Latest Pre-Kindergarten News

March 23, 2005

Gov. pitches state pre-K program in Milan visit ( Jackson Sun)
MILAN - Gov. Phil Bredesen got down to the level of 3- and 4-year-olds here Tuesday to promote a plan that would give others their age the same opportunity they have. He sat on the floor to hear an ABC song, to play briefly with the children and to read them books as he visited three pre-kindergarten classrooms at Milan Elementary School. Following the lead of Cooper Norris, the friendly, talkative 4-year-old boy who served as his tour guide, Bredesen even hopped from tile to tile in the hallway en route to the library to make an address. As cameras flashed, the governor stopped briefly to tie his shoe. His goal: A statewide pre-K program that would be available to all 4-year-olds who want to attend a pre-school program. There are presently 148 public pre-K programs in the state, serving about 2,500 children, part of a pilot program started about seven years ago, state education officials said Tuesday. These programs such as the one at Milan have certain restrictions, limiting participation to at-risk children.

GOVERNOR PRE-K (WBBJ-TV Jackson Script)
Return to index of stories... GOOD EVENING BRAD AND MICKEY.IT'S WAS ALL ABOUT BOOKS AND READING FOR THE GOVERNOR AND A GROUP OF FOUR YEAR OLDS AT MILAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
GOVERNOR BREDESEN HAS BEEN VISITING ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ACCROSS THE STATE RALLYING SUPPORT FOR HIS PRE-K PROGRAM. THE 25 MILLION DOLLAR PROPOSAL WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH STATE LOTTERY MONEY. THE PLAN WOULD ALLOW EVERY CHILD IN TENNESSEE TO PARTICIPATE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. TEACHERS AT MILAN ELEMENTART SAY THE CURRENT PROGRAM ONLY SERVES LOW INCOME CHILDREN...AND GOVERNOR BREDESEN SAYS ALL CHILDLREN IN THE STATE DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICPATE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.

March 17, 2005

Governor touts pre-K plan to county officials ( Kingsport Times-News)
School systems that don't want to initiate pre-kindergarten programs won't be forced to under Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposal to pump $25 million of lottery revenue into what has until now been a "pilot" program for at-risk 4-year-olds, county officials from across the state were told this week. But staff in the governor's office believe interest in the expansion of pre-K will be great enough to make the application process highly competitive. One tip they shared with county commissioners on Tuesday: School systems that include a letter of support from their county commission with their application will have priority over those that do not. Wednesday, during their annual County Government Day, Bredesen spoke to members of the County Services and County Officials associations about his pre-K plan, which he said gives local communities maximum control and flexibility in establishing early childhood education programs. Bredesen said he hopes every county in the state will find a way to start participating in the program. Availability of pre-K programs gives all children a "leg up" in school, Bredesen said. Kindergarten teachers say they can tell within five minutes on the first day of school which children have been to pre-K, Bredesen said. "To put it simply, pre-K is the right thing to do for our children," Bredesen said. "And it's a good return on our investment."

House panel OK's preschool bill (Commercial Appeal)
Bredesen says plan will help create better workforce. NASHVILLE -- Gov. Phil Bredesen's plan for a statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program jumped its first committee hurdle in the state legislature Wednesday, after an attempt to give preference to for-profit providers of preschool programs was delayed. The House Government Operations Committee approved the Pre-K legislation, which now heads to the House Education Committee's K-12 subcommittee next week. The measure has not begun moving in the Senate, where debate over how to fund the program is likely. Later Wednesday, the governor told the annual convention of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry that Pre-K is his top initiative of the year. He told the business executives that preschool is part of the range of education services necessary to create a trained workforce. "Without it, these citizens certainly won't be ready for the jobs you all are creating," he said. But he added, "We have not only an economic interest in the program but almost a moral obligation." Bredesen is proposing to phase in a statewide pre-kindergarten program starting this fall. It would be voluntary on the part of local school systems, which could apply to the state for funding, and voluntary on the part of parents to send their children.

March 15, 2005

Gov. promotes pre-K program at Knox school (WATE-TV Knoxville)
Gov. Bredesen Monday chose a Knox County elementary school to help promote his pre-K program for four-year-olds. In February, Bredesen suggested that $25 million in excess lottery money could fund the program. Bredesen chose Lonsdale Elementary due to a new program the school has implemented to help students entering kindergarten perform on grade level. Tuesday, he told supporters that the initiative gives students a fighting chance at success in the classroom. Bredesen visited Wendy Horne's classroom. Some of the students didn't quite understand what all the fuss was about. But their teacher does. Horne started the Kinder-boost program, to help bring their students up to the kindergarten level. "What has happened with the kindergarten curriculum, it's not what it used to be, with kindergarten now is comparable to first grade," Horne says. "They're learning how to read and so these children come not even knowing one single letter." The program is showing progress but the governor says more is needed for four-year-olds so he's working to drum up support for the Early Education program.

