I disagree. A couple of years in a sound preschool before attending kindergarten is a critical first step in the education of a child. (I shared my kids' experience in my comment on John Kawamoto's post.) Keep in mind that if we are to extend free/ subsidized preschool to our children, it will cost an amount in the 7 digit-figure range per year. Compare this to the 9 digit-figure just to upkeep the RAIL. Moreover, teachers could be from the pool of preschoolers' Moms and Dads who have degrees already but who'd complete an early childhood development program. At the Montessori Preschool that my children had attended, the lead teachers hold a two-year or four-year degree in a related field. They are supported by teacher aids who did some coursework. The preschool is connected to a K - 6 campus administered by the same woman; her background includes heading up the childcare program at UC Davis for 25 years. In Hawaii, we need to focus on what is truly important, not the BLINK.