, adding, “When Mayor Walsh took office, the gap of high-quality pre-K classroom seats stood at 1,500, and over the last six years this number has been cut in half.”

“The mixed delivery option of high-quality pre-K offers parents and families important flexibility to choose a setting that works best for their schedules and children’s developmental needs.”

Thanks to this investment, city officials expect the current gap in pre-K sets to closed within five years. The $15 million will also ensure that pre-K classrooms have “highly-trained and well-compensated teachers, culturally responsive and inclusive learning environments, ongoing professional development for staff, and use of a proven curriculum that focuses on literacy, math, and supports for students with additional needs.”

WBUR reports:

“Tuesday morning, Walsh gently rapped Massachusetts officials for failing to provide similar support to his efforts. ‘On the statewide level, they’ve talked about [universal pre-K] for years,’ Walsh said. He publicly asked for help only to watch a series of attempted bills stall out. “Maybe this will push that now.”

WCVB posted this coverage of the event:

At the heart of this effort is a commitment to quality.

All of the programs that receive funding, “whether they are located in Boston Public Schools or community-based organizations,” the press release says, will meet key standards, including:

• pre-K teachers will have an early childhood education degree and be prepared to teach in “inclusive” classroom settings that support students of all backgrounds

• pre-K teachers will earn the same starting salary as Boston Public School teachers

• programs will use the Boston Public Schools Focus on K1 Curriculum and Building Blocks Curriculum, and

• the classroom ratio will be two educators for 20 students

This exciting news highlights the larger importance of Boston’s work.

“Over the last 15 years, Boston has been a national leader in using the best science in early childhood education to create high-quality preschool classrooms,” Christina Weiland, a University of Michigan education professor says. Weiland has written a number of studies on Boston’s efforts. “This new investment builds on that strong history and represents narrowing the opportunity gap for more of Boston’s young children and families.”