Senators lobbied for early childhood funds

Two of S.C.’s top school officials tell them where money for programs is needed

By LISA MICHALS

lmichals@thestate.com

Nap time is over for the issue of early childhood education at the General Assembly.

The two state officials in charge of educating the state’s youngest children lobbied a special Senate committee Wednesday for state money to increase early childhood programs their agencies run.

After the meeting, state Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum said it was “incredible” that so far, neither the governor nor the House of Representatives intends to earmark money for the state Department of Education to expand early childhood initiatives.

“The politics are that you can do it cheaper in a private setting, and some of the members don’t think you need a certified teacher,” Tenenbaum said. “Also, the politics are: This is where the governor wants it, and he wants it to go into First Steps, and he wants it to go into private child care and not into schools.”

First Steps director Susan DeVenny and the governor’s spokesman said they are focused on finding what works for children and what families need.

The Senate committee that DeVenny and Tenenbaum addressed may play a major role in which organization’s goals are funded, and which — if any — additional resources will be available to South Carolina parents and their children. The committee is charged with developing a response to a judge’s December ruling that the state needs to better educate its neediest, youngest children.

At the meeting, Tenenbaum proposed expanding 4-year-old kindergarten programs for the state’s neediest students and offering more help to disadvantaged parents. Her plan would require $71.9 million for kindergarten for 4-year-olds and $5 million for parenting programs.

DeVenny lobbied for First Steps’ request for another $53 million over the next three years. First Steps officials want to expand programs for kids ages birth to 4 and to offer incentives for nonpublic, child-care providers.

“We feel that it should not be limited to 4K or 4-year-olds,” DeVenny said, adding a more comprehensive approach is better.

Both DeVenny and Tenenbaum detailed their agencies’ successes and accolades from education organizations.

At one point, committee co-chair Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington, reminded the presenters, “This committee is not charged with the debate over the administration of the program.”

In response to Tenenbaum’s statement that lawmakers and Gov. Mark Sanford want to use the expansion of early childhood programs to expand nonpublic programs, Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said this isn’t a “turf war.”

“This administration’s bias would be toward expanding early childhood education through an avenue like First Steps, in a way that leverages the private sector and maintains options for parents,” Sawyer said.

DeVenny said the focus of the early childhood discussion needs to be kept on children, not who administers any new programs.

“Your common citizen that has a child who is 4 doesn’t care who administers what, as long as their child goes to a program every day that is high quality and gets them ready for school,” she said. “We are here as an agency that is mandated to examine both private and public settings.”

Setzler said his committee plans to gather more input from additional education groups and agencies before making a recommendation to the Senate education committee.

Reach Michals at (803) 771-8532.

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