California bill offering free preschool passes first hurdle amid budget skepticism
SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) – A proposal to offer free preschool to all California four-year-olds passed its first legislative hurdle on Wednesday with support from Democrats but facing skepticism from Governor Jerry Brown and some educators that could doom its chances this year.
The $1.5 billion program is being pushed hard by the state senate’s Democratic leader, Darrell Steinberg, who is leaving office at the end of this year and views it as key to his legacy in the most populous U.S. state.
“Thirty million words – that’s the gap between the number of words heard by low-income children and their middle- and upper-income peers,” Steinberg told the senate education committee. “That number astounds me. They are behind before they even get started in their formal schooling.”
The bill, which passed the senate education committee on Wednesday, comes as a call for universal pre-K is gaining traction around the country. Last week, lawmakers in New York state included $300 million for public preschool programs there, and Oklahoma also offers them.
The idea is favored by many education advocates, who say children whose parents cannot afford preschool fall behind quickly once they get to kindergarten, and many never catch up.
More here: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/09/california-bill-offering-free-preschool-passes-first-hurdle-amid-budget-skepticism/
