Mayor Greg Ballard today announced major new education initiatives aimed in part at combating an upswing in violence in Indianapolis, most notably a $50 million, five-year public-private effort to expand preschool for poor children.
Mayor Greg Ballard won praise today for his $50 million plan to combat crime with programs that aim to get kids in school sooner and keep them there longer.
For a more than a decade, early learning advocates in Indianapolis who argued that more and better quality preschool could dramatically help kids start kindergarten more prepared to learn were deeply frustrated.
The Indianapolis Public School Board will consider expanding its fledgling preschool program to add 200 spots for four year olds by establishing 10 more preschool classes in seven schools at its Tuesday meeting.
Ena Shelley, Butler University’s education dean and a national expert in early childhood education, started out 2014 cautiously optimistic about the chances of establishing state-paid tuition aid for low income preschoolers in Indiana for the first time.
Gov Mike Pence called on lawmakers to reinsert a pilot program to to help low income children begin early learning programs into a bill that now would only study preschool.
One of Gov. Mike Pence’s top legislative priorities, a preschool pilot program, appears to have been stymied for 2014.
In 2011, Indiana’s then-Gov. Mitch Daniels made education a major focus of his legislative agenda, unveiling four major bills that tackled many education hot buttons — teachers, unions, charter schools, and vouchers. But, as advocates quickly pointed out, Daniels had overlooked another favored policy: early childhood education.
Indiana State Superintendent Glenda Ritz said schools might not have to make up all the days they’ve missed because of poor weather if they can present a workable plan to make the time up by adding to the school day or even by having students make up work online.
House Speaker Brian Bosma endorsed Gov. Mike Pence’s plan to establish Indiana’s first state-funded preschool program Wednesday, but there was just one problem.