May 22, 2008

Act 62, last session's pre-k legislation, required the State Board of Education to approve rules developed jointly by the Vermont Department of Education and the Vermont Department for Children and Families. At Tuesday's State Board of Education meeting (5/20/08), the Board approved the rules, which were developed by the two Departments based on extensive input from many stakeholders.

One of the most forward-thinking components of the rules includes using the actual cost of providing high-quality early education services as the basis for contract negotiations between schools and community-based early education programs. This stipulation has already stimulated programs to think more realistically about what it takes to run a quality program. This process is also highlighting the extent to which the early childhood workforce has, in effect, been providing a hidden subsidy by absorbing the gap between revenues (from tuition, child care subsidies, etc.) and actual costs through low wages and lack of benefits.

We applaud the Commissioners and their staff for the thoroughness and careful consideration that characterized the rule-making process. Thank you, too, to everyone submitted comments regarding the draft rules prior to their submission to the State Board of Education.

For more information contact:

Barbara Postman
Policy Coordinator
(802) 229-6377
bpostman@voicesforvtkids.org

OR

Kim Friedman
Organizing Director
(802) 348-9879
kfriedman@svcable.net