The White House says Ohio would receive about $103 million in the first year under the president’s plan, excluding state matching funds.
Under the plan submitted to Congress, funding would be provided to states and distributed to school districts, or to school districts in partnership with other early learning providers. An additional $750 million would provide for competitive grants to states. The president wants Congress to double the federal tobacco tax to fund the proposal that would increase the number of 4-year-olds in preschool from 1.1 million to 2.2 million.
“We’ll start in the most economically-disadvantaged areas,” Duncan said. “I’m tired of talking about the achievement gap … we need an opportunity gap. I’ve seen what kids from a tough neighborhood can do.”
More than 72 percent of students in the Middletown City School District are economically disadvantaged, according to the 2011-12 state report card. That rate is just over 70 percent in Hamilton City Schools.
States choosing to enroll in the federal grant program would have “flexibility for creativity and innovative programs,” utilizing both public and private partnerships, Duncan said.
“We’ve proposed the tobacco tax; this cannot be an unfunded mandate,” Duncan said. “We want to invest in states that want to invest in themselves.”
Also on the town hall panel were former Procter & Gamble CEO John Pepper, Col. Julie Blike of the Ohio National Guard, the Rev. Robert Harper from the First Baptist Church of Kennedy Heights and Carine M. Feyten, dean of Miami University’s School of Education, Health and Society.
Duncan also toured Miami Middletown’s YMCA Children’s Center.
“Before (kids) can sit down and do A, B, C, 1, 2, 3, they’ve got to get along,” said Teresa Reeves, site administrator, of the program that incorporates social, emotional and cognitive needs.
Research shows that children who are not reading at a third grade level by the end of grade three are four times more likely to dropout of school, according to Feyten. Ohio is one of 33 states to have mandated an early reading literacy assessment for kindergarten through third grade.
Duncan said between 60 percent to 75 percent of America’s children enter kindergarten not ready, and those from economically-disadvantaged homes enter kindergarten up to 1.5 years behind. Obama also proposes expanding home-visit services for “vulnerable” families and children and supporting a new Early Head Start-Child Care partnership aimed at ages zero to five, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
“For every $1 we invest, we will get back $7 down the line,” Duncan said. “I worry about our economic competitiveness with other countries.”
DeAnna Shores, Middletown school board member, said a key to increasing literacy in children is better parent involvement and community buy-in.
“We’re treating our teachers like magicians, they are skilled technicians,” Shores said. “I can’t want more for your child than you.”
Duncan echoed a similar sentiment, saying, “Parents will always be their first teacher and their most important teacher.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About the Author