A bill in the Indiana General Assembly takes a step in the right direction, but badly twists an ankle doing so.
The bill would expand Indiana’s pre-kindergarten program beyond the inadequate five-county pilot program now in place. The state is way behind others in providing funding for early childhood education, which mounds of data identify as important to the success of students in school and well on into adult life. Yet, toe into pre-kindergarten funding, and it’s little toe at that.
Now, a bill has cleared the state House of Representatives that would expand the On My Way Pre-K pilot program from five to 10 counties, which at first blush looks like a significant move.
But the bill has a strong and unnecessary political smell to it. It also would expand the Indiana Choice Scholarship program, which provides access to vouchers. Advocates for the state’s traditional public school systems chafe at that idea.
State Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, and state Sen. Mark Stoops, D-Bloomington, both spoke last week against the idea of entwining the two issues in one bill. They and their Democratic colleagues are far from alone.
“Pre-K is a big issue. Vouchers (are) a big issue. This is an issue that should’ve been stand-alone,” Rep. Kevin Mahan, R-Hartford City, said before a House vote on the bill, according to a story by the Associated Press. “Folks, this is what drives our constituents nuts back home.”
Rep. Wendy McNamara, R-Evansville, who is a teacher, also voiced concerns about the bill in the AP story.
“This particular bill, the way it’s written, it’s making me — forcing me — to make a choice between changing the lives of kids in exponential ways and something that I have consistently (voted) against since the first day I’ve been in office,” she said. “It’s created a lot of frustration on my part.”
These issues should be separated. Pre-K expansion should be a high priority on its own.