|
"We all want to see our children succeed," Blagojevich said. "And
study after study shows that one of the best ways to help kids do
well in school is by starting early. That's why we made preschool
one of our top priorities in this budget and legislative session,
and I'm proud we were able to put Illinois on the path to being the
only state in the nation to offer preschool to every 3- and
4-year-old child. I applaud the General Assembly for passing our
Preschool for All bill, and I want to thank all the legislators and
advocates who worked so hard to make sure that this plan became a
reality." The language for Preschool for All was contained in
Senate Bill 1497, sponsored by Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie,
D-Chicago, and Sen. Kimberly Lightford, D-Westchester. The bill,
which won final legislative approval on Thursday and now heads to
the governor's desk for his signature, amends the school code to
authorize the use of state funds for pre-kindergarten services for
children who are not defined as "at-risk." Under current law,
pre-kindergarten funds are used exclusively to serve at-risk kids.
At-risk kids have the greatest need of service, and numerous studies
show that they benefit significantly from attending preschool.
However, there are many kids who do not meet the current
definition of at-risk who could still benefit from preschool. For
example, parents who make $50,000 a year may not have enough money
to provide their child with high-quality preschool, but if the child
doesn't have any other risk factors, they're not going to qualify
for state-funded pre-kindergarten. In Illinois, the average annual
cost of private early learning programs for 3- and 4-year-olds is
$5,200, and the cost for two children can exceed $10,400 annually --
the salary of a minimum-wage earner. The new Preschool for All
program will continue to prioritize at-risk children but expands it
to also serve middle-income families.
Preschool for All will allow every community to offer
high-quality preschool in a variety of settings, including public
and private schools, child care centers, licensed family child care
homes, private preschools, park districts, faith-based
organizations, and other community-based agencies. The program
requires that preschools be staffed by experienced teachers who
hold bachelor's degrees and specialized training in early education,
and the preschools must provide at least 2 1/2 hours per day of
high-quality programming designed to foster all of the skills --
social, emotional, physical and cognitive -- that all young children
need to achieve success in school and later in life.
The recently approved budget for fiscal 2007 includes $45 million
to give 10,000 more children the chance to attend preschool. By
providing increases of $45 million in each of the following two
years, Illinois will give a total of 32,000 more kids the
opportunity to attend preschool. After three years, every 4-year-old
will be covered, plus more than 55,000 3-year-olds. In years four
and five of the rollout, service will be extended to all remaining
interested 3-year-olds.
"Preschool for All means that tens of thousands of children who
would have been left out will instead have access to a quality
preschool experience," said Harriet Meyer, president of the Ounce of
Prevention Fund and co-chair of the Illinois Early Learning Council.
"This crucial initiative would not have passed if not for the
visionary leadership of Governor Blagojevich, bipartisan support in
the legislature and the activism of hundreds of people from all
parts of the state."
"The Illinois State Board of Education applauds Governor
Blagojevich's leadership in proposing the Preschool for All Children
program and is grateful that the governor and the legislature have
provided the funding to make it a reality for Illinois families,"
said Illinois State Board of Education Chairman Jesse Ruiz. "Funding
for early childhood education is one of the wisest investments our
state can make, and all Illinoisans will benefit from this
investment in our preschool-aged kids for generations to come."
"This is a victory for children and families," said Maria Whelan,
president of Illinois Action for Children. "We should all be proud
of the future we are providing children through high-quality
preschool. We are making history in Illinois and thank the governor
and the legislature for their vision."
"Preschool for All reflects the science that demonstrates success
in education is dependent on what happens during children's earliest
years," said Jerry Stermer, president of Voices for Illinois
Children. "Governor Blagojevich and lawmakers from both parties
agree on the critical goal of offering voluntary, high-quality
preschool for all young children, and we thank them for their
leadership."
"We applaud the state of Illinois for taking the lead in
providing quality preschool programs," says Tim Carpenter, state
director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois. "Research shows
that high-quality preschool reduces dropout rates, cuts crime, and
prevents child abuse and neglect. Down the line it saves taxpayers
millions in special education, welfare costs, court and prison
expenses, and victim services."
"We need every weapon in the fight against crime," said Mark
Donahue, president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police. "I'd
rather see kids end up in caps and gowns than in handcuffs, and the
research shows that preschool is a penny-wise and pound-smart way to
start kids on the right path in life."
