Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Friday that the city is putting up $10 million to expand efforts to prepare infants, toddlers and preschoolers for kindergarten.
It?s not the first time the city has budgeted money for pre-kindergarten programs. But Emanuel said this time the city is making an effort to better coordinate services citywide. The public money for preschool programs will be available to parochial schools, charter schools and neighborhood organizations.
?We?ve never had in the city a uniform single standard as related to early childhood education,? Emanuel said. ?We now have it.?
The $10 million is for the 2013-14 school year. The city wants to continue funding for another two years. The money will allow 2,000 children to be added to early childhood education programs in the city, which are also funded by Chicago Public Schools and the city?s Department of Family and Support Services. The goal is to fund the program for three years, adding a total of 5,000 children to early childhood education programs.
Agencies competing for the city money must meet certain requirements, including professional development programs and an emphasis on data-driven instruction.
Ericka Barber, site coordinator for Nia Family Center, an early childhood program in West Humboldt Park, said the process will allow programs like hers to provide more services to parents and focus on using data collected to improve student learning.
?Before we had Head Start standards, CPS standards and DFSS standards, and they were all different,? she said. ?Now everyone is on the same page.?
CPS is committed this year to provide early childhood education programs to 42,000 children, despite $19 million in state funding cuts.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-rahm-emanuel-0804-20120804,0,2298256.story
Source: http://socato.org/?p=12857
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