Posted on 06/22/2006 6:14:00 AM PDT by Gopher Broke
With a state budget finally settled, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine started to lay the groundwork Wednesday for what will be his next major legislative battle: expanding pre school education.
Kaine told the Start Strong Council that he wants the group of legislators, business leaders, educators and early childhood advocates to come up with proposals for Virginia's universal pre school model by mid-October so he can include some of the ideas in the mid term budget.
Most of the more costly proposals will be included in the 2008 biennium budget, though, Kaine said.
"We have to do it," Kaine said. "I think in 25 years the paradigm for education will change from age 4 to 17 years old."
Kaine campaigned last year to make pre school available to all children , but members of the council at their first meeting Wednesday acknowledged many of the challenges they will face.
Virginia has government early childhood programs such as Head Start, the Virginia Pre-School Initiative and local district pre school classes. Still, a majority of pre school programs are run by private providers.
Using taxpayer money to expand and improve private programs will meet resistance, said Del. Bob Tata, R-Virginia Beach, who is a member of the council.
"You're going to have every parochial and private school in there," Tata said.
"If you as a parent had a choice of Norfolk Academy or a public school with a high failure rate, you're going to choose Norfolk Academy."
Tata said he is also concerned about how the state will guarantee that the money goes to quality programs.
Kaine has estimated that providing pre school to everybody who wants it will cost the state $300 million, phased in over several years. Who gets priority is an economic and political issue that the council will have to tackle.
"My gut is that you phase it in with the most needy kids first," Kaine said.
Some council members agree.
Others believe that it should be open to all children or to children with single parents.
Many of those details still need to be worked out, but Deborah Battle, a teacher at Norfolk's Easton Pre-School Center, said she is pleased that the state is focusing on educating 4-year-olds and not just starting in kindergarten.
"Kindergarten isn't just play groups now," Battle said. "If we can reach them earlier it will help."
Please join me in telling our socialist governor.....NO universal, taxpayer-funded pre-school.
Hello, Kaine...this same measure was just DEFEATED at the ballot box by the liberal people of Calif.
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGovernor.cfm
That is precisely what preK teachers and the teachers' unions are banking on and precisely why this must be shot down!
Kaine is just another leftist socialist revolutionary tax and spend Democrat. His proposal is just another anti-family initiative to ensure that children begin their socialist government indoctrination as early as possible, under the guise of helping families by babysitting their children.
Richmond ping.
I don't have kids but this sounds like a bad idea to me.
Kaine is pushing his agenda hard - we need to push back.
We are looking at mandatory daycare for all 4 year olds here. The sooner the state breaks the bond between mother and child the better seems to be the philosophy behind Kaine's proposal.
way to go VA.!!!!
You get what you vote for...
BTW... how is this guys popularity these days around those parts?
Lenin:
"Give me a child for ten years and I'll give you a communist for life."
I guess k-12 isn't quite enough time.
depends on who you ask.... ;)
"If you as a parent had a choice of Norfolk Academy or a public school with a high failure rate, you're going to choose Norfolk Academy."
my daughter just finished 2nd grade, but I was talking with a friend about this less than an hour ago. Her oldest is the dame age and mine, but she also has a 20 month old........she does not like this in the least little bit.
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