13 Republican-Controlled States Increased Spending On Preschool Last Year

[xchrom]

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/01/10/3149271/republican-states-preschool-spending/



Thirteen states controlled by a Republican governor and legislature increased spending on preschool last year, according to new numbers from the Education Commission on the States. Two others with Republican governors but split legislatures did the same.

Some of the increases were also significant. South Carolina boosted spending by nearly 80 percent, or from about $34 million to nearly $62 million. Michigan increased spending by about 60 percent, Nebraska (which has a Republican governor and a nonpartisan legislature) by nearly 58 percent, Alabama by almost 50 percent, and Ohio by more than 40 percent. Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin also beefed up their spending.

Overall, 40 states fund Pre-K programs, and of those 30 increased funding last year, with ten jumping by more than 20 percent. In total, spending on Pre-K programs increased by about 7 percent, reaching a total of $5.6 billion. Just three states cut back on spending.

[tazkcmo]

1. Now that's good news

Hope this trend continues and spreads into primary and secondary education.

[The Wielding Truth]

2. I trust their intentions so little that I bet there are plans to cut preschool and use the funds for

corp subsidies. I seldom see them doing anything but cut, privatize, strip prevention and protective laws, and steal.

[Sunlei]

3. The preschool funds mentioned by President Obama in his state of the Union address

So many good things for education roll into place thanks to President Obama.. search results-
http://search.whitehouse.gov/search?affiliate=wh&query=preschool&form_id=usasearch_box&submit.x=30&submit.y=13

Preschool for All
In his State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to expand access to high-quality preschool to every child in America. As part of that effort, the President will propose a series of new investments that will establish a continuum of high-quality early learning for a child – beginning at birth and continuing to age 5. By doing so, the President would invest critical resources where we know the return on our dollar is the highest: in our youngest children.

The Preschool for All initiative will improve quality and expand access to preschool, through a partnership with all 50 states, to provide all low- and moderate-income four-year-olds with high-quality preschool, while encouraging states to serve additional four-year-olds from middle-class families. The initiative also promotes access to full-day kindergarten and high-quality early education programs for children under age four.

The U.S. Department of Education will allocate dollars to states based their share of four-year olds from low- and moderate-income families and funds would be distributed to local school districts and other partner providers to implement the program.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/02/14/high-quality-early-education-all-children

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/13/fact-sheet-president-obama-s-plan-early-education-all-americans