Early-Learning Programs Get Needed Nurture

Although Gov. Timothy M. Kaine did not get all the money he proposed to the 2008 General Assembly to expand early childhood education across Virginia, he did get money to nurture early-learning programs around the state.
And that program has become an active one, leading to pilot projects that show cooperation and intense commitment to provide quality early childhood education in public and private preschools.
That was the message brought to Lynchburg the other weekend by Kathy Glazer, director of the governor’s newly created Office of Early Childhood Development.
Most educators say that early childhood education is vitally important to a child’s progress through primary and elementary school. Many will say that the state has not assigned those programs the importance they deserve.
Kaine’s proposed expansion of the program to public and private preschool settings fell victim to budget cuts demanded by lawmakers, but they did approve as much as $22 million for the Virginia Preschool Initiative that includes pilot projects for preschool providers.
One of those initiatives, said Glazer, is the Alignment Project that seeks to ensure that guidelines developed for early childhood education mesh with the skills and competencies of the adults providing preschool education. A couple of booklets have come out of that effort relating to improving the skills of those adults involved in the classroom.
In developing quality programs, Glazer said the governor wanted assurance that the preschool programs for at-risk children would not be delivered entirely in the public schools. “We have many Head Starts and many child care providers who’ve been around for decades and have done a great job of providing these kinds of services for young children,” she said. Such new programs are being assessed in communities ranging from military child care and nonprofit centers to for-profits and Head Start in the public schools.
The early years are crucial because of rapid brain growth, researchers say, and because of it children who attend high quality preschool have a greater chance of success throughout their school years and beyond.
In proposing the expanded program, which he called Start Strong, Kaine projected it would accommodate an additional 17,000 low-income youngsters within five years.
“Increasing access to high-quality preschool programs will mean that more of Virginia’s children are ready to learn when they enter kindergarten, giving them a better chance for success throughout their K-12 experience,” Kaine said last August.
In connection with the preschool initiative, Glazer said, the state is also trying to establish a coordinated system of training and education available to preschool providers. “We want to make sure all teachers have access to a continuum of training and education to improve on their skills,” she said.
The emphasis on teaching skills shows the state is serious about giving low-income youngsters in a variety of settings the very best education they can get at that level. Those teachers can — and will — make a huge difference in the lives and futures of those youngsters.