Education Commissioner, Pre-K Leaders Call on Lawmakers To Reject Senate Cuts

NASHVILLE — State Commissioner of Education Dr. Timothy Webb and early-childhood  education leaders from across Tennessee will hold a news conference today, June 16, at 1 p.m. CDT, to ask state lawmakers to reject Senate GOP efforts to diminish the Volunteer State’s nationally recognized pre-kindergarten program.

Media and the public are invited to attend today’s news conference in Legislative Plaza, Room 30.

On Friday, a budget amendment passed the Senate Finance Ways & Means Committee along a party-line vote that would strip $22 million in recurring funds from pre-K programs. The amendment instead would move the funding to a non-recurring or “one time” basis — signaling the GOP-led Senate’s intent to do away with the money in the next budget cycle.

“Teachers, parents and other early childhood education advocates across Tennessee view the Senate budget proposal as an effort aimed at ultimately dismantling our nationally recognized pre-K program,” said Dr. Webb. “People who have worked hard to expand pre-K in Tennessee are respectfully asking state lawmakers to reject this proposal.”

Ultimately, the proposal could affect approximately 250 pre-K classrooms around the state -- or more than one-quarter of Tennessee’s total pre-K classrooms. Since Governor Phil Bredesen took office in 2003, Tennessee has created 934 pre-K classrooms serving approximately 18,000 children. Tennessee’s voluntary Pre-K for All program is ranked high nationally in quality by the National Institute for Early Education Research and Tennessee is held as a model state by the national advocacy organization Pre-K Now.

WHO:               Education Commissioner Dr. Timothy Webb, statewide pre-K advocates

WHAT:              Pre-K news conference

WHEN:             Tuesday, June 16, 1 p.m. CDT

WHERE:           Legislative Plaza, Room 30, Nashville

For more information, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@tn.gov.
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