OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Governor Henry says he wants to provide early childhood education opportunities to more children across the state.
Henry plans to announce a new childhood education initiative tomorrow. He says research shows early education makes them more likely to succeed in school and later in life.
In recent years, Oklahoma pre-kindergarten's program has garnered national attention as one of the best in the nation. It's earned praise from the National Institute for Early Education Research.
Currently, the state and its school districts partner with faith-based and privately-run early education facilities to offer instructional programs to pre-kindergarten children. About 70 percent of the states four-year olds are participating in the voluntary state program.
Speaker Cargill released this statement regarding the Governor's proposals:
"House Republicans are committed to excellence in education - the key to knowledge-based 21st century economy. That's why earlier this week we announced an education agenda that includes innovative rewards for quality teachers as well as a focus on fostering pioneering programs like charter schools. We encourage the governor to join us in supporting these initiatives. While we continue to have concerns about the level of spending the governor is proposing this week, we look forward to examining the details of his proposal. We will wait for final budget numbers before the session begins, and we'll also ensure that any investments we make this year are fiscally prudent."
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Posted at 1/29/2007 10:23:00 AM
