Patrick applauded for boost to prekindergarten programs

Reverses criticism of advocacy group

Governor Deval Patrick has shed a condemnation for "failure to act" and earned new status as "budget hero" in the eyes of a national education advocacy group, which is hailing the governor's decision to increase funding for prekindergarten programs.

Just last April, Pre-K Now, a Washington, D.C.-based group that advocates for high quality, voluntary prekindergarten programs across the nation, sharply criticized Patrick for failing to live up to his campaign pledge to increase funding for prekindergarten education. The group called his decision to level-fund the program "an opportunity sorely missed."

But this week, the group lauded him for proposing triple funding for the program to $22.1 million in next year's budget.

"In times of crisis, we can clearly see what a governor's priorities are," Libby Doggett, executive director of Pre-K Now, said in a written statement.

"Governor Patrick's commitment to funding increases for Pre-K shows true leadership that will bring long-term returns to children and to the state."

Patrick's proposed $15 million boost, if approved by the Legislature, will provide access to pre-K programs for 14,320 3- and 4-year-olds, up from 3,000 last year.

"I think the governor is sending a signal that in a time of scarce resources, this is an important place to go," said Paul Reville, chairman of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, who will take over as the state's education secretary in July.

The House, in its blueprint for the state budget earlier this month, proposed increasing spending on pre-kindergarten programs by $3 million.

But Amy O'Leary, who directs the statewide Early Education for All campaign, said she is optimistic that state lawmakers will pass the increase.

When the governor proposed keeping pre-K funding flat at $4.6 million last year, the Legislature put $7.1 million in the budget, enabling an expansion of the pilot programs in public schools and private daycares across the state.

"We've been meeting with legislators, and we know the commitment is there," O'Leary said.

Patrick is one of 16 governors applauded for proposing to increase pre-K funding. Across the nation, education advocates have been calling for expanded and universal prekindergarten programs for years, pointing to scientific studies that show that the human brain develops rapidly between birth and age 5 and studies that show children who participate in good early education programs tend to be better prepared for school.

Many think that the socioeconomic and racial achievement gaps that exist in standardized tests like the MCAS and the SAT could be narrowed if all students had early education opportunities like pre-K.

Poor and minority students tend to score below average on standardized tests, a phenomenon that education specialists attribute in part to the fact that they are less likely to have access to educational enrichment at home and hence enter kindergarten with weaker reading and cognitive skills.

Tania deLuzuriaga can be reached at deluzuriaga@globe.com.