By Mike Pence
Indiana governor
Earlier this year our state made history by approving the first state-funded, pre-kindergarten grant program for low-income families in Indiana. The General Assembly enacted bipartisan legislation to launch a five-county pilot the Indiana way, with $10 million in state funds combined with matching funds from each county. Along with local partners around the state, my administration is hard at work completing the design of the pilot and is on track to start serving thousands of vulnerable children early next year.
Guest columnOur administration recently decided not to seek federal funding that would have required us to expand our pre-K pilot before it is even up and running. It’s important to note that many early learning programs across the country have not been successful over the years. On behalf of the children the pilot is designed to serve, it is imperative that Indiana get this right. Indiana’s program is based on parental choice and includes the flexibility and accountability needed to ensure children are in programs that get real results.
It is important not to allow the lure of federal grant dollars to define our state’s mission and programs. More federal dollars do not necessarily equal success, especially when those dollars come with requirements and conditions that will not help – and may even hinder – running a successful program of our own making.
An important part of our pre-K pilot is the requirement that we study the program so we understand what works and what doesn’t. I do not believe it is wise policy to expand our pre-K pilot before we have a chance to study and learn from the program.
While accepting federal grant dollars can at times be justified to advance our state’s objectives, when it comes to early childhood education, I believe Indiana must develop our own pre-K program without federal intrusion.
Our pilot program will give Hoosiers the opportunity to assist some of our most vulnerable children while we examine the merits of quality pre-K education. Generous, thoughtful and careful development of new policies for our most disadvantaged kids is the Indiana way.
Mike Pence is the Republican governor of Indiana.
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Pence is a fool. He continues to hurt the people of Indiana, the most vulnerable among us, in his futile quest to be president. He is being stroked by those who have a legitimate shot at the nomination, he doesn’t. Like all Teabaggers, he makes good copy. The scowl is real, he worked a lifetime getting it just how he likes it. The hammerheaded stupidity is transparent and, coupled with the scowl has turned him into a preposterous figure.
PreK is just an added effort by the supposed education “leaders” to expand the rift between parents and their children and brainwash the kids into believing the teachers and administrators are right about everything. It is also an opportunity for school administrations to get control of even more money and use it to offset the uses of local tax dollars which can then be shifted to build more unnecessary schools to keep their favorites and relatives on the payroll.
The EVSC has lost near 1,000 students in the past 8 or 9 years. At that rate fewer teachers should be required, yet they keep hiring more, sending those with the NO teaching experience to the failing schools. Bertram closed schools and replaced or renovated nearly all of the rest instead of redistricting for maximum use of existing buildings. Kids who walked to Culver, now ride a bus to Glenwood. Culver is nowhere near capacity and Glenwood’s academic rate increase, after an influx of federal and state millions, is microscopic.
The ploy of trying to hide $31 million in the 2015 budget for “future construction projects” can be translated into a new school on Petersburg Rd., which will, according to comments heard from around the state, give the superintendent a “gift” of around 5% – 7% of the cost of the building contracts. $31,000,000.00 x 5% = $1,550,000.00 or more. For that kind of money, who cares what people say about you or how much the Title I schools improve?
No PreK. More concentration on the basics, Reading, Writing and Math. Until those are mastered our children will not continue to learn, regardless how much we spend on personal computers and professional development. Pence is trying to butter up anyone who believes in silver bullets, fairies and magic hats.
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