Indiana

If day care taught, all day kindergarten would not be the issue. Because there is control in the school system, we begin there, but learning for a child does not begin there. It begins at birth, and the social and reading readiness begins at three. One of our smartest children who just turned five read a whole novel today. It was a children's novel, but he read with speed and interest. For him the window of opportunity is now - not a year or two from now.

Dems Push for Indiana Full-Day Kindergarten
By DEANNA MARTIN
Associated Press Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) —

Senate Democrats are pushing an education agenda that would require all Indiana schools to offer full-day kindergarten, but their plan does not outline a way to pay for the proposal.

The program calls for full-day kindergarten to be phased in over several years, beginning with about 46,000 students in Title I schools, which receive federal money and are located mainly in high-poverty areas.

All Indiana schools would have to offer full-day kindergarten programs by the 2009-2010 school year.

It would cost the state $138.9 million a year to allow every Indiana child to attend kindergarten all day, said Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington.

Senate Democrats said they hoped the General Assembly would pass their plan this year, then work out funding details during next year’s session, which will include debate on the state’s budget.

‘‘We have been talking about full-day kindergarten, and every time it comes up, everybody says they’re for it, but nobody wants to bite the bullet and do it and it never gets done,’’ Simpson said. ‘‘In my opinion, the only way full-day kindergarten will ever be implemented in the state of Indiana is if we commit the next legislature to do it.’’

During the next session, however, lawmakers could decide not to fund the proposal.

Supporters say attending kindergarten all day helps students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, get a head start on learning. The Department of Education has for years supported efforts to implement the program. Some schools do have all-day kindergarten.
Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels supports the idea, but says the state should wait until it can afford it.

‘‘We agree on the concept, and I think we ought to have a good, constructive conversation about the financially responsible timing,’’ he said. ‘‘But they are raising a good idea, one that I’ve been for openly now for two or three years.’’

Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, said investing in early childhood education will pay off in the future.

‘‘We realize that this is a big cost, but we argue that there is even a greater cost if we don’t do it,’’ Rogers said. ‘‘Indiana can’t afford to wait any longer.’’

The Senate Democrats’ education plan, dubbed ‘‘Start Smart,’’ includes several other initiatives, which would:

— Give children one free book every month from the date of their birth until their fifth birthday.

— Create a trust fund to award matching grants to school corporations that want to provide early education programs, including for preschool, parental education and early reading.

— Expand education ‘‘purchasing pools’’ that allow school corporations to buy goods and services in bulk to save money.

Meanwhile, a Democrat in the House says he will introduce a similar full-day kindergarten bill.

Rep. John Day, D-Indianapolis, is proposing a $200 million early childhood education program that includes full-day, a preschool pilot program and grants to help teachers earn graduate degrees.

Day’s bill would pay for the program with an income tax increase. Taxes for those making between $75,000 and $99,999 would rise from 3.4 percent to 3.6 percent, and those making more than $100,000 would pay 4.4 percent.

Day acknowledges it would be difficult for lawmakers to vote for an income tax increase during an election year, but said it’s important that the plan has funding behind it.

‘‘I think this is a fair way to do that,’’ Day said.