"This expansion of early learning will bring rewards very soon,
as more and more children enter kindergarten ready to learn -- a
significant benefit to students and teachers in all grades," said
Adele Simmons, vice chair and senior executive of Chicago Metropolis
2020. "There also are long-term benefits to society. Every dollar
invested today in early learning will save $7 that future taxpayers
otherwise would have to spend on remedial education, social programs
and even corrections, and early learning will give future Illinois
businesses the advantage of more skilled workers."
[to top of second column] |
 Countless studies demonstrate the benefits of early learning in
preschool. Children who begin reading at age 3 or 4 do better
throughout their academic careers. Children who received
high-quality early education are 20 percent more likely to complete
high school and 41 percent less likely to be placed in special
education. In addition, children who received high-quality early
education are 42 percent less likely to be arrested as a juvenile
for a violent offense and will have half as many criminal arrests,
as well as have higher earnings and property wealth as an adult.
Investments in early childhood education also pay enormous
economic dividends in the long term. Based on certain economic
returns like increased earning potential, decreased dependency on
social services and on the justice system, it is estimated that
society receives $7.14 for every $1 spent on early childcare
programs. That means the $90 million Blagojevich has invested over
the last two years would yield at least $643 million in savings over
the lifetime of those children. A newer study released in November
2004 found an even higher rate of return -- showing a savings of
more than $17 for every $1 invested.
Despite unprecedented budget deficits inherited from the Ryan
administration, Blagojevich has made early childhood education a top
priority, fulfilling his promise to increase investments in the
Early Childhood Block Grant by $90 million over three years. His
commitment to expanding early childhood education continues to gain
national attention. In the spring of 2005, a report released by
Pre-K Now called Blagojevich a "Pre-K budget hero" for continuing
his push for preschool expansion despite difficult financial
conditions. And in November 2004, the National Institute for Early
Education Research released its 2004 State Pre-School Yearbook,
which ranked Illinois as one of the top three states for program
quality. Illinois received praise for its teacher training as one of
only 13 states to require certification for its early childhood
teachers.
Education highlights of the budget include:
Investing in children
During his first three years, Blagojevich dedicated $2.3 billion
of new funding for Illinois schools. This represents more new money
invested in education than any other state in the Midwest, more than
43 other states in the nation and more than any other administration
in one term in Illinois history.
For the fourth consecutive year, Blagojevich has provided a major
increase in education funding -- $415 million more for education
from pre-kindergarten through high school. The budget also funds new
landmark initiatives proposed by the governor, including universal
preschool, a pilot program to reduce class sizes in kindergarten
through third grade and a grant for families struggling to afford
the high costs of college. The total increase in education funding
over four years is $3.8 billion, and the year-to-year increase from
fiscal 2003 to fiscal 2007 is $1.5 billion.
School funding increases
This year's budget includes a $415 million increase for education
spending from pre-kindergarten through high school, bringing the
state's new funding for education to more than $3.8 billion over the
last four years. This represents the largest increase by an
administration in Illinois history.
Helping middle-class families pay for college
Building on his ongoing efforts to make college more affordable
for students and families, Blagojevich provided the MAP program with
its largest increase in 10 years, a boost of 10 percent over fiscal
2006, and expanded the program to help middle-income families as
well. With a new investment of $34.4 million, Illinois will create
MAP Plus to help middle-class families who don't qualify for the
traditional MAP program and struggle to afford rising college
tuition costs. MAP Plus will provide a $500 per-student grant for
sophomores, juniors and seniors who attend college in Illinois. An
additional increase of $34.4 million will boost MAP grants to their
statutory maximum of up to $4,968, which will help more students and
their parents afford college. In total, 225,000 students will
benefit from the creation of MAP Plus and the additional funding for
MAP.
Classroom size reduction
To reduce the size of Illinois kindergarten through third-grade
classrooms, Blagojevich earmarked $10 million to help schools pay
for more teacher salaries and benefits.
Senate Bill 2882, sponsored by Sen. Terry Link and Rep. Michael
Smith, creates a pilot program that will distribute the $10 million
award as $50,000 grants among schools throughout the state. More
teachers mean smaller classes. And, smaller classes mean more
attention for each student from the teacher and a better learning
environment.
Increase for higher education
This year's budget includes a $48 million increase for higher
education. Universities will receive more than $18 million to
attract and retain the best faculty, and community college grants
will increase by almost $7 million.
In addition to his efforts in expanding access to early childhood
education, Blagojevich has also been committed to expanding access
to health care for children in Illinois. In November, he signed a
new law creating All Kids, which provides all Illinois children with
access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance.
[News release from the governor's
office] |
