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Beebe gets high marks from pre-k advocacy group Friday, Apr 20, 2007 By Rob Moritz Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Gov. Mike Beebe was one of 29 governors praised by a public education advocacy group Thursday for making pre-kindergarten a priority. In a report, the group Pre-K Now noted that Beebe proposed $40 million in additional pre-k funding during his successful gubernatorial campaign last year, and pushed the proposal through the Legislature this year. "While three years ago, only 11 of the nation's governors had pre-k on their agenda, Gov. Beebe is now among 29 governors making it a policy and fiscal priority," said Libby Doggett, executive director of Pre-K Now. "His leadership on this issue is nothing short of visionary, as evidenced by strong bipartisan legislative support." With the $40 million approved during the recent legislative session, the state now provides $111 million annually for the Arkansas Better Chance program, which supports pre-kindergarten programs for "at-risk" 3- and 4-year-olds whose family incomes are below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. "Education is the foundation our state's future must be built on, and the returns on investment in pre-k education are remarkable," Beebe said in a statement released by his office Thursday. " This couldn't have been accomplished without the hard work of our Legislature." Sen. Shane Broadway, D-Bryant, who during a 2003-2004 special session sponsored legislation allocating the first $40 million for the pre-k program, said Thursday that Beebe understands the importance of early child education. "I think his leadership was invaluable," Broadway said about reaching the $111 million mark in pre-k funding. "Ten, 15, 20 years from now we'll look back on our investment in pre-k and we'll see the fruits of our investment coming to fruition," Broadway said. ------- On the Net: www.preknow.org |
