12/13/2004
Pre-K editorial round-up
The Legislature has started its Pre-K/hurricane special session and it's time for another editorial roundup.
Yeah, everyone's saying more or less the same thing about pre-K -- it's wildly inadequate and not what the voters had in mind and not much different from the last failed attempt.
+ St. Pete Times: In vetoing the Legislature's uninspired prekindergarten plan last spring, Gov. Jeb Bush said lawmakers had ignored the constitutional amendment that voters approved two years ago. "The amendment specifically demands "high quality,' " he wrote, "because research tells us that only a high quality learning opportunity leads to improved educational outcomes for children." Why, then, is the governor so eager just five months later to embrace a plan that is virtually indistinguishable from the one he vetoed?
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 2. Worst feature: too many to pick.
+ Miami Herald: The proposed plan would run pre-K on the cheap. Such a plan wouldn't be worth allocating state dollars to support. The proposal would dilute high standards recommended for teacher-pupil ratios, length of daily instruction and teacher certification.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 3. Worst feature: too many to pick.
+ Orlando Sentinel: Mr. Bush caved. So it's up to individual lawmakers to insist on smaller classes and more hours of instruction.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 0. Worst features: student-to-teacher ratio too high, number of hours per day too low.
+ Palm Beach Post: In the spring, the Legislature attempted to establish a statewide baby-sitting program and call it prekindergarten. Last week, legislators walked a few baby steps past that low standard and proposed another weak pre-K bill for consideration during this week's special session. The children deserve better, and so does Florida.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 1. Worst features: student-to-teacher ratio too high, number of hours per day too low.
+ Sun-Sentinel: For a man with a reputation for big, audacious ideas, Gov. Jeb Bush sure did "wimp out" on support for quality universal pre-kindergarten education.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 1. Worst features: student-to-teacher ratio too high, number of hours per day too low.
+ Tampa Tribune: When voters passed the pre-K amendment two years ago, they said they were willing to spend money for quality. The state must pay for the time and teachers necessary for the small classes that will get the job done.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 0. Worst feature: student-to-teacher ratio too high.
+ Florida Times-Union: Better to pay now for a strong pre-K program than to pay so much more later for problems such as illiteracy, drug abuse and crime.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 1. Worst feature: student-to-teacher ratio too high.
+ Lakeland Ledger: All indications are that Gov. Bush and lawmakers are prepared to settle for less -- considerably less -- than even a Jennings-led task force recommended this year.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 0. (Oklahoma used instead.)
+ The Daytona Beach News-Journal: The draft legislation is slightly better than the bill Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed last spring. With little hope for major changes this week, proponents of quality education should focus on key needs. (Scroll down)
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 1. Worst feature: student-to-teacher ratio too high.
+ Tallahassee Democrat: Legislators need to do a much better job than their leadership has done in the last few days of enacting Florida's new pre-kindergarten constitutional amendment. What they'll be asked to adopt is a joke - little more than day care.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 1. Worst feature: student-to-teacher ratio too high.
Yeah, everyone's saying more or less the same thing about pre-K -- it's wildly inadequate and not what the voters had in mind and not much different from the last failed attempt.
+ St. Pete Times: In vetoing the Legislature's uninspired prekindergarten plan last spring, Gov. Jeb Bush said lawmakers had ignored the constitutional amendment that voters approved two years ago. "The amendment specifically demands "high quality,' " he wrote, "because research tells us that only a high quality learning opportunity leads to improved educational outcomes for children." Why, then, is the governor so eager just five months later to embrace a plan that is virtually indistinguishable from the one he vetoed?
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 2. Worst feature: too many to pick.
+ Miami Herald: The proposed plan would run pre-K on the cheap. Such a plan wouldn't be worth allocating state dollars to support. The proposal would dilute high standards recommended for teacher-pupil ratios, length of daily instruction and teacher certification.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 3. Worst feature: too many to pick.
+ Orlando Sentinel: Mr. Bush caved. So it's up to individual lawmakers to insist on smaller classes and more hours of instruction.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 0. Worst features: student-to-teacher ratio too high, number of hours per day too low.
+ Palm Beach Post: In the spring, the Legislature attempted to establish a statewide baby-sitting program and call it prekindergarten. Last week, legislators walked a few baby steps past that low standard and proposed another weak pre-K bill for consideration during this week's special session. The children deserve better, and so does Florida.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 1. Worst features: student-to-teacher ratio too high, number of hours per day too low.
+ Sun-Sentinel: For a man with a reputation for big, audacious ideas, Gov. Jeb Bush sure did "wimp out" on support for quality universal pre-kindergarten education.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 1. Worst features: student-to-teacher ratio too high, number of hours per day too low.
+ Tampa Tribune: When voters passed the pre-K amendment two years ago, they said they were willing to spend money for quality. The state must pay for the time and teachers necessary for the small classes that will get the job done.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 0. Worst feature: student-to-teacher ratio too high.
+ Florida Times-Union: Better to pay now for a strong pre-K program than to pay so much more later for problems such as illiteracy, drug abuse and crime.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 1. Worst feature: student-to-teacher ratio too high.
+ Lakeland Ledger: All indications are that Gov. Bush and lawmakers are prepared to settle for less -- considerably less -- than even a Jennings-led task force recommended this year.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 0. (Oklahoma used instead.)
+ The Daytona Beach News-Journal: The draft legislation is slightly better than the bill Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed last spring. With little hope for major changes this week, proponents of quality education should focus on key needs. (Scroll down)
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 1. Worst feature: student-to-teacher ratio too high.
+ Tallahassee Democrat: Legislators need to do a much better job than their leadership has done in the last few days of enacting Florida's new pre-kindergarten constitutional amendment. What they'll be asked to adopt is a joke - little more than day care.
Number of times Georgia mentioned: 1. Worst feature: student-to-teacher ratio too high.
