12/20/2004
Editorial roundup - post-pre-K vote
+ St. Pete Times -- Opinion: A first step? Let's hope so. Lawmakers can take some pride in the relative harmony with which they met, debated and adopted a prekindergarten plan last week. But those plaudits are for the style, not the substance, of their work. By the admission of its sponsors, the pre-K plan is only a first step. For children to receive the kind of meaningful early learning experience that voters approved in 2002, lawmakers will have to summon the resolve to go further.
+ Miami Herald -- The special session that wasn't so special. Here, again, the Legislature delivered only half a loaf. Lawmakers did provide for an acceptable 1-to-10 teacher/pupil ratio -- much better than the initial 1-to-18 ratio. But the bill demands only three hours of daily instruction, a formulation favored by private schools; and it allows schools to deny admission to students on religious grounds.
+ Palm Beach Post -- Inadequate pre-K bill demands veto by Jeb. Given the voters' intent and the proven long-term benefits of high-quality pre-kindergarten, however, a governor who believed what he said in July would not sign this inadequate bill.
+ Lakeland Ledger -- Pre-K Program: A Matter of Priorities. The Florida Legislature doesn't like to be told what to do -- even by the voters. That was made plain once again last week when it approved a minimal prekindergarten program instead of the "high quality" one that voters mandated when they approved a constitutional amendment on the subject two years ago.
+ Tampa Trib -- Making Nice In Tallahassee Leads To Quick, Clean Session. We would have preferred to see another hour devoted to the instruction of 4-year-olds in a new voluntary a pre-kindergarten program.
+ Sun-Sentinel -- Civility Good, Pre-K Bill Bad. Unfortunately, it may be up to future lawmakers -- and perhaps the next governor -- to fix a bad bill that's passing for a quality universal pre-K plan. The hope here is that legislators will improve the program before pre-K officially starts in the fall.
+ Miami Herald -- The special session that wasn't so special. Here, again, the Legislature delivered only half a loaf. Lawmakers did provide for an acceptable 1-to-10 teacher/pupil ratio -- much better than the initial 1-to-18 ratio. But the bill demands only three hours of daily instruction, a formulation favored by private schools; and it allows schools to deny admission to students on religious grounds.
+ Palm Beach Post -- Inadequate pre-K bill demands veto by Jeb. Given the voters' intent and the proven long-term benefits of high-quality pre-kindergarten, however, a governor who believed what he said in July would not sign this inadequate bill.
+ Lakeland Ledger -- Pre-K Program: A Matter of Priorities. The Florida Legislature doesn't like to be told what to do -- even by the voters. That was made plain once again last week when it approved a minimal prekindergarten program instead of the "high quality" one that voters mandated when they approved a constitutional amendment on the subject two years ago.
+ Tampa Trib -- Making Nice In Tallahassee Leads To Quick, Clean Session. We would have preferred to see another hour devoted to the instruction of 4-year-olds in a new voluntary a pre-kindergarten program.
+ Sun-Sentinel -- Civility Good, Pre-K Bill Bad. Unfortunately, it may be up to future lawmakers -- and perhaps the next governor -- to fix a bad bill that's passing for a quality universal pre-K plan. The hope here is that legislators will improve the program before pre-K officially starts in the fall.
