Crisco hails Smart Start education initiative

HARTFORD  - Standing with teachers, superintendents of schools and early education experts, state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge,  cheered legislative leaders’ announcement Wednesday  of Connecticut Smart Start, an historic 10-year, $200 million plan to provide 50,000 children with high-quality early education.

“We want to give our children the best possible start in life, and pre-K initiatives are one of the most effective ways to achieve this,” said Crisco.
 “This is an opportunity to lift more students out of the achievement gap and dramatically improve life outcomes across our state. This is a plan for Connecticut’s future,” he said.

Program Structure:

• Oversight: grant program administered by Office of Early Childhood.
• High Quality: teachers must be certified; programs must obtain National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation within 3 years of receiving funding; classroom size cannot exceed 16 children with child-teacher ratio not greater than 10 to 1. 
•  New Capacity: funding is directed toward traditional public schools and cannot supplant existing program funding; towns must create or expand current programs.

• Creating Efficiencies: programs will be funded on a programmatic basis rather than a “per-slot” basis of the current system.
• Allowable Expenses: capital costs such as renovation of classroom space, and operating expenses such as hiring of certified teachers, and purchasing materials and supplies.

Who can Apply?

• Any city or town that can demonstrate an unmet need for preschool.
• Programs must prioritize space for students eligible Free and Reduced Price Lunch.
• Programs in traditional public schools are eligible for funds.
• Includes but is not limited to Priority School Districts, Competitive School Districts and Alliance Districts.

Cooperative Efficiencies:

• Program offers the potential for regional cooperation – multiple towns could join together to create a regional program and submit a joint proposal.
• Professional development offered by school districts for their teachers must be made available at no expense to community child care providers – currently some professional development offered regionally – private providers could take advantage of greater opportunities for professional development.

How is it funded?

• $10 million each year over 10 years in bonding for capital expenses; $10 million each year over 10 years appropriated from Tobacco Trust Fund for operating expenses.
• Initial funding grant to town is for five years; possible renewal for another five years assuming quality and outcomes; annual reporting to OEC.
• Any funding allocated for this purpose will be excluded from the Minimum Budgetary Requirement.

“I am encouraged to see the commitment by state leaders for early childhood education,” said Ken DiPietro, Superintendent of Plainfield Public Schools.
 “Given stresses on families, the changing economy and the expectations of student achievement, we need to provide schools with the means to give all children the tools they need to succeed in school.”

“This initiative gives teachers a much better chance of reaching those young minds and opening them up to a myriad of possibilities, so that they can make their own lives better,” said Blaise Messinger, 2013 Connecticut Teacher of the Year. 
“That’s why we teach. To make lives better. Yes, as the research shows, it will help to close the achievement gap, but it’s about more than just academics and test scores," she said. 
"It’s about kids getting a real opportunity to become good citizens and make a better state, a better nation, and a better world.”

This is a press release from Crisco's office.