The Clarion-Ledger Editorial, 12/15/8
To prove that statewide early childhood education is not a pie-in-the-sky proposition or frill, business organizations are preparing to pay $3.5 million a year for a pilot program in Mississippi.
At a conference today, the Mississippi Economic Council is expected to announce plans for a pre-kindergarten program, initially at 50 licensed early child care and education centers across the state.
Called Mississippi Building Blocks, it initially will involve 1,500 children under the age of 4 and is designed to improve teaching in the centers, help ensure children are better prepared to enter kindergarten, and to help parents be better able to take an active role in their children’s education.
While business organizations are willing to put their money where their mouths are, when it comes to paying lip service for education, state lawmakers are sucking wind.
Magnolia Tribune
