Support Early Childhood Education:
Response to June 10, 2010 Sun Current Letter to the Editor
A recent letter defending Keith Downey’s vote against this year’s early childhood education legislation claims that Downey was “on the right track” in voting against the bill (“Early education bill is not the right fix,” June 10). It’s a puzzling claim given the bipartisan support the bill received. Edina Republican Senator Geoff Michel authored a portion of the bill and he and Democratic Representative Paul Rosenthal (Edina-West Bloomington) both voted for the bill. It passed by a margin of 103-30 (with 15 Republicans among those voting in favor) and was signed it into law by Governor Pawlenty.
An objective review of the bill makes it easy to see why it received such bipartisan support. The legislation takes steps to improve screening and assessment to help parents identify their kids’ needs as early as possible. It also supports ongoing efforts to develop a quality rating system and school readiness “report card” that will help parents choose the right early childhood development resources for their kids. As scholarships are distributed in the future, these advances will be critical tools to ensure that those with the greatest need will be the first to receive funds and can invest them in the most cost-effective resources. The legislation also empowers the Early Childhood Advisory Council (whose members were appointed by Governor Pawlenty) to explore the creation of a state Office of Early Learning to coordinate policy development now split between at least 3 separate state agencies. It does all this without expending state money we do not have by utilizing private and federal funds to move improvements forward.
The 2010 Early Childhood bill is just the kind of creative and effective legislation our state leaders should be pursuing in this day and age. I am pleased to see that it received such broad, bipartisan support and would have voted with Senator Michel and Representative Rosenthal in favor of the bill.