Wants pilot program for 3-year-olds; says taxes won't increase

By Jaclyn Houghton

CNHI News Service

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Early childhood educator Janet McKenzie could retire, but a new initiative proposed by Gov. Brad Henry makes her think otherwise.

The 29-year teaching veteran said she has seen how the universal pre-kindergarten programs in Oklahoma have better-prepared students to begin kindergarten.

"We've gotten to change our expectations in the kindergarten rooms of what we could accomplish in a kindergarten year," said McKenzie, a teacher at Kendall-Whittier Elementary in Tulsa. "Not because of what we make them do, but what they're able to do."

A new proposal by Henry, she hopes, will allow children to accomplish more.

Henry proposed an allocation of $15 million for a pilot pre-kindergarten program for 3-year-olds and an additional $15 million to increase the public and private partnerships for 3-year-old programs.

"It's an investment that will pay huge dividends not tomorrow, not by the next election cycle, but in five years, 10 years, 15 years down the line -- a generation down the line," Henry said at a news conference Monday. "It will make a tremendous difference for the state of Oklahoma."

The money would come from the executive budget, which Henry will release Feb. 5 during his State of the State address to the Legislature. He said in the future there may be a need for the Legislature to appropriate more than $15 million to make it universal, like the program for 4-year-olds.

Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, has concerns about Henry's proposal.

"There are existing state programs that are currently underfunded or underutilized," Coffee said in a release. "Before committing to the governor's proposal for a new government program, the Legislature needs a clearer picture of how he plans to pay for his proposals for massive spending increases."

House and Senate Republicans released statements last week questioning the governor on where the money would come from for other proposals. Leadership wondered if taxes would need to be raised to afford Henry's spending initiatives.

Henry said taxes would not be raised.

"Obviously people are going to criticize. That's the nature of what happens here at the Capitol," Henry said. "We have growth revenue, and I believe it's my job to make proposals to the Legislature and the people of the state of Oklahoma indicating how I believe we can utilize the revenues that we have."

The National Institute for Early Education Research rated Oklahoma's pre-kindergarten program first in the nation for the percent of the 4-year-old population enrolled, for both the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years.

About 70 percent of the state's 4-year-olds are enrolled in the voluntary pre-kindergarten program.

"We know more, from the research today, about how the brain works and how learning happens and how it happens earlier than we ever knew," said Sandy Garrett, Oklahoma state superintendent of public instruction.

She said it is important to make the 3-year-old program voluntary.

"We know that voluntary is best so that each family can make their own choice," Garrett said.

The pilot program will start in areas with the most need and interest, Henry said. The partnership with private entities, such as the Educare facility in Tulsa, will focus more on at-risk children from birth until age 5, he said. Henry hopes to expand the Educare program and start other similar programs statewide using public and private money.

Jaclyn Houghton is CNHI News Service Oklahoma reporter.