Making His Mark ( Knoxville News-Sentinel)
Bredesen plugs pre-K plan, signs autographs for Knox kids. If students at Lonsdale Elementary School don't shower for a while, blame Gov. Phil Bredesen. The governor came to the North Knoxville school Monday to rally support for his plan to increase the number of prekindergarten classes available to youngsters across the state. Local politicians, educators and community members made up most of the audience in Lonsdale's gymnasium Monday, but the governor might have made his most permanent mark with the youngsters. Using a black marker, he signed his abbreviated autograph - "Phil" - on several students' forearms. "I feel so important," Lonsdale fifth-grader Christa Elliott said after she opened the school's front door for the governor's staff. "Welcome to Lonsdale," she told the visitors. "Good to see you." Bredesen's first stop at the school was the colorful classroom of Wendy Horne, who started a class called KinderBoost, which is a twist on a traditional pre-K program.

Bredesen touts preschool plan, TennCare reform at school tour (Associated Press)
Gov. Phil Bredesen, his hopes for improvements in education, public safety and other issues riding on cutting costs in the TennCare heath insurance program for the poor, brought along his favorite book to a special kindergarten class Monday. Opening "The Little Engine That Could," the governor gathered 15 wide-eyed 5-year-olds around him on the floor at Lonsdale Elementary School and began reading. "I think I can, I think I can ..." Bredesen said. "Can you say that?" The children in Wendy Horne's "KinderBoost" class -- a yearlong program to prepare them for kindergarten -- were enthusiastic. They eagerly answered his questions and showed him around the classroom, from the building blocks to the computer. The Lonsdale program was touted as a possible model for Bredesen's proposed statewide, voluntary pre-kindergarten initiative soon to be debated in the General Assembly. Later Monday, Bredesen visited Lookout Valley Elementary School in Chattanooga.

Bredesen: Education Gets what TennCare Leaves (WVLT-TV Knoxville)

Governor Bredesen visits Chattanooga (WDEF-TV Chattanooga)
Tennessee Governor, Phil Bredesen spent time with students at Lookout Valley Elementary this afternoon. He's pitching a plan to offer pre-k programs to all kids in the state. But whether it can be funded depends on the future of TennCare. Governor Phil Bredesen reads to 4 and 5 year olds in Mrs. Campbell's class at Lookout Valley Elementary. This is just one of many stops emphasizing the importance of early childhood development. But education hangs in the balance due to the uncertain future of TennCare. If the Governor's plan to scrap the program gets reversed through federal intervention, that could mean across the board cuts including K-12 and higher education. "I think in the end we're going to be fine and bring the growth of TennCare under control." The Governor says it's his goal to offer pre-k programs to all kids in Tennessee.

Bredesen touts pre-K program ( Chattanooga Times-Free Press) (SUBSCRIPTION)
Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey on Monday took issue with Gov. Phil Bredesen’s plans to make pre-kindergarten funding part of the state’s overall funding formula for public education. "One thing gives me heartburn," Mayor Ramsey said during the governor’s visit to Lookout Valley Elementary School. "(Pre-K funding) is going to follow the Basic Education Program formula. We need to change that formula." Gov. Bredesen said he is aware that Hamilton County officials believe they are shortchanged by the BEP, the state’s education funding formula. Hamilton County receives the least per-pupil funding from the state among 136 school systems, state records show. "We are looking into that to see if some adjustments need to be there," Gov. Bredesen said after a tour of a state-funded pilot pre-kindergarten program at Lookout Valley Elementary. Gov. Bredesen visited Chattanooga as part of a statewide tour to drum up support for his proposed voluntary pre-kindergarten program. His 2006 budget proposal allots $25 million from excess lottery money for the initiative. Local school districts would have to provide matching dollars.

March 10, 2005
Governor uses visit to pitch preschool program (Daily Herald)
Preschool students at Mt. Pleasant Elementary School got a special visit from the governor of Tennessee Tuesday morning. "Hi, I'm Phil," Gov. Phil Bredesen said to the 4-year-olds as they gathered to hear him read "Max's New Suit." Bredesen visited the school to highlight his efforts to fund a statewide preschool program. Mt. Pleasant Elementary has participated in a pilot preschool project since 2001, and Bredesen acknowledged the success the program has had in helping the students prepare for kindergarten. "People tell me they can tell immediately which students participated in a pre-k program," he said later during a conference in which he was flanked by state and local officials. "Students in the program consistently perform better than average."

Governor Phil Bredesen: Pre-K plan offers universal access, local flexibility (Herald)
One of the basic requirements for improving the lives of our citizens is ensuring they have access to a quality education. At the Capitol, we're staying focused on that fundamental priority, and I am proud to say we're making progress. Each year since I've been governor, we've fully funded the Basic Education Program, we've made targeted investments by increasing teacher salaries, and we've set aside substantial money for capital improvements on our college and university campuses. As the next step in our efforts, this year, I'm proposing the addition of $194 million for public education. That includes, as all of you know, $25 million to take the first steps in establishing a statewide pre-K program. There's an Old Testament proverb that says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." I learned that first-hand when my wife, Andrea, volunteered at a local pre-K program while I was mayor of Nashville. At least once a week, Andrea read to the kids at Caldwell Early Childhood Center, she helped out in the classrooms, she took in her collection of frogs for show-and-tell, whatever the teachers needed. And in the process she learned a lesson many of us are just learning now. She learned that while pre-K may have begun as a program for at-risk children, it is truly a program for every child.

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