We need to work hard to help our
youngest children arrive on the first day of kindergarten
prepared to take advantage of what lies ahead. Across our
state, there's one thing educators agree on: Tennessee needs
a strong pre-K program.
--Governor Phil Bredesen
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Latest Pre-Kindergarten News
Friday, April 22, 2005
Pre-K plan gets national kudos ( Knoxville News Sentinel)
Report: Governor one of 'the new stars' of early-ed leadership. While a national advocacy group is praising Gov. Phil Bredesen's plan that would allow more youngsters to attend preschool, the majority of state legislators from Knox County said they support the pending bill. The Washington, D.C.- based group Pre-K Now released a report Thursday calling the Democratic governor one of "the new stars of pre-K leadership" for his proposal to dramatically increase his investment in early childhood education this fiscal year. The governor's plan, which has cleared some key legislative committees, initially would use $25 million from state lottery proceeds to expand the number of pre-kindergarten classes available to 4-year-olds. The state currently spends about $10 million on a pilot pre-K program, which serves about 3,000 youngsters. The new money would allow an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 more children to attend. "I happen to feel that there are few ways of investing dollars in education that have more long-term impact than pre-K," Bredesen said in a conference call with reporters Thursday. In addition to Bredesen, 19 other governors proposed boosting the amount of money for early childhood education this year, according to the Pre-K Now report, "Leadership Matters: Governors' Pre-K Proposals Fiscal Year 2006."
Leadership Matters: Governors’ Pre-K Proposals
Bredesen getting high marks for pre-K initiative (Associated Press)
NASHVILLE (AP) -- Gov. Phil Bredesen's plan to put more money into pre-kindergarten education is drawing praise from education advocates. The initiative could put $150 million a year into Tennessee's preschool program by 2010. On Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee passed his preschool initiative. The legislation would allow the existing pilot preschool program to be expanded on a voluntary basis, and mandates the creation of an advisory council for educational agencies that apply for such program. Director Francie Hunt of the nonprofit group Tennessee's Stand for Children calls the program "just wonderful any way you look at it." Libby Dogget of the national group Pre-K Now says Bredesen's plan is among several being proposed by governors. She says the budgets are "strong statements of the governors' priorities." But in Nashville, president Drew Johnson of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research says he doesn't believe most Tennessee residents see the answer as what he called "a government bureaucracy, rather than parents, families and communities."
Governor wants yearly increase in pre-kindergarten spending (Tennessean)
$150 million goal to cover 40,000 enrollment. If Gov. Phil Bredesen gets his way, Tennessee will be spending about $150 million a year for pre-kindergarten by 2010. That's the amount of state funding he says it would take to provide the school readiness program to the 40,000 or so 4-year-olds who are likely to enroll if it's available statewide. Bredesen has asked the General Assembly to increase the state's $10 million pre-K program to $35 million this fall with a one-time infusion of lottery proceeds. If approved, he has vowed to add money to the program every year he's in office, with the intent of serving every child. The aggressive plan catapulted Tennessee into a small vanguard of states seeking to significantly increase pre-K funding for the coming school year — and potentially for years to come. A national report released yesterday shows that 20 states want to increase their funding. If Tennessee's pre-K proposal is approved, its funding would grow by 250%. ''It's just wonderful, any way you look at it,'' said Francie Hunt, director of Tennessee's Stand for Children, a nonprofit group working to improve public schools. ''That is exactly the very thing that needs to happen to support public education and support school readiness.''
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Universal pre-K plan passes Senate panel ( Nashville City Paper)
Tennessee moved one step closer to having a universal voluntary pre-K program for 4-year-olds Wednesday as the Senate Education Committee voted 8-0 to pass Gov. Phil Bredesen’s pre-K legislation. “It’s going to make our state better,” Sen. Don McCleary (D-Jackson) said. The pre-K bill, which next goes to the Senate Finance Committee, would create a statewide pre-K program for 4-year-olds in which school systems can apply for state funds to open new pre-K classrooms with priority given to at-risk students. School systems have to provide a local match to qualify for the state dollars, but districts may use money they are already spending on pre-K towards that match, according to Patrick Smith, legislative liaison to the governor. The bill encourages school systems to collaborate with outside entities to help defray transportation and facility costs and caps at $25 million the amount of lottery excess dollars that can be used to fund the state pre-K program.
April 19, 2005
Editorial: Pre-K funding should come first (Commercial Appeal)
In a perfect world, state legislators shouldn't have to choose between providing money to expand pre-kindergarten programs or college scholarships. Obviously, both ends of the education spectrum are extremely important for the future of our young people. But if such a choice must be made, pre-kindergarten programs should take priority. Gov. Phil Bredesen wants to use $25 million worth of lottery money to expand a preschool program that teaches kids basic skills needed to read, count, identify shapes and colors and get along with their peers. Children who participate in such programs consistently score better on standardized tests in first grade than children who don't. Thanks to the success of the Tennessee Lottery, the money to expand the program is available. Even after handing out scholarships to 37,000 college students last fall, the lottery still has a large reserve fund.
April 18, 2005
Effects of pilot pre-K classes studied (Commercial Appeal)
149 classes begun; initial test results show 'promise.' MEMPHIS - On the first day of school, there's no turning off the spigot on a 4-year-old. Too weepy to speak, Mary Rose Profit planted her feet at the preschool door and held tight to her uncle's hand. "Don't cry," soothed Holmes Road Elementary teacher Veronica Finnie, kneeling and reaching out. "You know you have to come to school and be a big girl." Mary Rose is a pupil in one of the state's pilot preschool classes that could be replicated across Tennessee if Gov. Phil Bredesen has his way. He wants to boost funding from $10 million to $25 million next year and eventually make voluntary classes available to every 4-year-old in the state. That annual price tag would draw on lottery funds and could top $170 million.