Birth to Thrive Online

Washington state legislators made progress on early learning issues this week, as a plan to create a voluntary universal preschool system moved forward.

On Tuesday, the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee approved legislation that would phase in universal preschool by school year 2024-25. But, in the Senate a similar bill remains in the Early Learning and K-12 Committee, according to an advocate who is following the legislation.

Time is running out because legislation must move out of committee by this Friday.

Overall, the Washington legislature could make progress on key early learning issues this session, including developing a preschool system, despite the weak economy that has created another large budget deficit.

Legislators already set a funding floor for one of Washington?s biggest early learning programs, its public preschool program, the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), at 2009-2011 levels, according to Leslie Dozono, Early Learning Policy Director at the Seattle-based Children?s Alliance.

?It is clear that the legislature really cares about early learning,? Dozono said. ?Even in tough times people want to do good things.?

The legislature?s work is nowhere near done. Stay tuned to see if the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee will approve its universal preschool bill Friday and for updates on early learning issues next week.

California Budget Battle Update: The budget proposal from California Gov. Jerry Brown would hit early education programs too hard, the Mercury News said in an editorial on Tuesday.

Almost one-fifth of the $4 billion in state program cuts Brown has proposed would come from early childhood education -- child care, preschool and the new transitional kindergarten scheduled to start in the fall. These programs should be among the state's highest priorities. Children are our most precious resource, and their success paves the way for California's economy to grow and prosper.

-- ?Mercury News editorial: Don't cut funding for kindergarten, preschool.? 1/31/12.

Source: http://birthtothrive.thrivebyfivewa.org/post/2012/02/02/Legislative-Update-Universal-Preschool-Proposal-Moves-in-Washington3b-State-California-Budget-Battle.aspx

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